. XIX
Seminole Dwelling.]

The Seminole's house is open on all sides and without rooms. It is, in
fact, only a covered platform. The single equivalent for a room in it is
the space above the joists which are extended across the building at the
lower edges of the roof. In this are placed surplus food and general
household effects out of use from time to time. Household utensils are
usually suspended from the uprights of the building and from pronged
sticks driven into the ground near by at convenient places.

From this description the Seminole's house may seem a poor kind of
structure to use as a dwelling; yet if we take into account the climate
of Southern Florida nothing more would seem to be necessary. A shelter
from the hot sun and the frequent rains and a dry floor above the damp
or water covered ground are sufficient for the Florida Indian's needs.

I-ful-lo-ha-tco's three houses are placed at three corners of an oblong
clearing, which is perhaps 40 by 30 feet. At the fourth corner is the
entrance into the garden, which is in shape an ellipse, the longer
diameter being about 25 feet. The three houses are alike, with the
exception that in one of them the elevated platform is only half the
size of those of the others. This difference seems to have been made on
account of the camp fire. The fire usually burns in the space around
which the buildings stand. During the wet season, however, it is moved
into the sheltered floor in the building having the half platform. At
Tus-ko-na's camp, where several families are gathered, I noticed one
building without the interior platform. This was probably the wet
weather kitchen.

To all appearance there is no privacy in these open houses. The only
means by which it seems to be secured is by suspending, over where one
sleeps, a canopy of thin cotton cloth or calico, made square or oblong
in shape, and nearly three feet in height. This serves a double use,
as a private room and as a protection against gnats and mosquitoes.

But while I-ful-lo-ha-tco's house is a fair example of the kind of
dwelling in use throughout the tribe, I may not pass unnoticed some
innovations which have lately been made upon the general style. There
are, I understand, five inclosed houses, which were built and are owned
by Florida Indians. Four of these are covered with split cypress planks
or slabs; one is constructed of logs.

Progressive "Key West Billy" has gone further than any other one,
exce