The only probable reason I can assign for their neglect of ornamental architecture in the construction of their houses, is their being fond of living much in the open air.  Indeed, they seem to consider their houses, within which they seldom eat, as of little use but to sleep in, and to retire to in bad weather.  And the lower sort of people, who spend a great part of their time in close attendance upon the chiefs, can have little use for their own houses, but in the last case.

They make amends for the defects of their houses by their great attention to, and dexterity, in, naval architecture, if I may be allowed to give it that name.  But I refer to the narrative of my last voyage, for an account of their canoes, and their manner of building and navigating them.[180]

[Footnote 180:  The reader, by comparing that account with what Cantova says of the sea-boats of the Caroline Islands, will find, in this instance, also, the greatest similarity.  See Lettres Edifiantes et Curieuses, p. 286.—­D.]

The only tools which they use to construct these boats, are hatchets, or rather thick adzes, of a smooth black stone that abounds at Toofooa; augres, made of sharks’ teeth, fixed on small handles; and rasps of a rough skin of a fish, fastened on flat pieces of wood, thinner on one side, which also have handles.  The labour and time employed in finishing their canoes, which are the most perfect of their mechanical productions, will account for their being very careful of them.  For they are built and preserved under sheds, or they cover the decked part of them with cocoa leaves, when they are hauled on shore, to prevent their being hurt by the sun.

The same tools are all they have for other works, if we except different shells, which they use as knives.  But there are few of their productions that require these, unless it be some of their weapons; the other articles being chiefly their fishing materials and cordage.

The cordage is made from the fibres of the cocoa-nut husk, which, though not more than nine or ten inches long, they plait, about the size of a quill or less, to any length that they please, and roll it up in balls, from which the larger ropes are made, by twisting several of these together.  The lines that they fish with, are as strong and even as the best cord we make, resembling it almost in every respect.  Their other fishing implements are large and small hooks.  The last are composed entirely of pearl-shell, but the first are only covered with it on the back, and the points of both commonly of tortoise-shell; those of the small being plain, and the others barbed.  With the large ones they catch bonnetos and albicores, by putting them to a bamboo rod, twelve or fourteen feet long, with a line of the same length, which rests in a notch of a piece of wood, fixed in the stern of the canoe for that purpose, and is dragged on the surface of the sea, as she rows along, without any other bait than a tuft of flaxy stuff near the point.  They have also great numbers of pretty small seines, some of which are of a very delicate texture.  These they use to catch fish with, in the holes on the reefs, when the tide ebbs.