322 
POLYNESIAN RESEARCHES. 
through the roof, from one end to the other, every 
time there was a heavy shower. 
In some of the islands, the natives have recently 
covered their houses with mud ; this, however, does 
not appear to render them more durable. 
Before they were visited by foreigners, the only 
tool employed in building was a stone adze, formed 
of a kind of basaltes, or compact lava; and though 
they now use an axe in felling the trees, the adze 
is still their favourite tool, and many of them use 
no other. The stone adze is, however, exchanged 
for one made with a plane iron, bent, and tied 
securely to a handle of light wood. This they 
prefer to the European adze, which they say is too 
heavy. Sometimes they use a saw, chisel, and 
gimblet, in framing their houses, but they are not 
yet adepts in the use of these tools; we have often 
seen them throw down the saw, anu take up their 
adze, to finish that which they had commenced 
cutting with a saw. 
While idolatry existed, a number of supersti¬ 
tious ceremonies were performed, before they 
could occupy their houses. Offerings were made 
to the gods, and presents to the priest, who en¬ 
tered the house, uttered prayers, went through 
other ceremonies, and slept in it before the owner 
took possession, in order to prevent evil spirits 
from resorting to it, and to secure its inmates from 
the effects of incantation. 
When the house was finished, it was soon fur¬ 
nished. A sleeping-mat spread on. the ground 
and a wooden pillow, a wicker basket or two tc 
keep their tapa or native cloth in, a few cala¬ 
bashes for water and poe, and some wooden 
dishes, of various size and shape, together with 
a kaka f were all they required. This latter article 
