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quantity of material required in their construction. 

 The largest houses are those of the chiefs, the 

 churches and schools. The length of these buildings 

 varies from 50 to 80 feet, and their breadth from 25 to 

 fcO feet. The average height of the side walls, from 

 the floor to the eaves, is about G feet, and from the 

 level of the side walls to the ridge about 20 feet, 

 making a total height from floor to ridge of from 26 to 

 30 feet. The ridge is supported at each end by a 

 round log, — the trunk of a tree set upright; and, should 

 the house be long, by one or more of these logs as 

 pillars set at equal distances apart. The tops of these 

 logs arc either forked, or hollowed out for the ridge 

 pole to rest upon, and round logs, about a foot in dia- 

 meter, are set up as side posts, at about 10 feet apart. 

 These are also hollowed out at the top, that the wall- 

 plate may lie solidly upon them. The wall-plates and 

 ridges are made of the trunk of a cocoa-nut palm, or 

 any other long straight tree ; and they are not less 

 than 6 inches in diameter, "When one tree is not long 

 enough to reach from end to end of the house, another 

 is joined to it, by overlapping the ends, and fastening 

 them together by sinnet. The wall-plate or ridge, as 

 the case may be, is supported at the joint by a pillar 

 or post. Large pieces of timber (round logs) are used 

 as tie-beams, one at each end of the house, and 

 -hould the house be long, one or more is laid across 

 at equal distances apart. These tie-beams are fastened 

 firmly to the Mall-plates by sinnet; — binding the 

 aides of the house together, and preventing them 

 from being thrust out by the weight of the roof. 

 Tin- rafters are supported by the wall-plates and ridge, 

 beyond which their ends extend, crossing each other 

 and forming an .-mule like the letter V. The rafters 



