The homes were little cottages fashioned of bent over sapling tree trunks or branches linked together. They would make a large circle by sticking one end of the tree limbs or saplings into the earth. Then they'd bend them towards the center and bind them together to form a framework. This would be the outside wall of the house. Inside, they made a small cave-like space under the bending roof where they could sleep in winter. The Karankawa people lived in these houses near the water's edge because they wanted to fish all year round. Also, since they didn't have any weapons to protect themselves from enemies, this was the best place for them to live in peace. In time, white men came to hunt all kinds of animals in Texas. Some of them stayed and built big houses with yards, but most went back home to tell others about the great hunting places here. This only encouraged more hunters to come. The more people who go to Texas the less food there is for everyone else. So, soon after the white men left Texas, the Karankawa people began to starve to death. Only a few of them survived this terrible famine. After the famine, the Karankawa people decided they needed help defending themselves against their enemies. So, they traveled far away to another country called Mexico. There, they met some Indian people who taught them how to build boats out of wood.