On the island of Fassarai one finds two separate villages. One village is the home of 30 natives from Falalop island; the other, the King's village, is occupied by the natives from the various other islands of the atoll. The latter village has several suburbs which string out in single dwellings and small garden farms along the road leading to the "Falalop" village. This path is a winding lane, bordered by stones, passing through semi-tropical plant growths; it was built by the Germans during their occupation.
Walking down this main pathway, or through the villages, one observes that each hut looks like every other hut, although several of the dwellings are designated by custom with special signifigance. One of these special dwellings is the all-men's house—the eim. Here all the men gather to discuss the affairs of the community and generally "bat the breeze" through days which are not normally filled with activity. It has the earmarks of a lodge or fraternity, and serves just that purpose for Ulithi's men,
Another designated house is the yeeper, the women's house. It is in this hut that women are confined during the periods of menstruation or child birth. These two occasions are considered unclean by the natives, and there is a taboo on associating with the women concerned during the periods, or of coming within 30 feet of the yeeper. This is one of the most strictly enforced taboos of the Ulithian society.
Almost all the dwellings have been built upon a rock foundation a foot and a half to two feet high. This practice has been fostered so completely, in fact, that practically everything has been raised—the graves as well as the huts.
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