Iowa voter. [volume] (Knoxville, Iowa) 1867-1874, 1870-02-24
DINING WlrH 4 CAHNIBAL.

DINING WITH 4 CANNIBAL.
By MAX TwAM.
Al oxA, Probe Ocsan,
November -. -. I
JUsr at this Instant" continued the
King, sshe reached him, and he vas nv
ed for, - the shark opened his great Jaws
she thrust her Ka000sk between them,
noble girl propped them wide apart, ran
her arm down his throat, into his gullet
and recovered the gentleman's watch
Come here, child, and show the foreigner
the shark tooth-markso on y0ur ahoulder.s
see, rec. Il Wa IN intrepid deed.
II Was noble to nve the poor white man
from % ghastly death. And this u the
girl that taught yen to add bread ffuit to
he POI z"
"Yes, the seme-the very same. To
hpUr:fager poi, you undcrsfand-not TO
Ill sorts Twill ahow-I win make you
understand. In the Sandwich Islands and
tho Marquesas they make poi out Of taro-
root only. 1hen, you know, they would
mt dream Of. However, I was going
70 tell You. The native takes the tAro-
root, which Is much like what you describe
q turnip to be, and wraps Il In plantain
leaves, and puts it in hole IN the ground
which he has lined with hot stones, don't
You see ?-covers Il up, lets IL roast. Takes
it.out, poundaqt In . great Stone dish with .
large stone pestle adds water to thiS mash,
from time to time, to thin It. He sets 1t
away lit is poi, now IN large calabasheA
II looks like 90 much -four paste. At
meals al the family and friends sit around
the calabash on their launches, Just - you
and Iare doing-except that the poor COM
mon Kanakas are naked, Of course. Oh!
no, my ffiend-because you 80 me, the
great King, in shirt collar and spectacles,
you must not imagine that the common
subject must ape grandeur and put on
clothes. They cit around the calabash,
and al eat from it with their hands. Each
inserts his fingers and stirs them briskly
around till portion of the PUPPY mass
adheres to them-then tits back his head,
lets the suspended trail of pulp descend into
his open mouth-then his fingers follow,
and he sucks the remainder from them
Now II the pulp be thick, you can use one
6nger; If it be thinner, you must use two,
or three, or four fingers accordingly. But
- told you, 1t was this inspired girl
that invented the method of thickening
four-6nger poi with bread fruit-and also
6avoring it with carcasses of the delicious
bird which in your tongue you term the
grasshopper."
blessed girl -
blessed girl, indeed. But pardon me
-yOu-yCu seem distressed"
"Itis nothing. Poi, even in its native
nsstiness, lie only mildly delicious to me-
the addition to 1t Of the wild game you
mention"
"Ah, say no more. I perceive. But try
this dish. It is fry Of bananas and plan
tains, with oranges sliced in ii, and just q
spoonful or 80 Of the delightful chirimoya
added to give it tone. / conceived the idea
OF adding the anglewormA"
ut was inspiration"
II 90 regard it. It is 10 considered by
the great chiefs. To the common herd It
II tG5u. That il to say prohibited. Now
~ regards those missionaries" continued
the King, refectively scratching his head
with the fork which had presented him,
and which he had already learned to use q
good deal, though not always in . strictly
legitimate way, as regards those mis-
si0naries. viii say, that their landing
here was unexpected, but fastened to
give them every protection. And gave
chem full privilege to teach. They were
the first whites that some Of my people
had seen, and Of course these simple ma
dives had natural curiosity to experiment
upon them! could.not reasonably deny
them this little qualification, though I
counseled them to practice - little cruelty
upon the strangers a. was compatible
with Q fair desire for information and the
necessity Of wholesome amusement They
removed Johnson's Garland that was .
thing which regretted seriously until it
was explained TO me that great chiefs
little sick child desired them TO play with,
and II you could have seen how much
young thing was after II acquired them,
you would have felt how blessed : thing
Il 10 TO be able to contribute to tho happi-
mess of even Q little child"
at was the impulse Of Q generous
heart-it was q spirit Of iberality - rare
q it 10 beautiful And how did johnson
like IT."
"Oh, johnson said it was the win Of
God. It was like johnson to ny that.
But the missionaries were right well
treated, ON the whole. The natives tried
various interesting experiments upon
them, such e scorching them, and scald-
Ing them, and scalping them, and oil that
SO4t u tuJu8, Su0 klu0Q one OF t0o0
myself not in malice, but because had Q
curious caprice to rec how he would 70
with onions. He was failure. Old and
tough. Underdone, my scaAins said-A
shade too venerable aid. Give me pun.
gency and tenderness for . combustion.
Onions and infancy IL my idea of comfort.
But here comes o dish which you win
like, my good Ad0ls-baked dog and ysms
project your teeth in this direction, and
nip this slice from the contrivance which
you call fork. A man, II he be anything
Of an epicure, il bound TO like this dish.
Il r. p0v esc6llsnes the national dish-no
3voW h complete without Il A lw0s II .
grand feast my ffiend-that II what the
word meanA Do you know that the edi.
bic dor Of this land b 3 perfectly proper
and elegant beast for human consumptioni
Il y even 70. He b never, neser allowed
60 touch meat. He b fed wholly on poi
. strictly vegetable diet He 10 reared In
the house-6esps with hi ownsrs, male
q Ssmals-rides horseback with them
travels In the host with then-is thsir
indispensable pet and companion. They
love him tsndsrly in lie, and IN death
they turn not away from him. Thsy ct
him. They stuff hio hodv INN AZ n1an.