Chapter II: Types of Houses (2)

In tiling a roof, the boarded roof is first roughly and thinly shingled, and upon this surface is then spread a thick layer of mud, into which the tiles are firmly bedded. The mud is scooped up from some ditch or moat, and is also got from the canals. In the city one often sees men getting the mud for this purpose from the deep gutters which border many of the streets. This is kneaded and worked with hoe and spade till it acquires the consistency of thick dough. In conveying this mass to the roof no hod is used. The material is worked into large lumps by the laborer, and these are tossed, one after another, to a man who stands on a staging or ladder, who in turn pitches it to the man on the roof, or, if the roof be high, to another man on a still higher staging. The mud having been got to the roof, is then spread over it in a thick and even layer. Into this the tiles are then bedded, row after row. There seems to be no special adhesion of the tiles to this substratum of mud, and high gales often cause great havoc to a roof of this nature. In the case of a conflagration, when it becomes necessary to tear down buildings in its path, the firemen appear to have no difficulty in shovelling the tiles off a roof with ease and rapidity.

[Fig. 67.—Ridge of tiled roof.]

Fig. 67.—Ridge of tiled roof.

The ridge‐pole often presents an imposing combination of tiles and plaster piled up in square ridges and in many ornamental ways. In a hip‐roof the four ridges are also made thick and ponderous by successive layers of tiles being built up, and forming great square ribs. In large fire‐proof buildings the ridge may be carried up to a height of three or four feet. In such ridges white plaster is freely used, not only as a cement, but as a medium in which the artist works out various designs in high‐relief. One of the most favorite subjects selected is that of dashing and foaming waves. A great deal of art and skill is often displayed in the working out of this design,—which is generally very conventional, though at times great freedom of expression is shown in the work. It certainly seems an extraordinary design for the crest of a roof, though giving a very light and buoyant appearance to what would otherwise appear top‐heavy. _Fig. 67_ is a very poor sketch of the appearance of this kind of a ridge. From the common occurrence of this design, it would seem as if some sentiment or superstition led to using this watery subject as suggesting a protection from fire; whether this be so or not, one may often notice at the end of the ridge in the thatched roofs in the country the Chinese character for water deeply cut in the straw and blackened (_fig. 82_),—and this custom, I was told, originated in a superstition that the character for water afforded a protection against fire.

[Fig. 68.—Ornamental coping of tiles.]

Fig. 68.—Ornamental coping of tiles.

[Fig. 69.—Ornamental coping of tiles.]

Fig. 69.—Ornamental coping of tiles.

[Fig. 70.—Ornamental coping of tiles.]

Fig. 70.—Ornamental coping of tiles.

The tiled ridges always terminate in a shouldered mass of tiles specially designed for the purpose. The smaller ribs of tiles that run down to the eaves, along the ridges in a hip‐roof, or border the verge in a gable‐ roof, often terminate in some ornamental tile in high‐relief. The design may be that of a mask, the head of a devil, or some such form. In the heavier ridges much ingenuity and art are shown in the arrangement of semi‐cylindrical or other shaped tiles in conventional pattern. Figs. 68, 69, 70 will illustrate some of the designs made in this way. These figures, however, represent copings of walls in Yamato.

Many of the heavier ridges are deceptive, the main body consisting of a frame of wood plastered over, and having the appearance externally of being a solid mass of tile and plaster The tiles that border the eaves are specially designed for the purpose. The tile has the form of the ordinary tile, but its free edge is turned down at right angles and ornamented with some conventional design. _Fig. 71_ illustrates this form of tile. In the long panel a design of flowers or conventional scrolls in relief is often seen. The circular portion generally contains the crest of some family: the crest of the Tokugawa family is rarely seen on tiles (see _fig. 73_).

In the better class of tiled roof it is common to point off with white mortar the joints between the rows of tiles near the eaves, and also next the ridge; and oftentimes the entire roof is treated in this manner. In some photographs of Korean houses taken by Percival Lowell, Esq., the same method of closing the seams of the bordering rows of tiles with white plaster is shown.

