. A voyage to the river Sierra-Leone, on the coast of Africa; containing an account of the trade and productions of the country, and of the civil and religious customs and manners of the people; in a series of letters to a friend in England . this method are of a yellow complexion^In the more fouthern and eaftern parts of Africa, tti LETTER Vf. Africa, they mark the face as well as thebody. The fituations which the natives chufefor their towns are generally on the bank ofa creek or river, for the benefit of fifhing,and are always diftinguifhed by large pullamtrees; which kind of trees are a ce
. A voyage to the river Sierra-Leone, on the coast of Africa; containing an account of the trade and productions of the country, and of the civil and religious customs and manners of the people; in a series of letters to a friend in England . this method are of a yellow complexion^In the more fouthern and eaftern parts of Africa, tti LETTER Vf. Africa, they mark the face as well as thebody. The fituations which the natives chufefor their towns are generally on the bank ofa creek or river, for the benefit of fifhing,and are always diftinguifhed by large pullamtrees; which kind of trees are a certaincriterion of a dry foil. They never takethe trouble to clear more ground than isfufficient to build their houfes upon; asthey cannot conceive that cutting down thewood, fo as to admit a free circulation ofair, would render it more healthy : neitherdo they obferve any order in the difpofitionof ftrects J but every man chufing a fpctmoft convenient or agreeable, erefts a num-ber of fmall houfes, according to the numberof his wives and people (for every wife hasa feparate houfe); the whole forming acircle, which are inclofed within a trapada,or fence^ made by driving (lakes into theground j whichj in a few months, (fo quick is \ fe. LETTER VI. 113 13 vegetation in this climate) become livingtrees, and produce a very pretty effedt. A number of thefe inclofed buildingserefted near each other form a town, whichis generally furrounded widi a mud wall or aftrong paliiade, and often cover a confi-derable extent of ground. When the natives are at war they-havefeveral barriers, which are always fliut atfun-fet, and guarded, during the night, witha good watch ; nor are they opened again,upon any occafion, till the fun rifes nextmorning. Their houfes are only one ftory, and areeither round or an oblong fquare; the fidesbuilt with upright ports, wattled and co-vered with a ft iff clay. The floors are alfoclayed and beat hard; and the roofs arefupported with long poles, and thatchedwith
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