• TUTUILA. 43 



cut from the heart of the bread-fruit tree, which treated thus 

 is very durable, are placed at equal distances horizontally, 

 and tied firmly and very neatly with sinnet to the cross pieces. 

 To these are lashed closely a great number of small battens, 

 also of the hard part of the bread-fruit tree, in rows of six, 

 generally of darker and lighter shades alternately. To this 

 the thatch is made fast in a very ingenious manner, being 

 composed of the long leaves of the sugar-cane pinned like a 

 fringe to reeds with the rib of the cocoanut leaf. This part 

 of the work is done by women ; and one, if she works hard, 

 can prepare about fifty of these reeds in a day. Each is 

 about five feet long, and, in the way they are laid on, about 

 four thousand are required for the roof of a good-sized 

 house. The effect inside of these numerous reeds of the 

 same size, carefully lashed with cocoanut cord, is very 

 pleasing. The floor, of fine gravel, is covered with mats, 

 clean ones always being laid for strangers. The house 

 contains but one apartment ; but bedrooms are formed at 

 night by the mosquito tents, whicli are about eight feet 

 long and five wide, made of dark siapo, and are let down at 

 equal distances around the central posts. On either side of 

 it is a fire-place, a circular hollow ten or twelve feet in 

 diameter fined with clay. In several of the houses were 

 women seated upon mats, who showed such of the sailors 

 as were curious to have a peep a whitish preparation of 

 food baked in leaves.' 



I advanced as far as a rivulet bordered by a picturesque 

 rock with a very high peak, from which there was a 



