Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1895-03-02

clothing, cooking utensils. fuel, boats,
etc. OF the trunk they make what we
call a vaa lcanocl, by chiscling out the
inside and rounding of the outside with
an adsc. Before the advent OF the white
men thlH was done with shells, and IL Is
the only KIND Of q boat these people
originally made. IL must have been
most llborious task, Tor it Is hard wood.
The trunk also furnishes posts and raj.
tet1 for their hus, wood for spears,
wooden bowls, ani now answers for
making bed posts, etc, though the peo.
PIE where / now am do not use beds.
OF the leaves they make their houses,
churches. etc. hraiding them into a mat,
some siN 1y two feet, and tied to raItcrs
o., we nail shingles. OF the leaves they
also braid and weave 100 sorts OF baskets
aud everything they have to carry IS
done 100 baskets. The native carpets
aud mats are also made of them; their
mats ornaments of several kinds. several
taucuci Of fishing nets, etc. The stem,
rom which the fruit has been planted,
serves 1s e broom while from a hbrous
substance which binds the links % the
trunk, cloth was formerly made. % now
serves aa stfaiulr 90 extract the oil
from the uut, strain their medicines. etc,
anu a extensively used tu start tire.
besides being q good covering Tor their
owners 60 keep iu the hel, ana keep out
the difD To resembles the material KUN.
ny sacks ore made from. A shcai rc.
',nlhng the leaf Of "a century plant,
which grows with aud IS a protection to
lNe aall, bearing The fruit, contains con.
siderable oil and burns readily with a
bright ght % is split up, tied in long
Sticks about two inches thick and makes
900 excellent torch, by the light OF which
Tue natives hah 40 night 10 lthe cocoa
nun 81 The staple food, the stall OF lie,
OF the Iuamutu Islander IL is ON his
breakfast table (which consists Il mother
e1rihi and generally dry hands,: d Is
back there 90 dinner time, and Is never
absent 40 supper u is food FOR him, his
wife, children, bis pigs cats, dogs and
chickens, aud % DE has more than he
eau eat hc dries Do in the sun and sells Il
for four aud five cents per Eilo two and
unc.uith pounds while tue money he
gets FOR IL is worth just half what our
money a. When dried Do Is called puiaa
leonal and is shipped 20 Europe aud
America, where thc oil is extracted and
meat OF Tie CuCulnut the native extracts
the oil and makes Dis perfume, his hair
oil (which they 900 use pruiusclyl. his
lamp oil, his medicine aud many other
things. while he often mixes u ~ IN his
bread rice ETC., when he Is fortunate
enough iu secure any, and which makes
a. very pa'aunlc dish, greatly improving
the eating qualities OF the articles mem
D al
milk OF the young nut b. most refresh.
lng beverage and discounts soda water
though when first landed here I did
not like IT, Il Is God-scnd that cocoa.
nuts grow and bear good water as well
as FRUIT for the water IS very bad here.
Rain water Is much priced, no more by
natives than by us, as II Is great rc.ict
after drinking the hard, salty, island
water. Where will you find another tree
that bears both food and water. fuel and
Clulhing' The apu OF shell Is the natives
cup and bowl made without hands, aud
Il IS quite amusing 70 see how the natives
pass the sacrament around In them. lie
gnsps Il firmly IN both hands and holds
Dc Tor you to drink, as best you
can, / once attempted to take II
Boa my hand, bu. the man would
not let go and 1 had TO give in.
This shell IS also an excellent fuel ana
makes @ bright. hot fire. OF the husk
they make all kinds OF cord and rope
that they have use Tor aud rope made OF
this material is said TO be much super.
ior TO the manila rope we use az home.
a rope that they call uapc makes a
most excellent spring bed which found
in almost every house / visited in
Tahiti. have only seen two or three
ON llao and never had the privilege OF
sleeping on either Of them. This Il.
hrous husk called the puru IS also made
into brushes, stuffed into horse collars,
beds, etc, etc. II Is used In innumcrable
ways in our country
] might tell more hut my letter has
already reached greater and longer
proportions than ] intended, so / will
bring Ito a close, hoping that when you
have read the same you won be so tired
that you cannot write. Would be most
happy to hear from you all. This letter
may answer for all the relatives aud
friends who desire 10 hear from me
until get the opportunity OF writing.
Give my love 10 all relatives and
friends and accept a large amount Of the
same yourselves.
remain your most anrclionatc son,
THOMAS JoNEs JR.