POLYNESIAN RESEARCHES. 81 
trees into a number of boards, instead of splitting them 
into two planks, which was their former practice. 
The stone in the northern parts of the island is a kind 
of compact ancient lava, and, though rather hard, is, we 
think, adapted for buildings. We were desirous to 
induce some of the chiefs to attempt the erection of a 
stone house ; but they had no proper tools for preparing 
the stone, and the labour was also greater than in their 
present state of civilization they were disposed to under¬ 
take. It is not, however, improbable that stone build¬ 
ings will ultimately supersede the neat, yet, compared 
with those erected of less perishable materials, temporary 
dwellings they are now occupying. The coral rock is 
also more durable than the plaster; and although soft, 
and easily hewn when first taken out of the sea, it after¬ 
wards assumes a degree of hardness which resists the 
weather for a long series of years. A chapel has been 
built with this material in the island of Eimeo, and will 
probably last longer than any yet erected. 
When we arrived in Eimeo, Messrs. Hayward and 
Bicknell were residing in boarded dwellings with cham¬ 
bers, and Mr. Nott, in a house, the walls of which were 
neatly plastered. The earth in some parts of the islands 
would probably answer for bricks 5 and the Missionaries 
formerly made one or two attempts to prepare them for 
ovens, &c. but did not succeed. Individuals professing 
to understand making bricks have once or twice offered 
to teach the natives; but much as we have wished to pos¬ 
sess permanent brick houses for ourselves, or to recom¬ 
mend the natives to prepare such, we are convinced that 
the labour would be too great, and the failures in burn¬ 
ing them too frequent, to allow at present of their being 
made with advantage,—yet we hope they will follow the 
II. 
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