MARTIN RATTLER. 207

straw. Other huts were made almost entirely of
palm-leaves and were tent-shaped in form ; and, while
a few were enclosed by walls, the most of the square
ones had one or more sides entirely open. In the
large huts several families dwelt together, and each
family had a hearth and a portion of the floor allotted
to it. The smoke from their fires was allowed to find
its way out by the doors and chinks in the roofs, as
no chimneys were constructed for its egress,

The furniture of each hut was very simple It
consisted of a few earthen pots; baskets made of
palm-leaves, which were filled with Spanish potatoes,
maize, mandioca roots, and various kinds of wild
fruits ; one or two drinking vessels; the hollow trunk
of a tree, used for pounding maize in; and several
dishes which contained the colours used by the
Indians in painting their naked bodies—a custom
which was very prevalent amongst them. Besides
these things, there were bows, arrows, spears, and
blow-pipes in abundance; and hammocks hung from
various posts, elevated about a foot from the ground.
These hammocks were made of cotton cords, and
served the purpose of tables, chairs, and beds.

The ground in the immediate neighbourhood of the
village was laid out in patches, in which were culti-

vated mandioca roots, maize, and other plants useful