(seq. 341)

East Florida

Garters below their Knees; the rest loosely covers their Feet and Heels,
home ot the Ground, which will prevent (altho' wet) to get any Cold in their
Feet, and the Rattle-Snakes, which commonly bit about the Heels. (if
they do bite at all), they will think themselces sufficiently revenged on the
Cloth, for having been disturbed by them, and the Person will not be offended
or hurt from such Bite. 7thly The american Woods, and Forrests, especially
near the Sea Coast, shelter an infinite number of Gnats (Muskitoes) during the
time, that Plantations are only small, of course the Forrests near; when the Winds
have no great Power to dissipate them; these Insects are very troublesome
after Sun-set, and throughout the whole Night by which the weary Man is de=
=prived of that Rest, he needs, to recover, and recruit new Strength; in order that
they may make themselves private, and keep off such troublesome Company, they
are to have over each Bed a Pavilion made og thread or Silk net (gauze) in a
Form of a Bell-tent, twenty four feet wide, running up seven feet to a Point
fixed on a Ring, to be hanged thereby over the Bed, and to spread over it at
Night, so as to touch the Ground about the Bed. The Remedy for driving
these Insects from the Tents or Houses in the Evening before Bed-time, is
by making several Smoak-Fires round the same; This Method will force
the nearest to leave the Tents or Houses, and hinder those, which are at a
Distance to draw near them; the Inflamation )which the Muskitoes cause,
with their Stings & form little Tumors in the Skin of NewComers) is best
and soonest cured by rubbing the diseased Places with Spirit of Caphire.
None must set upon a a rotten Tree or Stump, as they are full of a small Bag not
bigger, than the point of a dull Needle, and only visible in the Light of the Sun,
by seeing a scarce visible red speck in motion, they bury themselves in the
Pores of the Skin, and cause itching Tumors, which, by much scratching sometimes
mortify; Spirit of Camphire is the best Remedy to ease the Itching; the Bug
in a short time will perish, and the Tumor dissipate. The Ticks are another
Plague, especially the Seed, or young Ticks, not bigger than a sand-grain, and
brown; their Plague has thrown delicate Persons into a Fever; they may be
soon destroyed by rubbing those parts of the Body (:where they are:) with sweet
Oil, which closes their Orifices and chokes them instantaneously

20. The Dwelling Houses are to be built lofty, so that the Rooms may
be at least nine but not avoce eleven feet high; the WIndows are to reach
the Floor the same as the Doors on all four sides of the Houses; though I
have observed, that all American Spaniards make neither Door, or
Window on the North side of their Houses; they build on that side a double
Wall, of eight or more feet distance from each other, forming a Gallery, as
I