Page:The passing of Korea.djvu/304

 These post stones are always placed about eight feet apart. The posts, eight feet in height, are erected upon the stones, the bottom of each being cut with a small adze, so as to fit the irregularities of the stone as well as possible. The top of each post has a deep mortise or notch into which the heavy cross-beams are fitted and driven down with mallets. It is evident that three beams have to be fitted to the top of each post excepting in the case of the corner posts. This requires the cutting down of the ends of the supported beams to such an extent that not more than a quarter of their cross section is presented at the point of support. After all the posts and cross beams have been put in place, heavy uprights are erected from the centres of these beams, and on these rest the roof-tree. The rafters, simply round sticks of varying size, are nailed to this roof-tree and extend about two feet beyond the wall of the house on either side. They are always arranged so that there shall be a slight dip to the roof when it is completed. This is the curve characteristic of all roofs of the Far East. After this the whole roof is covered thickly with fagots, laid roughly on and tied down with straw rope, and this is covered two or three inches deep with ordinary earth, on which the heavy tiles are laid. The latter are set without mortar or plaster of any kind, and their weight alone is guarantee of their stability. The broad, slightly curved " female " tile are laid first with the concave side upward, and then the interstitial lines are covered with the narrower and more sharply curved " male " tiles with the convex side upward. Each of these is set in ordinary mud, but without plaster. It must be confessed that it makes a very thorough roof. It is impervious to heat, and no ordinary storm will beat through the crevices of it. There are two drawbacks. The weight is out of all proportion to the rest of the house, and the constant strain is sure to make the structure " lie down " sooner or later. Then, again, the mud in which the " male " tiles are set is full of seeds of all kinds, and during the rainy season in summer the roof is sure to become a veritable garden of weeds. They say that the tiles have to be