Entrance to the dwelling is by means of a bamboo ladder which is raised at night, or when the family is away.  Windows are merely square holes over which a bamboo mat is fitted at night, but the door is a bamboo-covered framework which turns in wooden sockets.

Such a house offers no barriers to mosquitoes, flies, flying roaches, or white ants, while rats, scorpions, and centipedes find friendly shelter in the thatch roof.  Quite commonly large but harmless snakes are encouraged to take up their residence in the cook room, as their presence induces the rats to move elsewhere.  Little house lizards are always present, and not infrequently a large lizard makes its home on the ridge pole, and from time to time gives its weird cry.

The ground beneath the house is often enclosed with bamboo slats, and is used for storage purposes, or a portion may be used as a chicken coop.  It is also customary to bury the dead beneath the dwelling, and above the grave are the boxes in which are placed supplies for the spirits of the deceased.

With some modification this description of the Tinguian house and village would apply to those of the western Kalinga and the Apayao, [170] and likewise the Christian natives of the coast, but a very different type of dwelling and grouping is found among the neighboring Igorot. [171] It is also to be noted that we do not find to-day any trace of tree dwellings, such as were described by La Gironiere [172] at the time of his visit scarcely a century ago.  Elevated watch-houses are placed near to the mountain fields, and it is possible that in times of great danger people might have had similar places of refuge in or near to their villages, but the old men emphatically deny that they were ever tree-dwellers, and there is nothing in the folk-tales to justify such a belief; on the contrary, the tales-indicate that the type of dwelling found to-day, was that of former times. [173]

House Furnishings.—­The average house has only one room.  Inside the door, at the left, one usually finds the stove, three stones sunk in a box of ashes or dirt, or a similar device of clay (Fig 5, No. 1).  Above the fire is suspended a hanger on which are placed dishes and food, in order that they may not be disturbed by insects.  Along the wall stands a small caldron, jars for water and rice, and the large Chinese jars, tke latter as a general rule heirlooms or marriage gifts.  These are sometimes used for basi, but more often they contain broken rice, cotton, or small articles.  Above the jars is a rack or hangar on which dishes or coconut shells are placed.  At one end of the room a set of pegs, deer horns, or a cord supports a variety of clothes, blankets, a woman’s switch, and perhaps a man’s belt.  The sleeping-mats either hang here or occupy a rack of their own.  Below the cord stand chests secured in early years through trade with the Chinese.  In these are the family treasures, valuable beads,