138 MILLER. 



palm." The leaves, of which the sides are made, are held down 

 by horizontal strips of bamboo about 30 centimeters apart. The 

 floor is of split bamboo, sometimes made neatly of strips of 

 uniform width, but more often of pieces of bamboo split open 

 and laid out flat. The doors and windows are sometimes 

 arranged to slide along a bamboo pole and sometimes to swing 

 upward and outward. The houses are of good height, so that 

 it is possible to stand erect almost anywhere inside, although 

 it is necessary to stoop a little in order to pass through the 

 door. Access to the house is gained by means of a short bamboo 

 ladder made as wide as the door. 



Just outside the door there is often, but not always, an open- 

 air platform on a level with the floor of the house. This is 

 used in fair weather by the owners when pounding out palai^ 

 or when engaged in other household duties; it also serves as 

 a lounging place. 



Within the house there is usually a bench at one side about 

 50 centimeters above the floor and 40 centimeters wide. This 

 is made of 1 or 2 hewn boards and is fastened to two of the main 

 posts of the house by rattan. The fireplace is made by fasten- 

 ing together 4 pieces of wood or bamboo into a quadrilateral 

 and filling the space thus inclosed on the floor with earth to a 

 depth of from 8 to 10 centimeters. Three stones serve as a 

 rest for each vessel to be put over the fire. In one corner of 

 the house there is either a large earthenware jar or a number 

 of pieces of bamboo for holding water. 



Suspended from the roof timbers are a few baskets which 

 may contain camotes,^ bananas, maize, or some pieces of clothing. 

 A few wooden spoons may be seen placed behind the roof beams. 

 Sleeping mats are rarely seen. On the whole, the house fur- 

 nishings are scanty. 



The Mangyans sometimes build small, rude shelters near their 

 cultivated fields in which they live while sowing, caring for, 

 and harvesting the crops. They do this partly because it is 

 more convenient to live near-by while they are putting in the 

 crops and partly to protect the latter from birds and other 

 animals while they are maturing. After harvesting the crop, 

 they return to the place where they ordinarily make their homes. 



The Mangyans in the neighborhood of Bulalakao build the 



' Nipa palm, Nipa fruticans Wurmb. ; buri palm, Corypha elata Roxb. 



* Unhusked rice. 



' Ipomoea batatas Poir. 



