RESIDENCE OF THE COURT. 213 
joined on the road by many families, laden with 
mountain bananas, so that they arrived in a 
large company at Matarai. | ; 
Mr. Hoffman made several other journies 
into the interior of the island, and visited Arue, 
the present residence of the Court. The mine- 
ralogical and geological observations made on 
these excursions, are reserved for a separate 
treatise; but some particulars concerning his 
intercourse with the inhabitants, may be pro- 
perly introduced here. 
The houses are merely built of perpendicular 
bamboo-canes, standing at some distance apart, 
to give free admission to the air. The roofs of 
palm-leaves are strong enough to defy the hea- 
viest rain. 
As curious after novelty as more civilized 
infants, the heads of the children were thrust 
out from every hut he passed, and the parents 
hospitably asked him in. When he accepted 
the invitation, he was always conducted to the 
seat of honour, a raised bench covered with mat- 
ting and tapa stuff; and, after freely partaking 
of the best the house afforded, was considered 
to have paid handsomely for his entertainment 
