Page:The History of the American Indians.djvu/430

 41 8 General Obfervations on

The pofts are of an equal height ; and the wall-plates are placed on top of thefe, in notches. Then they fink a large pod in the center of each gable end, and another in the middle of the houfe where the partition is to be, in order to fupport the roof- tree ; to thefe they tie the rafters with broad fplinters of white oak, or hiccory, unlefs they make choice of fuch, long fapplings, as will reach from fide to fide over the ridge hole, which, with a proper notch in the middle of each of them, and bound as the other fort, lie very fecure. Above thofe,. they fix either fplit fapplings, or three large winter canes together, at proper diftances, well tied. Again, they place above the wall-plates of both fides the houfe, a fufficient number of ftrong crooks to bear up the eave-boards : and they fatten each of them, both to ene of the rafters and the wall-plate, with the bandages before defcribed. As the poplar tree is very foft, they make their eave-boards of it, with, their fmall hatchets : having placed one on each fide, upon the crooks, ex-- ceeding the length of the houfe, and jutting a foot beyond the wall, they, cover the fabric with pine, or cyprefs clap-boards, which they can fplit rea dily j and crown the work with the bark of the fame trees, all of a proper length and breadth, which they had before provided. In order to fecure this covering from the force of the high winds, they put a fufficient number of long fplit fapplings above the covering of each fide, from end to end,, and tie them fait to the end of the laths. Then they place heavy logs above, refting on the eave-boards, oppofite to each crook, which overlap each other on the oppofite fides, about two feet a-top, whereon they fix a convenient log, and tie them together, as well as the laths to the former, which bind it. together, and thus the fabric becomes a favage philofopher's caftle, the fide, and gables of which are bullet proof. The barrier towns cut port holes in thofe fummer houfes, daubing them over with clay, fo as an enemy can not difcover them on the outfide, they draw a circle round each of them, in the infide of the houfe, and when they are attacked, they open their port holes in a trice, and fall to work. But thofe, tha-t live more at eafe, indulge themfelves accordingly. Herein, they teach us to fecure our bar rier fettiements with proper places of defence, before we flatter curfelves^ with the uncertain hope of reaping what we plant, or grow fond of the fhowy parts of life. When the Britifti empire hath a fufficient plenty of ftrbng frontier garrifons to protect fuch as-the weak, and valuable colony of Weft Florida, fine and well ftirnilhed houfes will foon rife of courfe.. The Indians always make theic doors of poplar,, bccaufe the timber is large,.

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