288 COOK S VOYAGE TO APRIL, 



which run in the direction of the houses between the 

 rows are much broader. Though there be some ap- 

 pearance of regularity in this disposition, there is 

 none in the single houses ; for each of the divisions 

 made by the paths may be considered either as one 

 house or as many, there being no regular or complete 

 separation, either without or within, to distinguish 

 them by. They are built of very long and broad 

 planks*, resting upon the edges of each other, 

 fastened or tied by withes of pine-bark here and 

 there, and have only slender posts, or rather poles, at 

 considerable distances on the outside, to which they 

 are also tied ; but within are some larger, poles 

 placed aslant. The height of the sides and ends of 

 these habitations is seven or eight feet, but the back 

 part is a little higher, by which means the planks 

 that compose the roof, slant forward, and are laid on 

 loose, so as to be moved about, either to be put close 

 to exclude the rain, or in fair weather to be separated, 

 to let in the light, and carry out the smoke. They 

 are, however, upon the whole, miserable dwellings, 

 and constructed with little care or ingenuity. For 

 though the side-planks be made to fit pretty closely 

 in some places, in others they are quite open, and 

 there are no regular doors into them, the only way 

 of entrance being either by a hole where the unequal 

 length of the planks has accidentally left an opening, 

 or, in some cases, planks are made to pass a little 

 beyond each other, or overlap, about two feet 

 asunder, and the entrance is in this space. There 

 are also holes or windows in the sides of the houses 

 to look out at ; but without any regularity of shape 

 or disposition, and these have bits of mat hung before 

 them to prevent the rain getting in. 



* The habitations of the natives, more to the north upon this 

 coast, where Behring's people landed in 174-1, seem to resemble 

 those of Nootka. Muller describes them thus : " Ces cabanes 

 " etoient de bois revetu de planches bien unies, et mme enchain^es 

 " en quelques endroits." Muller, Deconvertes, p. V55. 



