62 
The dwelling is erected on 'a Iforest of piles composed of thin 
but durable wood, and is elevated from 10 to 12 feet above the 
ground. The sides of the great living room are only about 4 feet 
high, and the pitch of the roof is low. The roof is made of the 
fronds of the sago palm, each separate leaf being doubled round 
the rafters (which are only about 6 inches apart), and sown with 
native fibre to keep it in its place. At one side of the entrance is a 
partition, which does not reach as high as the roof ; this divides the 
house lengthways into the men’s quarters on the one side, and the 
women’s and children’s on the other. In each subdivision there 
is a gangway the whole length, and on one side of each a 
raised floor which is sub-divided alternately into sleeping plat- 
forms and fireplaces, each about a yard in width : above the 
fireplace is a platform filled with wood, and above 
each sleeping place another platform on which the men keep 
their weapons and other effects, and the women their tapa cloth, 
bamboo drinking vessels, and food supply. The dogs share the 
buildings with the natives. The house is generally surrounded by a 
garden. Variations of the above were seen. Near Mount Murray 
there were two additional rows of sleeping platforms and fireplaces 
on the ground level, one on each side with a separate entrance for 
each. Again, about 300 miles up the Kikor at the largest dubu we 
had seen (which we estimated was 70 yards in length) the partition, 
instead of running lengthways, was across the centre of the building 
dividing the men’s and women's quarters. We have travelled down 
the Kikor about Il6 miles to this point before we came upon the first 
coconut trees we had seen on our journey, nor did we see any more 
until we reached the mouth of the Kik >r. We found that the langu- 
age or dialect of the people was continually changing as we advanced. 
At the Sambregi a vocabulary of the most useful words, principally 
substantive nouns, was compiled; this, besides being of philological 
interest, we hoped would be of use to us in communicating with the 
natives we subsequently met; we found, however, that after advan- 
cing about 20 miles, the dialect changed, and very few of the words 
could be understood. Further o 1 the language was quite different. 
While the many tribes of natives we met on our exploration 
showed no suspici >n and absolute confidence in us, after we had 
succeeded in establishing friendly relations, frequently coming to our 
camp and sitting round the fire at night, and bringing their women 
and children to see the “palefaces” during the daytime, they all 
without exception, refused even to taste any food we offered them,, 
although they would take it and wrap it up in leaves, probably as a 
curiosity. ThN refusal may indicate that they possessed a know- 
ledge of poison (we saw a fish-poison tree in one of their gardens), it 
may, on the other hand, h ive risen from a fear of “pouri-pouri” or 
witchcraft, or again, it may be that they were conservative in their 
commissariat an I di 1 not care to eat new foods they were not 
accustomed to. 
