(seq. 342)

East Florida

I have mentioned in the 9th Paragraph of the 4th Chapter. These double
Walls of the Gallery excluded the Rawness of the North Air, which perhaps
they judged pernicious to their Health. This Judgment I doubt not was
entertained by a Notion from a pretended Experience, of which they could have
had in 200 years a greater share, than I pretended to, yet I have not followed
their Practive, but built Doors and Windows on the North side of my House
in St Augustin, and fixed on that side a Landry and Pantry with good
Success in keeping Victuals and Liquors of all kinds, without prejudicing
the Health of any of my Family. My Reason for not following the Spa=
=nish Rules of Architecture was from Experience, that an inclosed could
not be so wholesome, as a free circulating Air; however the Spanish Method
may be tryed first, and mine afterwards, as the former will save time and
Expence, and the latter may be applied after the first Experiment does not
give Satisfaction. As I suppose the want of Boards will prevent new
Settlers from making their Ground Floor three feet high frrom the Sur=
=face of the Earth, as is necessary to prevent Jiggers and other Vermin from
nestling in their Floors by frequent cleaning, washing and airing the House,
by throwing the Doors and Windows open from nine in the forenoon to three
in the Afternoon. I advise to burn Shells into Lime and to mix it with
twice the Quantity of unburnt pounded Shells; these Materials together,
to be made up into a Mortar; this Mortar must not be miszed with fresh, but
salt-water taken from the Sea (this salt water in all Buildings will prove
to make a better Mortar, soon petrifying, than fresh Water, whose Mortar
soon putrifies. (this I have, from my own Experience, in both cases, on my
Buildings in St. Augustin) after the ground Floor of the House is well
rammed with heavy Pestles; the above Mortar is to be laid on four or six
Inches thick, and beat by three or more Persons with light Pestles allover,
gently and quickly until nothing of the MOrtar will stick to the Pestles,
then a brush of lint-seed-Oil must be given all over and continue beating
until the Oil disappears. This brushing with Oil and beating is to be re=
-peated until the Floor is hard, smooth and shiny; such a Floor will prove
near equal to Marble, very lasting, cold, easy to be cleaned with a wet Mop,
and aired to keep out Jiggers, beside all manner of Bugs and Vermin.
In East Florida the Expence of Glass Windows may be saved, as they are of
little Service, unless it is in stormy & rainy Weather, which the DOors & Shutters
on the Weather side will shut out much better, than Glass Windows; in lieu of
which, I advise to make use of Gauze Blinds (the same Stuff the Pavillions
are made of) both in the Door- and Window-Openings, and to keep them shut
all