When they kill a hog they strangle it or drownd it; the former Method is preferd and is done by putting a rope round its neck which they heave up with a stick or leaver till the Hog is Choakd; they then Stop its Nose, fundament &c. with leaves or Grass and the Animal af[t]er a few Strugles expires; they then wet it all over and lay it on the fire, or make a fire round it if it be large, with Dry leaves and Grass and scrape it Clean with Sticks and Cocoa Nut shells — after which they take it to the Water and Scrubb it Clean with rough Stones and open the belly with a piece of split Bamboo or knife and take out the Bowels and Blood, which having burst its Vessels runs out of the Flesh and is found in the Belly; with the Blood they mix the fat of the Guts and putting it into Cocoanut shells put hot stones into it and Makes a kind of black Pudding which serves the Cooks with some other fragments for a relish while dinner is dressing — the Hog is Clean washd and laid on leaves till the Oven is ready; the pluck is either Broild or Washd and wrapd in leaves and put in the Oven, the Guts are also Cleaned and baked, and as they have plenty of assistance the whole is soon ready. The Guts, being kept fast to the Crow, are ripd from end to end and well washd when they are laid on the hot stones to scald, being shifted alternately from the Stones to the Water till they are perfectly sweet & Clean and being wrapd in leaves the whole are put in the Oven with Bread fruit Split & Scraped which is all the preparation it wants, Tarro, Mahee &c. and Covered up as before and in this Manner they dress all their food. The Bread fruit will broil or roast on the fire, which Method they use for a small quantity and Fish wrapd in the Bread fruit leaves and put on the fire are better then Boild, being dressd by their own Moisture, which is prevented from evaporating by the leaves which have as much substance as those of a Cabbage. If they have a Pig of 10 or 12 pounds to bake they will dress it sufficiently in half an hour. In the time of Gathering in the Harvest of Bread for Store they make an Oven in which they Bake 15 or 20 Hundred weight of Bread which when baked becomes sweet like gingerbread, of this they make a sweet pudding, and on this the Children (Male & Female of or belonging to the family who make it) Feast while it lasts, which is generally six weeks or two months — during which

Indigenous Histories