E'.linography of Micronesia. 141 



Chapter III. 

 Dwellings and Household Utensils. 



The buildings in Yap and Palau are generally larger and 

 more advanced in architecture than those of the East Caroline 

 Islands. Voyagers to Yap and Palau will see roofs of club-houses 

 projecting from among the trees, and these are certainly one of the 

 " sights " in the West Caroline group. There are several kinds of 

 buildings besides the dwelling-house. 



I. Yap. 



The buildings in Yap may be divided into the dwelling-house 

 proper, the kitchen-house (of which there are two kinds), the 

 maternity-house, the women's house used during their menses, the 

 club-house and the boat-shed. These are all separate buildhigs, 

 of which the largest one is the club-house and the next largest 

 the dwelling-house. 



1. Dwellings. — -The dwelling-houses in Yap range from small 

 huts to large buildings, the latter belonging, of course, to influen- 

 tial men. They are generally built on a platform of stone about 

 one metre high, on which are set up poles or pillars of the bread- 

 fruit tree oi- callophyllum wood. Beams and cross-beams are kept 

 in position, not by means of nails, but by coconut ropes, some of 

 wliich are fastened artistically. The roof, which is very steep, is 

 thatched with leaves of the pandanus or nipa palm {N'ipa friiUcans) , 

 and the eaves are usually narrower than the ridge. In most cases, 

 windows are provided, for the eaves overhang low making the 

 interior of the house very dark. The window is shut with a door 

 which, when removed, hung by a hook obtained from the jaw 



