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attend to these matters is much and unfavourably 

 commented upon in Fijian society. Near the coast, 

 and on the low-lying parts, the houses are either 

 gable ended, or hip roofed. In the interior of Vitu 

 Levu, the roof has the form of an ogee arch, with an 

 outward spring at the eaves. In the middle of Vanua 

 Levu, the sides of the houses, together with the roof, 

 form an elliptic arch. No heavy timber is used in 

 the construction of these houses. One end of the 

 rafter is fixed in the ground, and the top is then 

 joined to the top of the one opposite. These ends 

 overlap each other, and they are then securely tied 

 together. The rafters arc kept in their places by 

 purlins, to which they are fastened by sinnet, or the 

 flexible stems of climbers. The purlins are laid hori- 

 zontally at about 2 or 3 feet apart. The Fijians seem 

 to be unacquainted with the use of braces or struts in 

 the construction of houses and bridges. Their build- 

 ings are consequently kept upright by the posts 

 being deeply sunk in the ground and firmly fixed in it. 

 There are several species of bamboo, natives of 

 Fiji, and as may be supposed, they are used for a 

 variety of purposes by the Fijians. One of these is 

 that of a water can or pitcher. For this purpose a 

 piece of bamboo, from 2 to 12 feet in length, and 

 about 3^ inches in diameter is selected. As a crack 

 in the bamboo would render it useless, considerable 

 care must be taken in cutting and seasoning it, and 

 also in piercing its partitions or cell walls. One of 

 the large sized bamboos will hold as much water as an 

 ordinary pitcher. Like other commodities, they arc 

 articles of exchange between the inhabitants of the 

 districts where they abound, and those residing in 

 localities where they are scarce. 



