INSULA R A US TR A LA SI A. 



I 22- 



the houses are built of wood, and thatched either with grass or palm-leaves. The 

 shape of the roof varies in the different districts, but all have a high pitch. None of 

 the houses possess anything that can be called furniture, a log or two of wood, to 

 serve as pillows, and a few mats being all. Every house has a made fire-place in the 

 centre, and generally a fire burning by day and night. 



The canoes are of great variety. They are made out of a log, which is hollowed 

 by fire and rude stone adzes. The small canoes are used for fishing inside the reef, the 



A NEW GUINEA DEAD-HOUSE. 



large ones being for trade purposes, and used singly as well as double. All are propelled 

 by mat sails. New Guineans will never paddle if they can help it, preferring to wait a 

 long time for wind to save them the trouble. At the east end of New Guinea they 

 build large canoes very much like whale-boats, and can sail with them as close to the 

 wind as we can with our vessels. They are profusely ornamented, and the decorations 

 and carvings are really graceful and artistic. Tons of sago are brought every year from 

 the Gulf to Port Moresby in huge square-shaped vessels. These are made of eight, ten, 

 and even twelve and fourteen great canoes firmly lashed together ; they are then decked 

 over with saplings, bulwarks made all round, and a house built at each end ; a crab-claw- 

 shaped sail is hoisted, and with a fair wind these unwieldy craft make good progress 

 and safe voyages. 



The coast tribes cook their food 1 by boiling in earthenware pots. This is the ordinary 

 mode of cooking. Fish, meat, vegetables and fruit are all boiled. The inland tribes 

 cook with hot stones as the South Sea Islanders do, but they also boil in pots. All 

 natives broil or roast when they are travelling, or do not wish to prepare a regular 



