NARRATIVE OF THE CRUISE 169 



the precarious situation of the vessel. The usual sea-routine of 

 watch-and-watch was kept aboard so that we might put out to 

 deep water in an emergency. We shall see how fortunate this 

 provision proved to be. 



The houses of the village are fairly substantial structures of 

 wood. They rely on wrecked vessels for their lumber. The 

 shore near the boat-landing is covered with spikes, bolts, anchors, 

 and chains from these unfortunate ships. Windows are a rare 

 luxury. The floors are usually of dirt. Furniture is scanty and 

 most of the natives sleep on the floor or on low bunks set against 

 walls. As a rule several families occupy each house. We saw 

 a few cooking-utensils, but for cooking the Samoan style of the 

 hot-stone oven is relied on. 



The schoolhouse was built in 191-i and the "governor's" wife 

 is the teacher. Instruction is given in the Rapa Nui language, 

 which was put into writing by former missionaries. The school- 

 mistress does not take her duties very seriously, and the building 

 is used as much for community dancing and feasts as for anything 

 else. 



There is no ordained priest for the village church, but a mis- 

 sionary comes out each year on the boat from Chile to baptise the 

 infants, preach a sermon, and hold a service for the dead. He 

 returns with the vessel, and the church-affairs are supervised by 

 a native patriarch. 



One of the recent visitors to Easter Island reports a scandalous 

 funeral ceremony which he witnessed. A distinguished personage 

 of the island had died. Just as the body was lowered into the 

 ground the natives lined up and burst into a perfectly drilled 

 "Hip, Hip, Hooray!" No doubt, they had picked up this cheer 

 from a passing English ship, but had not been told that it was 

 hardly appropriate as part of the funeral-rites ! 



December 7 was to prove our only full day of liberty ashore. 

 An assortment of horses and saddles awaited us on the beach in 

 the early morning. It was first come first served. There were 

 various combinations to choose from : good horses with makeshift 

 saddles, feeble nags with shiny trappings, and some with only a 

 "sheepskin over a ridgepole back." Even stirrups were a luxury, 