[Fig. 71.—Eaves of tiled roof.]

Fig. 71.—Eaves of tiled roof.

The older a tile is, the better it is considered for roofing purposes. My attention was called to this fact by a friend stating to me with some pride that the tiles used in his house, just constructed, were over forty years old. Second‐hand tiles therefore are always in greater demand. A new tile, being very porous and absorbent, is not considered so good as one in which time has allowed the dust and dirt to fill the minute interstices, thus rendering it a better material for shedding water.

[Fig. 72.—Nagasaki tiled roof.]

Fig. 72.—Nagasaki tiled roof.

A tiled roof cannot be very expensive, as one finds it very common in the cities and larger villages. The price of good tiles for roofing purposes is five _yen_ for one hundred (one _yen_ at par equals one dollar). Cheap ones can be got for from two and one‐half _yen_ to three _yen_ for one hundred. In another measurement, a _tsulo_ of tiles, which covers an area of six feet square; can be laid for from two and one‐half to three _yen_. The form of tile varies in different parts of Japan. The tile in common use in Nagasaki (_fig. 72_, _A)_ is similar in form to those used in China, Korea, Singapore, and Europe. These tiles are slightly curved, and are laid with their convex surface downwards. Another form of tile, narrower and semi‐cylindrical in section, is laid with its convex side upwards, covering the seams between the lower rows of tiles.

[Fig. 73.—Hon‐gawara, or True Tile.]

Fig. 73.—Hon‐gawara, or True Tile.

[Fig. 74.—Yedo‐gawara, or Yedo‐tile eaves.]

Fig. 74.—Yedo‐gawara, or Yedo‐tile eaves.

This is evidently the most ancient form of tile in the East, and in Japan is known by the name of _hon‐gawara,_ or true tile. _Fig. 73_ represents the form of the _hon‐gawara_ used in Tokio.

[Fig. 75.—French tile eaves.]

Fig. 75.—French tile eaves.

The most common form of tile used in Tokio is represented in _fig. 71_, called the _yedo‐gawara,_ or _yedo_ tile. With this tile the upper convex tile is dispensed with, as the tile is constructed in such a way as to lap over the edge of the one next to it. _Fig. 74_ illustrates the eaves of a roof in which a _yedo_ tile is used, having the bordering tiles differing in form from those shown in _fig. 71_. A modification of this form is seen farther south in Japan (fig. 72, B), and also in Java.

[Fig. 76.—Itami tile for ridge.]

Fig. 76.—Itami tile for ridge.

A new form of tile, called the French tile, has been introduced into Tokio within a few years (_fig. 75_). It is not in common use, however; and I can recall only a few buildings roofed with this tile. These are the warehouses of the Mitsu Bishi Steamship Company near the post‐office, a building back of the Art Museum at Uyeno, and a few private houses.

Other forms of tiles are made for special purposes. In the province of Iwami, for example, a roof‐shaped tile is made specially for covering the ridge of thatched roofs (_fig. 76_, A). The true tile is also used for the same purpose (fig. 76, B).

In this province the tiles are glazed,—the common tiles being covered with a brown glaze, while the best tiles are glazed with iron sand. In digging the foundations for a library building at Uyeno Park, a number of large glazed tiles were dug up which were supposed to have been brought from the province of Bizen two hundred years ago. These were of the _hon‐gawara_ pattern.

[Fig. 77.—Stone roof.]

Fig. 77.—Stone roof.

In the province of Shimotsuke, and doubtless in adjacent provinces, stone _kura_ (fire‐proof store‐houses) are seen; and these buildings often have roofs of the same material. The stone appears to be a light‐gray volcanic tufa, and is easily wrought. The slabs of stone covering the roof are wrought into definite shapes, so that the successive rows overlap and interlock in a way that gives the appearance of great solidity and strength. _Fig. 77_ illustrates a portion of a roof of this description seen on the road to Nikko. I was told by a Korean friend that stone roofs were also to be found in the northern part of Korea, though whether made in this form could not be ascertained.

