though I never saw any one intoxicated by it.
The same tree also produces nuts and oil. Our principal luxury is in
perfumes; one sort of these is an odoriferous wood of delicious
fragrance: the other a kind of earth; a small portion of which thrown
into the fire diffuses a most powerful odour[D]. We beat this wood
into powder, and mix it with palm oil; with which both men and women
perfume themselves.

In our buildings we study convenience rather than ornament. Each
master of a family has a large square piece of ground, surrounded with
a moat or fence, or enclosed with a wall made of red earth tempered;
which, when dry, is as hard as brick. Within this are his houses to
accommodate his family and slaves; which, if numerous, frequently
present the appearance of a village. In the middle stands the
principal building, appropriated to the sole use of the master, and
consisting of two apartments; in one of which he sits in the day with
his family, the other is left apart for the reception of his friends.
He has besides these a distinct apartment in which he sleeps, together
with his male children. On each side are the apartments of his wives,
who have also their separate day and night houses. The habitations of
the slaves and their families are distributed throughout the rest of
the enclosure. These houses never exceed one story in height: they are
always built of wood, or stakes driven into the ground, crossed with
wattles, and neatly plastered within, and without. The roof is
thatched with reeds. Our day-houses are left open at the sides; but
those in which we sleep are always covered, and plastered in the
inside, with a composition mixed with cow-dung, to keep off the
different insects, which annoy us during the night. The walls and
floors also of these are generally covered with mats. Our beds consist
of a platform, raised three or four feet from the ground, on which are
laid skins, and different parts of a spungy tree called plaintain. Our
covering is calico or muslin, the same as our dress. The usual seats
are a few logs of wood; but we have benches, which are generally
perfumed, to accommodate strangers: these compose the greater part of
our household furniture. Houses so constructed and furnished require
but little skill to erect them. Every man is a sufficient architect
for the purpose. The whole neighbourhood afford their unanimous
assistance in building them and in return receive, and expect no other
recompense t