EDEEYAH HUTS. 
197 
preparing the palm-oil, and transporting it to market ; 
or if the husband is engaged in any occupation away 
from his village, one or more wives accompany him to 
carry his food and palm-wine. They seem to be very 
gentle and feminine in their manner, and much at- 
tached to their husbands and children. 
There are about fifteen towns and villages situated 
at different points of the island, hut none of them are 
built at a greater elevation than 3,000 feet above the 
level of the sea. The dwellings in many of them are 
most primitive and uncomfortable, being simply a 
piece of coarse matting extended over four upright 
posts, just large enough to screen the tenants from the 
dew, and occasionally rain, but open to all the winds 
of heaven ; a pillow formed out of a block of palm- 
tree, or sometimes a stick about four feet long, is sup- 
ported at an elevation of about six inches, by two 
forked sticks put in the ground ; the advantage of which 
singular pillow is, that a loving couple can each put 
the arm round the other’s neck, by passing it under 
the stick, as was .shewn us by two young girls ; this, 
and a small earthen pot to boil yams in, being the 
only articles of furniture either useful or ornamental 
found among them. The more influential persons 
have their domiciles of wattled palm-leaf, some even 
plastered with mud, particrdarly at Bannapa and 
Bassa-pu, which, being at no great distance from our 
settlement at Clarence Cove, have probably been 
imitated from those of the settlers. When we remem- 
