NARRATIVE OF THE CRUISE. 
661 
same expedient, apparently not by any means a simple one, independently of one 
another. There are the well-known Pfahlbauten in Switzerland, in Scotland, and in 
South America the similar houses of the Cuajiro Indians on the Gulf of Maracaibo. In 
North America the Haidahs on the northwest coast construct similar habitations. 
Commander Cameron lately observed similar dwellings in Lake Mohrya, in Central 
Afr ica,. 1 In New Zealand the Lake Pas, which were mostly used as storehouses, are 
known from the Rev. Richard Taylor’s description ; 2 in this case, piles were driven into 
the bottom of the lake, and the interstices filled in with stones and mud, so as to form 
a platform. There are the well-known New Guinea pile-dwellings, such as seen at 
Humboldt Bay, and there are also the pile-dwellings of all the Malay races. The Gilbert 
Islanders also construct houses raised on piles, and a number of these natives from 
the island of Arorai, who were taken to Tahiti to serve as labourers on cotton estates, 
have put up houses of this kind for themselves in the latter_island, amongst the very 
different dwellings of the Tahitians themselves. 
It seems probable that the idea of a pile-dwelling has in many cases arisen from the 
escape of natives from enemies by getting into a canoe -or raft, and putting off from shore 
into a lake or the sea, out of harm’s way. If the attacked had to stay on such a raft or 
canoe for some time, they would anchor it in shallow water with one or more poles, as 
the Fijians do with their canoes on rivers, and hence might easily be derived the idea of 
a platform supported on piles. With a maritime race the difficulty connected with clearing 
aAvay the jungle on shore may have led them to adopt pile-dwellings as more easily con- 
structed, as well as safer. 
The officers of a Spanish man-of-war in the port of Samboangan at the time of the 
visit, hospitably gave an entertainment on shore, and got the Lutaos to dance. Two men 
danced with spears and shields in imitation of a combat, in which the utmost rage was 
simulated on both sides ; the teeth were, clenched and exposed, the head jerked forward, 
and the eyes starting as they advanced to the attack (see fig. 222). The dance of the 
women was like that already described as performed by the Ki Islanders. The body was 
kept nearly rigid, and turned round slowly or moved a short distance from side 
to side by motion of the feet alone. The feet were kept close together, and side 
by side, and moved parallel to one another with a shuffling motion. The principal 
display in the dancing consisted in the very slow and gradual movement of the 
arms, wrists, and hands. One arm was maintained directed forwards and some- 
what upwards, the other at about the same angle downwards, and the position of the two 
was at intervals gradually reversed ; the hands were turned slowly round upon the wrists, 
and often the dancing consisted for some interval merely in the graceful pose of the 
1 V. L. Cameron, R.N,, Across Africa, vol. ii. p. 65, London, 1872. 
2 Rev, Richard Taylor, F.L.S., On the New Zealand Lake Pas, Tram. N. Zeal. Inst., vol. v. p. 101, 1872. 
