20 



The Ancient Haivaiian House. 



in his Narrative'' is rather fragmentary, probably made up from the journals of the 

 various officers, but it gives a definite pifture of the Fijian habitation as it was, and as 

 it is in many parts of the great Vitian archipelago, parts of which if turned from can- 

 nibalism, are otherwise as they were when white men first visited the group. Captain 

 Hudson, the second in command, and who will also be remembered as the commander 



FIG. l6. INTERIOR OF NGARANINGIOU'S HOUSE, REWA (BY A. T. AGATE). 



of the Niagara in the laying of the first Atlantic cable, had been sent to amuse the 

 king at Rewa with fireworks, and in the rainy weather he proceeded at once to the 

 king's house, which is thus described : 



The house is large, aud in shape not unlike a Dutch barn : it is sixty feet in length and thirty 

 in width ; the eaves were six feet from the ground, and along each side there were three large posts, 

 two feet in diameter and six feet high, set firmly into the ground ; on these were laid the horizontal 

 beams and plates to receive the lower ends of the rafters ; the rafters rise to a ridge-pole thirty feet 

 from the ground, which is supported by three posts in the centre of the building. They were of 

 uniform size, about three inches in diameter and eighteen inches apart. The usual thick thatch was 

 in this case very neatly made. The sides of the house were of small upright reeds, set closely to- 

 gether. All the fastenings were of sennit, made from the husk of the cocoa-iuit. Some attempts at 

 ornament were observed, the door-posts being covered with reeds wound around with sennit which 



" Narrative of the United States Exploring Expedition, during tlie years 1838-1842, by Charles Wilkes, U. S. N., 

 vol. iii, p. 113 (edition of 1845). 



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