dently was to see that the prisoner did not escape.
The fearful idea now entered Martin's mind that he was reserved for
torture, and perhaps a lingering death; for he had read that many savage
nations treated their prisoners in this cruel manner, for the
gratification of the women who had lost relations in the war. But as no
violence was offered to him in the meantime, and he had as much farina
and fruit to eat as he could use, his mind gradually became relieved,
and he endeavoured as much as possible to dismiss the terrible thought
altogether.

The Indian village occupied a lovely situation at the base of a gentle
hill or rising ground, the summit of which was clothed with luxuriant
trees and shrubs. The huts were of various shapes and sizes, and very
simple in construction. They were built upon the bare ground; some were
supported by four corner posts, twelve or fifteen feet high, and from
thirty to forty feet long, the walls being made of thin laths connected
with wicker-work, and plastered with clay. The doors were made of
palm-leaves, and the roofs were covered with the same material, or with
maize straw. Other huts were made almost entirely of palm-leaves and
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 cultivated mandioca-roots, maize, and other
plants useful for domestic purposes