112 COOK'S SECOND VOYAGE SEPT. 



cular ; something like a bee-hive, and full as close 

 and warm. The entrance is by a small door, or 

 long square hole, just big enough to admit a man 

 bent double. The side walls are about four feet and 

 a half high ; but the roof is lofty, and peaked to a 

 point at the top, above which is a post or stick of 

 wood, which is generally ornamented either with 

 carving or shells, or both. The framing is of small 

 spars, reeds, &c. and both sides and roof are thick 

 and close covered with thatch, made of coarse long 

 grass. In the inside of the house are set up posts, 

 to which cross spars are fastened and platforms made 

 for the conveniency of laying any thing on. Some 

 houses have two floors, one above the other. The 

 floor is laid with dry grass, and here and there mats 

 are spread for the principal people to sleep or sit on. 

 In most of them we found two fire-places, and com- 

 monly a fire burning, and, as there was no vent for 

 the smoke but by the door, the whole house was both 

 smoky and hot, insomuch that we, who are not 

 used to such an atmosphere, could hardly endure it a 

 moment. This may be the reason why we found 

 these people so chilly when in the open air and with- 

 out exercise. We frequently saw them make little 

 fires any where, and hustle round them, with no other 

 view than to warm themselves. Smoke within doors 

 may be a necessary evil, as it prevents the musquitoes 

 from coming in, which are pretty numerous here. 

 In some respects their habitations are neat; for, 

 besides the ornaments at top, 1 saw some with carved 

 door-posts. Upon the whole, their houses are better 

 calculated for a cold than a hot climate ; and as 

 there are no partitions in them, they can have little 

 privacy. 



They have no great variety of household utensils j 

 the earthen jars before mentioned being the only 

 article worth notice* Each family has, at least, one 

 of them, in which they bake their roots, and perhaps 

 their fish, &c. The fire by which they cook their 



