THE PACIFIC OCEAN. 315 



■&>me -places, in others they are quite open ; and there are |77e. 

 no regular doors into them ; the only way of entrance being v- — .— _j» 

 ^either by a hole, where the unequal length of the planks 

 has accidentally left an opening ; or, in fome cafes, the 

 planks are made to pafs a little beyond each other, or over- 

 lap, about two feet afundcr ; and the entrance is in this 

 fpace. There are alfo holes, or windows, in the fides of the 

 houfes to look out at ; but without any regularity of fliape 

 or difpofition ; and thefe have bits of mat hung before 

 them, to prevent the rain getting in. 



On the infide, one may frequently fee from one end to 

 the other of thefe ranges of building witliout interruption. 

 For though, in general, there be the rudiments, or rather 

 veftiges, of feparations on each fide, for the accommodation 

 of different families, 'they are fuch as do not intercept the 

 fight ; and often confift of no more than pieces of plank, 

 running from the fide toward the middle of the houfe ; fo 

 that, if they were complete, the whole might be compared 

 to a long ftable, with a double range of flails, and a broad 

 pailage in the middle. Clofe to the fides, in each of thefe 

 parts, is a little bench of boards, raifcd five or fix inches 

 higher than the reft of the floor, and covered with mats, on 

 which the family fit and fleep. Thefe benches are common- 

 ly feven or eight feet long, and four or five broad. In the 

 middle of the floor, between them, is the fire-place, which 

 has neither hearth nor chimney, hi one houfe, v^'hich was 

 in the end of a middle range, almoft quite feparated from 

 the reft by a high clofe partition, and the moft regular, as to 

 defign, of any that I faw, there were four of thefe benches; 

 each of which held a fingle family, at a corner, but with- 

 out any feparation by boards; and the middle part of the 

 houfe appeared common to them all. 



S f 2 Their 



