The long continuance of the periodical rains, which often fall in torrents for whole days, and frequently keep drizzling for near a week, with little or no intermission, renders it necessary to protect all exterior walls by copings, either of tiles, or of thatch. The former mode is effected by small tiles, laid in the usual manner, but cemented with lime mortar; or by immense large ones, nearly semi-cylindrical, whose curve may measure full a yard, and whose breadth may be from fifteen to twenty inches; the thickness, perhaps, an inch and a half. These last are merely slung over the top of the wall, which is formed so as to retain them firmly, and are overlapped about two or three inches. The thatches are generally made with a double pent, each face being about a yard in depth: they are secured by being fastened together at their junction above, and by means of stakes passing through the wall; to these their eaves are tied with grass, or coarse hempen twine. Nothing can be more uncomfortable than a leaky _bungalow_! The water trickles down the walls, dissolving the coat of mud, or sand plaster, and greatly disfiguring the interior. It often happens, that the outer walls are so far damaged by heavy rains, accompanied by a driving wind, as to be rendered unserviceable in the course of a night; the whole being completely sapped through. After such weather, the damages are frequently extensive; the walls surrounding gardens, &c. though substantially built, and duly coped, are seen to give way for scores of yards; falling with a tremendous crash. This is usually occasioned by some ditch near their bases, which, being filled by the heavy rains, that soak into the banks, in a few hours yield to the great weight on their borders. Fortunately, such damages are speedily repaired at no very great expence; a rod of wall about eight feet high, and averaging two feet in thickness, being generally built for about ten shillings: in some places for half that sum.