The village covers a space of about half an acre; it consisted of twenty-seven huts built at rightangles to each other, but without any other attempt at arrangement.  These huts are of various sizes—­the largest thirty-five feet long, twelve wide, and twenty-five high.  All are constructed on a similar plan, being raised from the ground about four feet on posts, four, five, or six in number, passing through the same circular wooden discs seen at the Louisiade Archipelago, intended, I believe, to keep out rats or other vermin.  The sides and roof are continuous, and slope sharply upwards, giving to an end view the appearance of an acute triangle, while a side view exhibits a long ridge rising suddenly at each end to a point and descending by a straight line of gable.  The roof is neatly and smoothly thatched with grass, and the sides are covered in with sheets of a bark-like substance, probably the base of the leaf of the coconut-tree flattened out by pressure.  The entrance is at one end, overhung by the gable like a curtain, with a small stage to ascend by.  I did not examine the interior of the houses, being desirous to avoid any cause of offence by exhibiting too much prying curiosity.  From the accounts of others of the party it appears that there is a second partial floor above the principal one; they saw large bundles of spears stowed along the sides of the hut which they looked into, and some human skulls suspended near the entrance.*

(Footnote.  These huts resemble in form some found on the Duke of York and Bowditch Islands, in the western part of the Pacific, 300 miles to the northward of the Samoan group.  See Narrative of the United States Exploring Expedition volume 5 page 7; also plate.)

RETURN TO THE BOATS.

After a very short stay of a quarter of an hour only we returned by the path formerly taken, accompanied by about fifty men, women, and children, and went on board the boats.  During our visit we had met with the most friendly reception; no weapon of any kind was seen in the hands of the natives who at the same time probably thought us perfectly unarmed, as they at first supposed our guns to be instruments for carrying water in, and we had no opportunity of showing the effects of firearms without involving the risk of causing a tumult.  The anchor of one of the boats having caught the coral, some delay was caused, during which an old man from the beach swam off to her, as if he perfectly understood what had happened, and, after diving several times, cleared the anchor, for which he was rewarded with an axe.  His skill in diving was remarkable—­he went down feet foremost, apparently without an effort, and after remaining below about half a minute, came up showing no signs of exhaustion.  But all these natives appeared to feel as much confidence afloat as on shore; and we had frequent opportunities of observing their fearlessness of the water, and dexterity in swimming and diving when alongside the ship.