The thatched roof is by far the most common form of roof in Japan, outside the cities. The slopes of the roof vary but little; but in the design and structure of the ridge the greatest variety of treatment is seen. South of Tokio each province seems to have its own peculiar style of ridge; at least, as the observant traveller passes from one province to another his attention is attracted by a new form of ridge, which though occasionally seen in other provinces appears to be characteristic of that particular province. This is probably due to the partially isolated life of the provinces in feudal times; for the same may be said also in regard to the pottery and many other products of the provinces.

For thatching, various materials are employed. For the commonest thatching, straw is used; better kinds of thatch are made of a grass called _Kaya._ A kind of reed called _yoshi_ is used for this purpose, and also certain species of rush. The roof requires no special preparation to receive the thatch, save that the rafters and frame‐work shall be close enough together properly to secure and support it. If the roof be small, a bamboo frame‐work is sufficient for the purpose.

The thatch is formed in suitable masses, combed with the fingers and otherwise arranged so that the straws all point in the same direction. These masses are then secured to the rafters and bound down to the roof by bamboo poles (_fig. 78_, A), which are afterwards removed. While the thatch is bound down in this way it is beaten into place by a wooden mallet of peculiar shape (fig. 78, B). The thatch is then trimmed into shape by a pair of long‐handled shears (fig. 78, C) similar to the shears used for trimming grass in our country.

This is only the barest outline of the process of thatching; there are doubtless many other processes which I did not see. Suffice it to say, however, that when a roof is finished it presents a clean, trim, and symmetrical appearance, which seems surprising when the nature of the material is considered. The eaves are trimmed off square or slightly rounding, and often very thick,—being sometimes two feet or more in thickness. This does not indicate, however, that the thatch is of the same thickness throughout. The thatch trimmed in these various ways is thus seen in section, and one will often notice in this section successive layers of light and dark thatch. Whether it is old thatch worked in with the new for the sake economy, or different kinds of thatching material, I did not ascertain.

In old roofs the thatch becomes densely filled with soot and dust, and workmen engaged in repairing such roofs have the appearance of coal‐ heavers. While a good deal of skill and patience is required to thatch a roof evenly and properly, vastly more skill must be required to finish the ridge, which is often very intricate in its structure; and of these peculiar ridges there are a number of prominent types. In presenting these types, more reliance will be placed on the sketches to convey a general idea of their appearance than on descriptions.

[Fig. 78.—Thatch, and thatcher’s implements.]

Fig. 78.—Thatch, and thatcher’s implements.

In that portion of Japan lying north of Tokio the ridge is much more simple in its construction than are those found in the southern part of the Empire. The roofs are larger, but their ridges, with some exceptions, do not show the artistic features, or that variety in form and appearance, that one sees in the ridges of the southern thatched roof. In many cases the ridge is flat, and this area is made to support a luxuriant growth of _iris,_ or the red lily (_fig. 41_). A most striking feature is often seen in the appearance of a brown sombre‐colored village, wherein all the ridges are aflame with the bright‐red blossoms of the lily; or farther south, near Tokio, where the purer colors of the blue and white iris form floral crests of exceeding beauty.

[Fig. 79.—End of roof in Fujita, Iwaki.]

Fig. 79.—End of roof in Fujita, Iwaki.

In some cases veritable ridge‐poles, with their ends freely projecting beyond the gable and wrought in a gentle upward curve, are seen (_fig. 39_). This treatment of the free ends of beams in ridge‐poles, gateways, and other structures, notably in certain forms of _tori‐i_(9) is a common feature in Japanese architecture, and is effective in giving a light and buoyant appearance to what might otherwise appear heavy and commonplace.

