Buildings
Index
Search
Contact us
time they are kept Covered from the sun and are restricted within their respective bounds which are houses fenced round in square[s] for that purpose — and at the end of that time they are liberated but are so fat that they can scarce breath and are some Weeks before they can Walk to any distance. During this time they loose the Tand Collour of their skin and assume their own natural one which is agreeably fair & Clear, but are so tender that the sun scalds them as fast as it would the Fairest European and those who expose themselves to the Weather soon alter their Complexion. When a Chief or Ratirra wants one of these Ovens of Bread made, they inform their Tennants who go in a Body and bring Wood from the Mountains, while others Collect the Stones and while the fire is Burning evry Man brings his load of Bread which is put into the Oven whole and without further preparation and being Covered with leaves is thatchd over with Grass & the Earth thrown up over it an do not open it for three or four days, when they take it out for use evry day as it is wanted, keeping it covered till the Whole is expended, and this they repeat evry harvest.
The Bread thus dressd is Calld Opeeo and has a very agreeable tast and the Collour is Changed to brown throughout. The poorer people are not excluded from this Method of Feasting their Children tho they have not sufficient Bread for the Purpose, having nothing more to do but signify their intention to their Neighbours, who bring their proportions of Bread and Assist them to Collect Wood and Make their Oven; somtimes they join two familys making one oven between them.
At this Season they make their Mahee, a sourish past made by fermenting the ripe Bread [fruit], by which means they keep it till next harvest. While the Bread (which they have the whole Year round but not in such plenty as to serve) is scarce they may be eaten by itself or by being beaten up in puddings and when mixd with the new bread makes the Best Popoe.
The process of making it is this — the bread being gathered in they scrape off the rind with shells ground sharp for the purpose and lay it in heaps to grow Mellow, where it lays for 3 or 4 days — pits are then made in their Houses or Near them, and being well lined with Grass and leaves the Bread is thrown in, being first split in peices with a Wooden Adze made for that Use, and with it a few of the ripe Fruit which have fallen from the Tree to hasten the fermentation and the pits being filld and heaped up are Covered with leaves & Grass & large stones put on the top to press it into
 |
Indigenous Histories |  |
© Derived from the 1935 Print Edition edited by Owen Rutter, page 214, 2004
Published by kind permission of the Library
To cite this page use: https://paulturnbull.org/project/southseas/journals/-morrison-087.html