502 
HOUSES. 
leaving a path down the middle, that nearest the door being 
about eighteen inches high, in which the inmates lay in rows, 
each with his feet towards the fire, and his head to the wall ; 
the chief, or owner of the house, invariably takes the right 
side next the window, the place of honor ; the next in point of 
rank occupy those nearest to him, whilst the slaves, and per- 
sons of no consequence, go to the furthest end. Their bedding 
(wariJci) seldom consists of anything more than one or more 
ground mats (waikawa), upon which sometimes a finer one 
(tihenga pora) is laid, and a round log, or a bundle of fern, 
serves as a pillow furunga) . Formerly, they never ate in 
their houses, therefore verandahs (mahau) were required. 
The length of a whare-puni is from twenty to thirty feet, and 
the breadth sixteen ; the verandah is seldom more than six feet 
in depth, being a continuation of the gable end of the house, 
having the entire width of the building ; it has a broad slab 
in front, about two feet and a half high, which separates 
it from the road, from this a post rises to the ridge pole, 
which is surmounted with a carved figure. The verandah is 
ornamented in the same way as the interior of the house, its 
wall plate is often carved to represent the prostrate figures of 
slaves on whose bodies the pillars which support the house 
stand; this seems to refer to an extinct custom of killing 
human victims, and placing them in the holes made to receive 
the posts, that the house being founded in blood, might 
stand ; the custom still prevails in Borneo and other parts. 
Over the door is a board called maihi , elaborately carved, 
and adorned with bunches of pigeon feathers ; the facings of 
the door-posts and window are similarly ornamented; the 
building is covered externally with raupo or sedge, and 
roofed with the same, then with grass, or a similar sub- 
stance, to a considerable thickness ; earth is generally heaped 
up against the sides, so as almost to reach the eaves. 
At sunset, a fire is made in the house, which is allowed to 
burn clear for some time, and fill the little pit with embers, 
when it ceases to smoke, the occupants enter ; the door and 
window being closed, the heat soon becomes almost as great 
as that of an oven, and of such a stifling nature, from the 
