File:The history of mankind (1896) (14577439747).jpg

Identifier: historyofmankind01ratz (find matches)
Title: The history of mankind
Year: 1896 (1890s)
Authors: Ratzel, Friedrich, 1844-1904 Butler, Arthur John, 1844-1910
Subjects: Ethnology Anthropology
Publisher: London, Macmillan and co., ltd. New York, The Macmillan co.
Contributing Library: Wellesley College Library
Digitizing Sponsor: Wellesley College Library

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ature of life and scenery. Whether on dry ground or in the water, thehouse is built on piles. Speaking of the village of Sowek on Geelvink Bay (of Mats from Tongatabu. (Cook Collection, Vienna.) of wood inside and out. LABOUR, DWELLINGS, AND FOOD IN OCEANIA 263 which we give a coloured illustration), where some thirty houses stand on piles, at-tached by tree stems to each other, but not to the shore, Raffray says : We have infact a perfect pile-village, just like those which science has reconstructed from theprehistoric period. The yet neater huts in Humboldt Bay similarly rest on pilesa yard out of the water, but are connected by bridges. The roof rises to a heightof nearly 40 feet, and forms a steep six or eight-sided pyramid. The houses morein the interior of New Guinea are likewise built on a similar plan ; and although ondry land, stand upon lofty piles which, with their sloping stays, present a highlyoriginal type of architecture as shown in the cut. They hang like eagles nests,
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House in the Arfak village of Memiwa, New Guinea. (After Raffray.) some 50 feet in the air, on their thin swaying trestle-work, looking as if everypuff of wind must sweep them away. These airy dwellings are entered by meansof slanting tree-stems with steps nicked in them. Constant hostilities have given rise to a special architecture in New Guineaand the Solomon Islands. Huts, known as bako, adapted to hold some twelvepeople, are attached to the branches of huge trees at a height of 80 to 100 feet.The stem below is stripped of all unnecessary branches, and perfectly smooth.Ladders made from liana or bamboo, which can be drawn up, serve to climb intothese tree-huts, in which stones and spears are stored. At the foot of each tree asecond hut is built, to live in during the day. The size of the buildings is the expression of social conditions. Where onefamily inhabits the house, as in Polynesia, they are small, becoming larger in 264 THE HISTORY OF MANKIND proportion as the family groups

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