Page:Voyage in search of La Perouse, volume 2 (Stockdale).djvu/246

198 habitations sufficiently strong. They are covered with straw to the thickness of two or three inches. The floor, on which the natives are perfectly sheltered from the weather, is spread with mats. But the moschettoes are so troublesome, that they are obliged to light fires to drive them away when they go to sleep; and as there is no vent for the smoke, except at the door, they must be extremely incommoded by it.

In general there is a board within the hut on one side, fastened with cords in a horizontal position, about a yard from the ground. This shelf, however, can support nothing of much weight, for the cords are very slight.

Near some of their dwellings we saw little hillocks of earth, twelve or fourteen inches high, with a very open treillis in the middle, of the height of two or three yards. The savages called these nbouet, and informed us that they were graves; inclining the head on one side, while they supported it with the hand, and closing the eyes, to express the repose enjoyed by the remains of those who were there deposited.

On returning toward the place where we landed, we found more than seven hundred natives, who had run thither from all parts. They asked us for stuffs and iron in exchange for their effects, and some of them soon convinced us that they