PACIFIC AND BEERING'S STRAIT. 107 



where the few persons who had died on the island, 

 together with those who met with violent deaths, 

 are deposited. Besides the houses above mentioned, 

 there are three or four others built upon the plan- 

 tations beyond the palm groves. One of these, 

 situated higher up the hill than the village, belonged 

 to Adams, who had retired from the bustle of the 

 hamlet to a more quiet and sequestered spot, to 

 enjoy the advantages of an elevated situation, so 

 desirable in warm countries ; and in addition to 

 these again there are four other cottages to the east- 

 ward which belong to the Youngs and Quintals. 



All these cottages are strongly built of wood in 

 an oblong form, and thatched with the leaves of the 

 palm-tree bent round the stem of the same branch, 

 and laced horizontally to rafters, so placed as to give 

 a proper pitch to the roof. The greater part have 

 an upper story, which is appropriated to sleeping, 

 and contain four beds built in the angles of the 

 room, each sufficiently large for three or four per- 

 sons to lie on. They are made of wood of the 

 cloth-tree, and are raised eighteen inches above the 

 floor ; a mattress of palm-leaves is laid upon the 

 planks, and above it three sheets of the cloth -plant, 

 which form an excellent substitute for linen. The 

 lower room generally contains one or more beds, but 

 is always used as their eating-room, and has a broad 

 table in one part, with several stools placed round 

 it. The floor is elevated above a foot from the 

 ground, and, as well as the sides of the house, is 

 made of stout plank, and not of bamboo, or stone, as 

 stated by Captain Folger ; indeed they have not a 

 piece of bamboo on the island ; nor have they any 

 mats. The floor is a fixture, but the sideboards are 



