TO GUAIIONT. "237 



denied this assertion, as has been done by several 

 mariners with respect to Tinian. 



The village of Massu consists of about fifteen 

 houses, which are built in a straight line, and 

 the spaces between them filled up with gardens. 

 Their structure is different from any we saw on 

 our voyage. The house, which is from eight to 

 ten feet square, rests on four pillars, raised five 

 feet above the ground j the floors and walls 

 are made of bamboo canes, which are placed 

 so far apart from each other, that you can put 

 your hand between them, which gives the wliole 

 house the appearance of a cage, where you may 

 see every thing passing in the inside without en- 

 tering. This construction is very well adapted to 

 the climate : the wind passes through the house, 

 and cools and purifies the air ; the roof, thatched 

 with rushes, protects it against the rain ; and the 

 pillars against vermin ; but the appearance is 

 extremely ludicrous, particularly if the family is 

 in it. The half-naked inhabitants of Massu kindly 

 saluted us in the Spanish language. A large stone 

 cross before their village, and a small one, which 

 they wear round their neck, showed the Christian 

 faith. The inhabitants of Guahon are called by 

 the Spaniards los Indios. They are all Christians; 

 are partly descended from natives ; but most of 

 them from people brought hither by the Spaniards 

 from Mexico and the Phihppines, after the ori- 

 ginal race was extirpated. 