At Fujita, in Iwaki, and other places in that region, a roof is often seen which shows the end of a round ridge‐pole projecting through the thatch at the gable‐peak; and at this point a flat spur of wood springs up from the ridge, to which is attached, at right angles, a structure made of plank and painted black, which projects two feet or more beyond the gable. This appears to be a survival of an exterior ridge‐pole, and is retained from custom. Its appearance, however, is decidedly flimsy and insecure, and from its weak mode of attachment it must be at the mercy of every high gale (_fig. 79_). After getting south of Sendai, ridges composed of tile are often to be seen,—becoming more common as one approaches Tokio. The construction of this kind of ridge is very simple and effective; semi‐ cylindrical tiles, or the wider forms of _hon‐gawara,_ are used for the crest, and these in turn cap a row of similar tiles placed on either side of the ridge (fig. 80). The tiles appear to be bedded in a layer of clay or mud and chopped straw, which is first piled on to the thatched ridge. In some cases a large bamboo holds the lower row of tiles in place (_fig. 81_). What other means there are of holding the tiles I did not learn. They must be fairly secure, however, as it is rare to see them displaced, even in old roofs.

[Fig. 80.—Tiled ridge of thatched roof in Iwaki.]

Fig. 80.—Tiled ridge of thatched roof in Iwaki.

[Fig. 81.—Tiled ridge of thatched roof in Musashi. ]

Fig. 81.—Tiled ridge of thatched roof in Musashi.

A very neat and durable ridge (_fig. 82_) is common in Musashi and neighboring provinces. This ridge is widely rounded. It is first covered with a layer of small bamboos; then narrow bands of bamboo or bark are bent over the ridge at short intervals, and these are kept in place by long bamboo‐strips or entire bamboos, which run at intervals parallel to the ridge. These are firmly bound down to the thatch. In some cases these outer bamboos form a continuous layer. The ends of the ridge, showing a mass of projecting thatch in section, are abruptly cut vertically, and the free border is rounded in a bead‐like moulding and closely bound by bamboo, appearing like the edge of a thick basket. This finish is done in the most thorough and workman‐like manner. It is upon the truncate end of this kind of a ridge that the Chinese character for water is often seen, allusion to which has already been made.

[Fig. 82.—Bamboo‐ridge of thatched roof in Musashi.]

Fig. 82.—Bamboo‐ridge of thatched roof in Musashi.

When there is no window at the end of the roof for the egress of smoke, the roof comes under the class of hip‐roofs. In the northern provinces the opening for the smoke is built in various ways upon the ridge or side of the roof. By referring to figs. 39, 40, 41, various methods of providing for this window may be seen.

Smoke‐outlets do occur at the ends of the roof in the north, as may be seen by referring to _fig. 44_. The triangular opening for the outlet of smoke is a characteristic feature of the thatched roofs south of Tokio; on some of them a great deal of study and skill is bestowed by the architect and builder. Sometimes an additional gable is seen, with its triangular window (_fig. 83_). This sketch represents the roof of a gentleman’s house near Tokio, and is a most beautiful example of the best form of thatched roof in Musashi. Another grand old roof of a different type is shown in fig. 84. Where these triangular windows occur the opening is protected by a lattice of wood. The roof partakes of the double nature of a gable and hip roof combined,—the window being in the gable part, from the base of which runs the slope of the hip‐roof.

[Fig. 83.—Thatched Roof, near Tokio.]

Fig. 83.—Thatched Roof, near Tokio.(10)

Great attention is given to the proper and symmetrical trimming of the thatch at the eaves and at the edges of the gable. By referring to figs. 83 and 84 some idea may be got of the clever way in which this is managed. Oftentimes, at the peak of the gable, a cone‐like enlargement with a circular depression is curiously shaped out of the thatch (_fig. 84_). A good deal of skill is also shown in bringing the thick edges of the eaves, which are on different levels, together in graceful curves. An example of this kind may be seen in _fig. 39_.

[Fig. 84.—Thatched roof, near Tokio.]

