198 HOUSES AND SKULLS. 



same as those of Erroob, as were also all the habits, 

 customs, and appearance of the people. The 

 population here, however, was greater, and the 

 houses, perhaps, larger and more complete than at 

 Erroob. They seemed very clean and neat inside, 

 with raised platforms, covered with mats for bed- 

 places; but as the only light came through the little 

 low door, it was difficult to make out exactlv what 

 they contained. The tops of the houses, as also of 

 the fences of the court-yard, were ornamented by 

 large white shells, and occasionally a skull or two 

 was suspended somewhere near the house, or placed 

 on the stump of a tree and painted red. I did not 

 observe any marks of violence on any of the skulls, 

 and believe they are only those of their relations, 

 though very likely the head of'an enemy might also 

 be preserved in the same way ; the motive being in 

 the first case affection or respect, in the second ex- 

 ultation or revenge. They did not appear, however, 

 to attach any great value to these skulls, and freely 

 parted with several of them for knives or tobacco. 

 Here and there between the fences of the huts were 

 left narrow passages, giving access to the land at 

 the back, where there were some small plantain- 

 grounds, and groves of cocoa-nuts, immediately be- 

 hind which rose the steep sides of the hill, forming 

 occasionally small cliffs, and exposing the rocks, 

 which I shall presently describe. 



They seemed quite pleased at our knowing a few 

 words of their language, and as we walked along 



