The Polynesian. [volume] (Honolulu (Oahu), Hawaii) 1840-1841, 1840-10-03
COW NlUNIC ATE ID.
The NayigatOr's or Samoa Hs-
lands. Their Manners, Customs, and
Superstitions. By Il. Heath, Manono.
Continued from page 60)
HOUSE BUILDING.

HOUSE BUILDING.
The erection of their houses exhibits
considerable skill, and is the business of
Mly few families in other words, it is "a
| trade Almost any body, indeed, can
construct a small cottage, such as the
Doorcr sort live in but the large houses
+ Of the chiefs, built for business and for
| the entertainment of travelling parties, &c.
are the result of much skill, labor and ex-
pensc. The form of the proper Samoan
houses is slightly oval; those of an OBJ
+ lone shape are built after the Tonga FASH
/ nn The wood of ncarl y all their best
houses is bread fruit. A few posts are
ni,ed in the centre, which bear "a consid-
cabIc share in supporting the roof, and
are from twenty to thirty feet high, but
| these do not extend under the circular
ends, only as far as the parallel sides. a
|caioldlng is then erected which serves
the place of ladders, nearly as high as the
house is to be, and so shaped as to form,
in fact a rough outline of the habitation.
Il serves for raising the different parts of
the roof, and for the workmen to stand
Or sit upon in order to fasten them to-
gcthcr. The roof consists of a ridge
tree placed on the large upright posts,
|waI-plate which is TO rest on minor posts
placed all round, about foot within the
eyes-drop. Then there are sometimes
three, sometimes four sets of cross beams
at different heights, tying the two oppo-
site roofs together, and serving also as adj
dluonal supports by being fixed to the
uDnght centre-posts which they cross.
Three or four strong beams pass along the
roof at different distances lengthwise, to
which the cross beams are fastened, and
parallel to these are several lesser ones,
50 that the distance between these is
about foot. Then come what serve
the place of the laths, only placed in the
contrary direction, namely, round slabs
about two inches in circumference, which
crossing the cross-pieces, before described,
complete the wood work of the roof
Inc whole is tied together with cinctt,
and with that also the thatch of sugar
cane Is seized on very neatly, having been
previously arranged on short lengths of
cane, by the women. During the pro-
s'esS OF the work, the wall-pIates - or
rather that which stands in their stead,
PFopped with temporary props but
""ch finished strong posts are placed un-
"t, al distances Of three or four feet. and
'>n lIed with cinctt. But the greatest
"H' Is shown in constructing the roofs at
we circular ends. A stranger wonders
"'" they contrived to turn the strong
O'vad rnll beams into so exact a crescent
'o'm' The fact is, they are composed of
%'efal short pieces, each of which bends
oily slightly, but are so neatly put togeth-
~ TO give the appearance of being en-
"v, they often have to piece also the
, o'g beams, and they dove-tail them
,r''c lcntificaIly. Floors they have
n. beyond the mats they spread on the
''o''ld' AS to doors, sometimes they
'"ou0d their sleeping houses with cane
WIN thatch, and then coarse mat
t''eS tor door. The large houses have
'''' no protection at the sides; others