Fig. 84.—Thatched roof, near Tokio.

In Musashi a not uncommon form of ridge is seen, in which there is an external ridge‐pole wrought like the upper transverse beam of a _tori‐i._ This beam has a vertical thickness of twice or three times its width; resting transversely upon it, and at short intervals, are a number of wooden structures shaped like the letter X,—the lower ends of these pieces resting on the slopes of the roof, the upper ends projecting above the ridgepole. The ridge at this point is matted with bark; and running parallel with the ridge a few bamboos are fastened, upon which these cross‐beams rest, and to which they are secured (_fig. 45_).

Modifications of this form of ridge occur in a number of southern provinces, and ridges very similar to this I saw in Saigon and Cholon, in Anam. The curious Shin‐tō temple, at Kamijiyama, in Ise, said to be modelled after very ancient types of roof, has the end‐rafters of the gable continuing through the roof and beyond the peak to a considerable distance. It was interesting to see precisely the same features in some of the Malay houses in the neighborhood of Singapore. In Musashi, and farther south, a ridge is seen of very complex structure,—the entire ridge forming a kind of supplementary roof, its edges thick and squarely trimmed, and presenting the appearance of a smaller roof having been made independently and dropped upon the large roof like a saddle. This style of roof, with many modifications, is very common in Yamashiro, Mikawa, and neighboring provinces. A very elaborate roof of this description is shown in _fig. 85_. This roof was sketched in Kabutoyama, a village nearly fifty miles west of Tokio. In this ridge the appearance of a supplementary roof is rendered more apparent by the projection beneath of what appears to be a ridge‐pole, and also parallel sticks of the roof proper. This roof had a remarkably picturesque and substantial appearance. This style of roof is derived from temple architecture.

[Fig. 85.—Ridge of thatched roof at Kabutoyama, Musashi.]

Fig. 85.—Ridge of thatched roof at Kabutoyama, Musashi.

A very simple form of ridge is common in the province of Omi; this is made of thin pieces of board, three feet or more in length, secured on each slope of the roof and at right angles to the ridge; and these are bound down by long strips of wood, two resting across the ridge, and another strip resting on the lower edge of the boards (_fig. 86_). In the provinces of Omi and Owari tiled ridges are often seen, and some ridges in which wood and tile are combined. At Takatsuki‐mura, in Setsu, a curious ridge prevails. The ridge is very steep, and is covered by a close mat of bamboo, with saddles of tiles placed at intervals along the ridge (fig. 87). A very picturesque form of ridge occurs in the province of Mikawa; the roof is a hip‐roof, with the ridge‐roof having a steep slope trimmed off squarely at the eaves. On this portion strips of brown bark are placed across the ridge, resting on the slopes of the roof; a number of bamboos rest on the bark, parallel to the ridge; on the top of these, stout, semi‐ cylindrical saddles, sometimes sheathed with bark, rest across the ridge, with an interspace of three or four feet between them. _Fig. 88_ represents a roof with three of these saddles, which is the usual number. These saddles are firmly bound to the roof, and on their crests and directly over the ridge a long bamboo is secured by a black‐fibred cord, which is tied to the ridge between each saddle. The smoke‐outlet at the end of the ridge‐gable is protected by a mass of straw hanging down from the apex of the window, in shape and appearance very much like a Japanese straw rain‐coat. The smoke filters out through this curtain, though the rain cannot beat in.

[Fig. 86.—Crest of thatched roof in Omi.]

Fig. 86.—Crest of thatched roof in Omi.

[Fig. 87.—Tile and bamboo ridge of thatched roof, Takatsuki, Setsu.]

Fig. 87.—Tile and bamboo ridge of thatched roof, Takatsuki, Setsu.

