1779. THE PACIFIC OCEAN. 12f) 



tended for the purposes of mummery, we could never 

 inform ourselves. 



It has already been remarked, in a few instances, 

 that the natives of the Sandwich Islands approach 

 nearer to the New Zealanders, in their manners and 

 customs, than to either of their less distant neigh- 

 bours of the Society or Friendly Islands. This is in 

 nothing more observable, than in their method of 

 living together in small towns or villages, containing 

 from about one hundred to two hundred houses, built 

 pretty close together, without any order, and having 

 a winding path leading through them. They are 

 generally flanked, toward the sea, with loose detached 

 walls, which probably are meant both for the pur- 

 poses of shelter and defence. The figure of their 

 houses has been already described. They are of dif- 

 ferent sizes, from eighteen feet by twelve, to forty- 

 five by twenty-four. There are some of a larger 

 kind ; being fifty feet long and thirty broad, and 

 quite open at one end. These, they told us, were 

 designed for travellers or strangers, who were only 

 making a short stay. 



In addition to the furniture of their houses, which 

 has been accurately described by Captain Cook, I 

 have only to add, that at one end are mats on which 

 they sleep, with wooden pillows, or sleeping stools, 

 exactly like those of the Chinese. Some of the better 

 sort of houses have a court-yard before them, neatly 

 railed in, with smaller houses built round it, for 

 their servants. In this area they generally eat, and 

 sit during the day-time. In the sides of the hills, 

 and among the steep rocks, we also observed several 

 holes or caves, which appeared to be inhabited ; but 

 as the entrance was defended with wicker work, and 

 we also found, in the only one that was visited, a 

 stone fence running across it within, we imagine they 

 are principally designed for places of retreat, in case 

 of an attack from an enemy. 



The food of the lower class of people consists 



VOL. VII. K 



