Description of a New Zealand House'; 'Description of a Housein Terra [sic] del Fuego'; 'Description of an Otaheite House',undated (Series 88.06) - No. 0002

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A description of a house in Terra del Fuego

The hovels were of the most rude and inartificial structure that can be imagined. They were nothing more than a few poles set up so to incline towards each other, and meet at the top forming a kind of a cone, like some of our bee-hives: on the weather side they were covered with a few boughs, and a little grass; and on the lee side about one eighth of the circle was left open both for a door and fire place; and of this kind were the huts that had been seen in Saint Vincent's Bay in one of which the embers of a fire were still remaining. Furniture they had none; a little grass which lay round the inside of the hovel served both for chairs and beds; and of all the utensils which necessity and ingenuity have concured[sic] to produce among other savage nations, they saw only a basket to carry in the hand, a satchel to hang at the back and the bladder of some beast to hold water which the natives drink thro' [through]a hole that is made near the top for that purpose.

[found inside f.cover of MS.96]