Roofs of a somewhat similar construction may be seen in other provinces. In the suburbs of Kioto a form of roof and ridge, after a similar design, may be often seen. In this form the supplementary roof is more sharply defined; the corners of it are slightly turned up as in the temple‐roof. To be more definite, the main roof, which is a hip‐roof, has built upon it a low upper‐roof, which is a gable; and upon this rests, like a separate structure, a continuous saddle of thatch, having upon its back a few bamboos running longitudinally, and across the whole a number of thick narrow saddles of thatch sheathed with bark, and over all a long bamboo bound to the ridge with cords (_fig. 89_). These roofs, broad and thick eaved, with their deep‐set, heavily latticed smoke‐windows, and the warm brown thatch, form a pleasing contrast to the thin‐shingled roofs of the poorer neighboring houses.

[Fig. 88.—Crest of thatched roof in Mikawa.]

Fig. 88.—Crest of thatched roof in Mikawa.

[Fig. 89.—Crest of thatched roof in Kioto.]

Fig. 89.—Crest of thatched roof in Kioto.

Another form of Mikawa roof, very simple and plain in structure, is shown in _fig. 90_. Here the ridge‐roof is covered with a continuous sheathing of large bamboos, with rafter‐poles at the ends coming through the thatch and projecting beyond the peak.

In the provinces of Kii and Yamato the forms of ridges are generally very simple. In one form, common in the province of Kii, the ridge‐roof, which has a much sharper incline than the roof proper, is covered with bark, this being bound down by parallel strips, or whole rods of bamboo; and spanning the ridge at intervals are straw saddles sheathed with bark. These are very narrow at the ridge, but widen at their extremities.

[Fig. 90.—Crest of thatched roof in Mikawa.]

Fig. 90.—Crest of thatched roof in Mikawa.

The smoke‐outlet is a small triangular opening (_fig. 91_). In the province of Yamato there are two forms of roof very common. In one of these the roof is a gable, the end‐walls, plastered with clay and chopped straw, projecting above the roof a foot or more, and capped with a simple row of tiles (_fig. 92_),—the ridge in this roof being made as in the last one described. In another form of roof with a similar ridge, the thatch on the slopes of the roof is trimmed in such a way as to present the appearance of a series of thick layers, resting one upon another like shingles, only each lap being eighteen inches to two feet apart, with thick edges. It was interesting and curious to find in the ancient province of Yamato this peculiar treatment of the slopes of a thatched roof, precisely like certain roofs seen among the houses of the Ainos of Yezo.

[Fig. 91.—Crest of thatched roof in Kii.]

Fig. 91.—Crest of thatched roof in Kii.

In the provinces of Totomi and Suruga a form of ridge was observed, unlike any encountered elsewhere in Japan. The ridge‐roof was large and sharply angular. Resting upon the thatch, from the ridge‐pole half way down to the main roof, were bamboos placed side by side, parallel to the ridge. Upon this layer of bamboos were wide saddles of bark a foot or more in length, with an interspace of nearly two feet between each saddle, these reaching down to the main roof. On each side of the ridge‐roof, and running parallel to the ridge, were large bamboo poles resting on the saddles, and bound down firmly with cords. On the sharp crest of the roof rested a long round ridge‐pole. This pole was kept in place by wide bamboo slats, bent abruptly into a yoke, in shape not unlike a pair of sugar‐tongs, and these spanning the pole were thrust obliquely into the thatch. These were placed in pairs and crosswise in the interspaces between the bark saddles. On the ends of the ridge there were two bamboo yokes together. The sketch of this roof (_fig. 93_) will give a much clearer idea of its appearance and structure than any description. This style of roof was unique, and appeared to be very strong and durable.

[Fig. 92.—Thatched roof in Totomi.]

Fig. 92.—Thatched roof in Totomi.

[Fig. 93.—Crest of thatched roof in Kii.]

Fig. 93.—Crest of thatched roof in Kii.

