. The history of mankind . mm the general appearance may be, nothing of architectural importance is arrived at ;and the building, even though erected with care and amid special rites, is light andnot durable. Ruins of habitations are seen only where a stone foundation hasbeen laid. The Hawaiians were the last to give up their grass-huts—long afterthey had adopted Christianity together with European clothes and utensils ; buteven seventy years ago their chiefs were having stone houses built. The per-sistence of the Polynesian house in less elevated forms explains the value attachedto the roof.
. The history of mankind . mm the general appearance may be, nothing of architectural importance is arrived at ;and the building, even though erected with care and amid special rites, is light andnot durable. Ruins of habitations are seen only where a stone foundation hasbeen laid. The Hawaiians were the last to give up their grass-huts—long afterthey had adopted Christianity together with European clothes and utensils ; buteven seventy years ago their chiefs were having stone houses built. The per-sistence of the Polynesian house in less elevated forms explains the value attachedto the roof. When a Samoan village in time of war is fearing an attack, thepeople take off their precious roofs and carry them to a place of safety. Theroof of a New Caledonian house is richly adorned with bunches of leaves andshells. Under the peculiar conditions of the Maoris the Polynesian style under-went the greatest variation among them. The ground-plan was the same, but thehouse had firm wooden walls, with only a small door an
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Keywords: ., bookcentury1800, bookdecade1890, booksubjectethnology, bookyear18
