THE P E L E W ISLANDS. f' 30$ 
the houfe was without any divifion, the whole forming one 
great room .—In general, the fire-place fiood about the middle 
of it, funk lower than the floor, with no timber below it, the 
whole fpace beneath being filled up with hard rubbifh. Their 
fires were in common but fmall, being moftly ufed to boil 
their yams, and to keep up a little flame at night to clear 
away the dews, and fmoke the mofquitoes.—Their windows 
came to the level of the floor, and ferved both for doors and 
windows, having ftepping-ftones at all of them to enter 
by; to prevent any inconvenience from wind or rain, which fo 
many apertures might occafion, each of them had a bamboo 
frame or fliutter, interwoven as the fides of the houfes were, 
which Aiding on bamboo rods, were eafily flipt on one fide 
when any body wanted to go in or out.—On the top of the 
upright fides beams were laid acrofs, from whence fprang 
the roof, which was pointed like our barns, the whole infide 
being clear; this made their houfes within very lofty and 
airy ; the outfide of the roof was thatched very thick and dofe 
with bamboos or palm-leaves.—This was the general form 
of their houfes; fome of which were from fixty to eighty 
feet in length, but thefe were appropriated to public ufes, 
fuch as meetings of bufinefs, or feftivity; at other times 
they ferved the natives to aflemble and chat together, when 
the women ufually brought their work, and joined in the 
converfation. Thofe which were more properly domeflic 
t habitations. 
