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[Page 406]

Manners & Customs of S. Sea Islands

from her husband. Notwithstanding this some of the Eares or cheifs are I beleive perfectly virtuous They indeed tho they have no decency in conversation have privacy most or all of them have small houses which when they move are tied upon their Canoes these have walls made of Cocoa nut leaves &c. in them they constantly sleep man & wife generaly lifting them off from their canoes & placing them on the ground in any situation they think proper

Besides these there are another kind of houses much larger one in our neighbourhood measurd lengh 162 feet, breadth 28½ high of than me one of the middle row of pillars 18. These we conjecturd to be common to all the inhabitants of a district & raisd & kept up by their Joint labour of use maybe for any meetings or consultations, for the reception of any visitants of consequence, &c; such we have also seen usd as dwelling houses by the very principal people some of them much larger than this which I have here describd

In the article of food these happy people may almost be said to be exempt from the curse of our forefather scarcely can it be said that they earn their bread with the sweat of their brow when their cheifest sustenance Bread fruit
 

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