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sufficient for their purpose ripe on the Tree — and in this they have a superstitious Notion that should they bathe in the Sea while the plantains are on the earth that they would never ripen properly — this only extends to the Person who pats them in the earth — nor could we perswade them out of this foolish notion tho we shewed them to the contrary — and they always insisted that we had more then Common power to prevent the fruit from spoiling — and tho we perswaded themselves to try they still affirmd that it was on our Account and that were they to try on their own heads the fruit would Certainly spoil or rot before they were ripe.
They Get fire by rubbing two Sticks (Commonly Dry Poorow but Breadfruit or any other Dry wood will answer the Purpose) together thus — they take a long piece sufficiently large that they may hold it fast by sitting with their feet on it and Cutting a Groove on the Upper part 5 or 6 inches long with a shell to receive the point of a smaller piece which they hold between their hands and begin Chanting a Prayer (without which they suppose they Could not get the fire) and rubbing the point of the Small piece in the groove of the larger one & shoving from them increase their Motion from a slow easy stroke to a quick smart one, when the Dust made by the Friction takes fire, which they put into a leaf with some dry Grass and wave it about till it communicates to the whole when they have more leaves & Wood to make their fire.
When they Make an Oven they Make a hole in the Earth of a proportionable Size to the Provision they have to dress and Making on their fire build it up with wood which they pile round with stones, throwing the bottom ones up as the top falls in till the wood is all burnt to Coals and the stones red hot; they then level the stones and the Coals being free from smoke they spread the oven over with leaves or the trunk of the Plantain and the Provisions being wrapd in and Coverd with leaves is Covered with Grass and the earth thrown up on the top and the provisions left to Bake a proper time, according to the quantity; mean while those who were employed at it go to the water and wash themselves all over and when the oven is opened it is done so carefully that the least particle of earth or Sand does not come to the provisions which are taken out clean and well dressd.
They are very expeditious in preparing their food and will dress a Hog whole (which they always do never cutting them to peices till they are baked) and let it be sufficiently well done in two Hours tho it were 300 lbs weight; they like their food well dressd tho
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Indigenous Histories |  |
© Derived from the 1935 Print Edition edited by Owen Rutter, page 212, 2004
Published by kind permission of the Library
To cite this page use: https://paulturnbull.org/project/southseas/journals/-morrison-085.html