THE KINGS MILL ISLANDERS. 99 



eight or ten feet high, which surround the towns. Utiroa had a 

 defence of this kind, and many pickets across the town in various 

 directions, which would make a good defence, if the warriors were 

 resolute. It is not improbable, that the more warlike natives of the 

 southern islands, particularly those of Drummond's Island, will, ere 

 long, push their conquests to the northern islands, and extend their 

 rule over them. Two years before the arrival of the Peacock, the 

 natives of Apamama, Nanouki, and Kuria, apprehended an attack 

 from this quarter ; when the king collected his forces to the number 

 of between five and six thousand, who continued under arms through 

 the whole summer ; but after all it proved a false alarm. 



Their houses and canoes are better built than any we found else- 

 where in the Pacific, and all their structures are large, strong, and 

 durable, though constructed of the most unsuitable materials : they 

 are so well combined as to display much elegance as well as strength. 

 Their dwelling-houses and mariapas have been noticed, but there is 

 another description of house, without a loft, in which the chiefs pass 

 most of their time, receiving visits, and conversing with their friends 

 and dependants. 



On the island of Makin the houses are of larger dimensions, in 

 consequence of the abundance of timber. From Wood's description 

 of their mariapa, it is an enormous structure. The canoes have 

 already claimed a notice : those built in the northern islands are much 

 the largest, some of them being sixty feet in length. 



From the importance of their structures or buildings, the trade of a 

 carpenter is held in great repute : those who exercise it are either 

 dependent^on the chiefs, working by their orders, or free born : the 

 latter are paid for their services. The time required for building a 

 house is about two months, and the price of such a job, two or three 

 rolls of their bread, called "kabul." A canoe capable of carrying 

 ten persons takes five or six months to build. The payment is 

 proportioned to the length of time occupied in the work. The 

 whole town is engaged in the labour of constructing- one of their 

 council-houses (mariapa). A very great proportion of their time is 

 taken up in the manufacture of their dresses; and while the men 

 are engaged in building houses and canoes, the women fabricate 

 the articles of dress, sails, mats for flooring, and those worn by the 

 men. The mats are made of the leaves of the pandanus, slit into 

 strips about a quarter of an inch wide, and woven by hand : these are 

 of two colours, light yellow and dark brown ; the former are made 



