OF HONDURAS.


Opulent merchants, are spacious, coonho-
dious, and well finished. They are en-
tirely built of wood, and generally raised
eight or ten feet from-the ground, on pil-
lars of mahogany. The stores and flies
are uniformly on the lower story, the din-
ing and sleeping apartments on the up-
per. Every habitation has likewise its
upper and lower piazzas, appendages
which are indispensably necessary in hot
climates, and that are resorted to as
forming the most cool and pleasant parts
anndixed to it.;' Th buildings within
these few years have mostly been shingled;
an improvement, which, independent of
the security it affords from accident, at
the same time furnishes a more finished
Appearanee:'to the town. Before the in-
troduction of this, the roofs were entirely
thatched with a material of the country;
the leaves f the palmetto-tree,(Chamrrops
excelsa) and which has obtained the name
Sof iy-.thatch. It supplies an excellent