6 The Ancient Haivaiian House. 



centres about a foot from each other, upon long, split pieces of the hibiscus, which are then ranged 

 upon the roof, sixteen or eighteen inches apart, and, thus disposed, lap considerably every way, over 

 each other. All these kinds of thatch, instead of becoming dark and sunburnt, like the grass of the 

 Sandwich Islands huts, bleach beautifully ; and when seen at a distance, gleam among the groves, 

 in the brightness of the day, like neatly whitened cottages in our own country. 



The fronts of the habitations are seldom thatched. Sometimes they are entirely open : in 

 which case the timber supporting the roof, and the pillars beneath, are generally neatly hewn and 

 ornamented by braids of sennit of various colors, white, black, yellow, etc., tied on in horizontal 



FIG. .-,. 



I'.\HITI.\X OUKKN .S HOUSE. 



stripes, in diamonds or in checks, in a prett\- and fanciful manner. In most of the houses, however, 

 the front is composed of bamboos, lashed horizontally to the pillars, at intervals of an inch or two, or 

 in lattice-work, for the admission of light; in which case there is a small door in the middle, fur- 

 ni.shed with a shutter, in a slide, to be clo.sed or opened at pleasure. 



In every house the internal arrangement is the same. A smooth trunk of a cocoanut tree ex- 

 tends the whole length, a foot or two from the farther side. At an interval of about four feet another 

 lies parallel to it ; and the space between, spread with grass and covered with mats, constitutes the 

 bed of the whole family and household— the innermost log forming a general pillow, and the second 

 a support for the lower limbs, which extend over it. The rest of the area is a paved floor — a foot or two 

 above the platform without — upon which they partake of their meals and perform their indoor work. 



Calabashes of food and water — wooden bowls and trays — some stone adzes with other rude 

 implements — numerous spears and war-clubs — and a few muskets sticking in the thatch — constituted 

 the furniture of the establishment.' 



"Charles ,S. Stewart. — A ^'isit to the South Seas in i82Q-.^o. New York, 1831. I, ]). 233. 



I 190] 



