The History of the Pyrates. Vol. II.: Containing the lives of Captain Misson, Captain Bowen, Captain Kidd, Captain Tew, Captain Halsey, Captain White, Captain Condent, Captain Bellamy, Captain Fly, Captain Howard, Captain Lewis, Captain Cornelius, Captain Williams, Captain Burgess, Captain North, and their several crewsDefoe, Daniel
History
The History of the Pyrates. Vol. II.: Containing the lives of Captain Misson, Captain Bowen, Captain Kidd, Captain Tew, Captain Halsey, Captain White, Captain Condent, Captain Bellamy, Captain Fly, Captain Howard, Captain Lewis, Captain Cornelius, Captain Williams, Captain Burgess, Captain North, and their several crews
Defoe, Daniel
Pirates -- Early works to 1800
The City contains betwixt three and four thousand Houses, some built of
rough Stone, others of Marble, of which they have many Quaries,
extreamly fine, and of various Colours, but they want the Art of
polishing it; but the most esteemed and most expensive Houses, are those
of rough Stone covered over with a Kind of Plaister, which is peculiar
to this Country; after it is laid on, it is not above three Days in
drying, and grows as hard and durable as the Stone itself; but the
greatest Curiosity of it is, that they can make it of what Colour they
please; and as the Houses of all Persons of Condition are covered with
it, it has a mighty pretty Effect to the Eye, for some have their Houses
white, others red, some yellow, and some blue, that of the King was
green, while the Inside is floor'd with the same Plaister, the Rooms all
differing in Colour from each other, which Variety makes the City appear
very beautiful, tho' the Streets are very narrow and very nasty.
Notwithstanding the Houses look so bright without Side, their Furniture
within consists of very little more than Cobwebs, for they have neither
Tables, Chairs, nor Glasses, they have indeed Matts which serve them
instead of Table-Cloths by Day, and Beds by Night, upon which they lie
without either Pillow or Bolster, with a Covering of Mokaz or thick
Dungeree over them, which is so call'd from a Tree of that Name, of the
Bark of which it is made, which being beaten, is drawn into long
Threads, and wove or rather work'd with fine Needles made of Wood,
either thick or thin, according to which it is intended; and to such a
Perfection are they arrived in this Sort of Manufacture, that they can
make it as smooth, and as soft, as a Piece of _English_ Broad-Cloth, and
much stronger.
We should have observed that they have no such Things as Glass-Windows
to their Houses, however there are either large round or square
Vacancies in every Room to receive both Air and Light; these Sort of
Windows are covered generally all Day with Shutters of thick Plank, in
which many Holes are bored, in order to keep out the Heat of the Sun. As
for Chimneys they have no such Thing: In all great Houses there is a
Room appropriated for the Dressing the Victuals, where the Fire is made
in a Corner upon the Ground, and those that are employ'd in that Service
must be well smoaked. The common People frequently make their Fires
without Doors, for Rice and Fish they never eat without some Sort of
Dressing, but Flesh, to save Trouble and Fire, they frequently eat raw.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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