Fthnograpby of Micronesia. J jy 



of the Iiiisia bijucja, some 1'20 m. above grounrl. The floor ^s 

 supported, not by posts or pillars, but by several board-like pieces 

 of wood placed side by side. The clubdiouse at Koror stands on 

 a substructure of stone. The roof of the building, which is very 

 steep, is thatched with nipa palm leaves. The eaves are narrower 

 than the ridge, as in Yap ; but the slanting gable with its lower 

 end inward is peculiar to Palau, as are the gables and walls which 

 are of thick planks, neither the bark nor leaves being used. But 

 no European element of architecture is introduced in the building, 

 whicli the;efore presen's the native style of building in its original 

 form. Each side lias entrances, from six to eight in all, in addi- 

 tion to the narrow windows provided ; so it is not dark inside the 

 club-house. Door-steps consist usually of pieces of wood with 

 notches (PI. XXIX ; PL XXX, fig. 2 ; PL XXXI, fig. 2). 



Pillars, biams and cross-beams of the club-house in Palau are 

 all square, no central pillars being used as in Yap. These, as well 

 as the gables and other parts both inside and outside the house, 

 are covered with grotesque carvings which are painted in yellow, 

 red (ochre), white (lime ?j, black (soot ?) and other colours. Some 

 of the carvings are ornamental ; but most of them are what may 

 be called pictorial records, since they express the impressions of 

 the natives or depict what has happened in the village, or the 

 mythological traditions curent among them, the carvings compris- 

 ing the figures of Imman beings, birds, fish, trees, buildings, ships, 

 etc. This may be compared to the practice of North American 

 Indians who communicate their ideas to each other by means of 

 pictures. There are some indecent carvings, but on the wdiole 

 those carvings are a testimony that the natives have the ability 

 to express different things in a succinct way. If the native customs 

 and manners have undergone a radical chancre, those carvings will 