In the province of Ise a simple type of roof was seen (_fig. 94_). The ridge‐roof was quite low, sheathed with bark and bound down with a number of bamboos. At the gable were round masses of thatch covered with bark, which formed an ornamental moulding at the verge.(11)

In the province of Osumi, on the eastern side of Kagoshima Gulf, the vertical walls of the buildings are very low; but these support thatched roofs of ponderous proportions. These roofs are somewhat steeper than the northern roof, and their ridges are wide and bluntly rounded. The ends of the ridge are finished with a wide matting of bamboo, and this material is used in binding down the ridge itself (_fig. 54_).

There are doubtless many other forms of thatched roof, but it is believed that the examples given present the leading types.

[Fig. 94.—Crest of thatched roof in Ise.]

Fig. 94.—Crest of thatched roof in Ise.

As one becomes familiar with the picturesqueness and diversity in the Japanese roof and ridge, he wonders why the architects of our own country have not seen fit to extend their taste and ingenuity to the roof, as well as to the sides of the house. There is no reason why the ridge of an ordinary wooden house should invariably be composed of two narrow weather‐ strips, or why the roof itself should always be stiff, straight, and angular. Certainly our rigorous climate can be no excuse for this, for on the upper St. John, and in the northern part of Maine, one sees the wooden houses of the French Canadians having roofs widely projecting, with the eaves gracefully turning upward, presenting a much prettier appearance than does the stiff angular roof of the New England house.

It is indeed a matter of wonder that some one in building a house in this country does not revert to a thatched roof. Our architectural history shows an infinite number of reversions, and if a thatched roof were again brought into vogue, a new charm would be added to our landscape. The thatched roof is picturesque and warm, and makes a good rain‐shed. In Japan an ordinary thatched roof will remain in good condition from fifteen to twenty years; and I have been told that the best kinds of thatched roof will endure for fifty years, though this seems incredible. As they get weather‐worn they are often patched and repaired, and finally have to be entirely renewed. Old roofs become filled with dust, assume a dark color, and get matted down; plants, weeds, and mosses of various kinds grow upon them, as well as masses of gray lichen. When properly constructed they shed water very promptly, and do not get water‐soaked, as one might suppose.

[Fig. 95.—Paved space under eaves of thatched roof.]

Fig. 95.—Paved space under eaves of thatched roof.

It is customary in the better class of houses having thatched roofs to pave the ground with small cobble‐stones, for a breadth of two feet or more immediately below the eaves, to catch the drip, as in a thatched roof it is difficult to adjust any sort of a gutter or water‐conductor. Fig. 95 illustrates the appearance of the paved space about a house, the roof of which is shown in _fig. 85_. It is customary in the better class of houses having thatched roofs to pave the ground with small cobble‐stones, for a breadth of two feet or more immediately below the eaves, to catch the drip, as in a thatched roof it is difficult to adjust any sort of a gutter or water‐conductor. _Fig. 95_ illustrates the appearance of the paved space about a house, the roof of which is shown in _fig. 85_.

The translation of the terms applied to many parts of the house is quite curious and interesting. The word _mune,_ signifying the ridge of the house, has the same meaning as with us; the same word is applied to the back of a sword and to the ridge of a mountain. In Korea the ridge of the thatched roof is braided, or at least the thatch seems to be knotted or braided at this point; and the Korean word for the ridge means literally _back‐bone,_ from its resemblance to the back‐bone of a fish.

In Japan the roof of a house is called _yane._ Now, _yane_ literally means _house‐root;_ but how such a term could be applied to the roof is a mystery. I have questioned many intelligent Japanese in regard to this word, and have never received any satisfactory answer as to the reason of its application to the roof of a house. A Korean friend has suggested that the name might have been applied through association: a tree without a root dies, and a house without a roof decays. He also told me that the Chinese character _ne_ meant origin.

In Korea the foundation of a house is called the foot of the house, and the foundation stones are called shoe‐stones.

The Japanese word for ceiling is _ten‐jō,_—literally, “heaven’s well.” It is an interesting fact that the root of both words, _ceiling_ and _ten‐ jō,_ means “heaven.”