388 
HOUSES. 
The entrance to the house is by a sliding door, (tatau,) 
which is formed of a solid slab of wood, about two feet and a 
half high, and a foot and a half wide. On the right side of 
this is a window, (matapihi,) which is generally about ten 
inches high and two feet wide; this also is furnished with a 
slide, which goes into the wall of the building. 
On entering, there is a low slab of wood on either side, to 
partition off the sleeping places, leaving a path down the 
middle, that nearest the door being about eighteen inches high. 
In the space thus partitioned off, 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 side next to 
the window, that being the place of honor. The next in point 
of rank, occupy the places nearest to him, whilst the slaves, 
and persons of no consequence, go to the furthest end. Their 
bedding ( warilii ) seldom consists of anything more than one or 
more ground mats, (waikaiva,) upon which sometimes a finer 
one (tihenya pora) is laid, and a round log, frequently that 
which forms the partition, serves as a pillow (urunya), which 
is covered with the clothes they usually wear. Formerly, they 
never ate in their houses, therefore verandahs (mahau) were 
required. The general length of a ware-puni is about twenty- 
six feet, and the breadth sixteen feet; the verandah is seldom 
more than six feet long, and is 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; this also is surmounted with a carved figure. The ve¬ 
randah is ornamented in the same way as the interior of the 
house. The wall plate of the verandah 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. This custom still prevails in 
Borneo. Over the door there is a board called maihi, which is 
elaborately carved, and adorned with bunches of pigeon fea¬ 
thers. The facings of the door-posts and window are similarly 
