44 



The Ancient Haivaiian House. 



The edifice contained hut little furniture. Around the eaves a row of mother-of-pearl shells 

 was suspended, giving the appearance of a scolloped curtain. The whole was covered with mats. 

 In the centre, around the largest pillar, a great number of enormous benches, or tables were piled, 

 which were carved out of the solid wood, and being of rude workmanship, were clumsy and ill-shaped. 

 In all probability these were the reclining stools before spoken of. The natives termed them "the 

 seats of their god." Their gods, or idols, tui lokdau, vitre placed on the outside, nearby. The 

 largest of these was fourteen feet high and eighteen inches in diameter. This was covered or invel- 

 oped in mats and over all a narrow one was passed, shawl-fashion, and tied in a knot in front, with 

 the ends hanging down [Fig. 37]. The smaller idol was of stone and four feet high, but only par- 

 tially covered with mats. About ten feet in front of the idols was one of the hewn tables, which was 

 hollowed out ; it was four feet long by three broad, and the same in height. (Loc. cit., v, p. 14.) 



FIG. 38. L.\RGE MAKIAPU .'VT UTEROA. 



Gilbert Islands. — Tttrniag northwestward from the Union Grotip, we soon 

 enter the region of Micronesia, — the little islands, a vast archipelago stretching many 

 degrees east and west along the equatorial belt and in a waj- connedling the southeast- 

 ern Polynesians with the Asiatic races of the Marianas and Pelew Islands on the north 

 of the equator, and through the spurs of the Seniavine and Mortlock groups, with the 

 Papuans of the Bismarck Archipelago and the New Hebrides on the south. The isl- 

 ands of the Gilbert and Marshall groups are low coral atolls, — small islands grouped 

 around a shallow lagoon, generally roughly circular, sometimes mere arcs of the circle 

 remaining. The climate is eqtiatorial throughout, and that and the vegetation and laj^ of 

 the ground would conduce to uniformity in housebuilding. On Tapiteuea (Drummond), 



or rather its northern islet Uteroa, the Wilkes expedition landed and, unfortunately, 



[228] 



