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


BY Elder Frank Cutler, who is laboini
as a missionary on the Society Islands
It is a genuine pleasure TO have al
opportunity to throw oil al thoughts o.
duty and responsibility and allow m'
mind 10 feast on remembrance OF home
and It's associations for a buci spell
Memory has put her stamp upon th,
mind indellibly, fixing there the visions o
bright, happy faces. fields Of waving
grain, trees laden with tooihsomc fruits,
and the grand old rocky mountains.
There is a mysterious charm about the
old scenes which | was almost uncOn'
cious Of until separated from their inn
mediate presence. Though thousands
Of miles Of biIlowy waves intervene,
their magic influence does not wanc,
but ON the contrary It may DE truly said
that distance does but lend cnchant.
mcnt to the view" IT'S eight months
since saw a mountain. II is eight
months since I saw anything save sand,
coral rock, cOcOanut trees and the sea-
There IS one thing am glad TO be able
10 miss, and that IS your salt Lake mud.
You will remember that when | left
home ! thought that ! was coming 70 a
rainy, muddy aud lui,-gfowing country.
10 does not rain here as often AS at
home. and mud Is unknown on these
Islands. One could not wish for a finer
climate. Nine out OF ten days, a cool
sea breeze keeps the graceful cocoanut
palms 10 constant agitation and sends
the little sail boats OF the natives ilying
across the lagoon, while the roaring Ut
the breakers on the reef furnish music IN
the absence OF birds.
When ! tell you that nothing Of value
Is to be found here outside Of cocOanuts,
fish aud peafl.shell. you will most
probably think. and that truly that this
must be a most uninteresling place to
spend three or four years. Yet we have
one Of the wonders OF the world here,
the like Of which ! do not think can be
found In all our country Il would gu
small volume to tell Of all the uses
which might be made OF the cocoanut
tree and It's fruit Perhaps q short nc.
count Of some Of the uses the natives
make Of this wonderful tree would be
interesting TO you, as u will serve to
show some Of their daily habits and GUS
toms.
The tree grows to q height Of from 10
to 90 or 10 feet, It's trunk being from 10
to rs inches In diameter, with no
branches whatever. except a heavy
bunch at the top. II thfives well In
sand and even In places where nothing
but coral rock can be seen. In five or
seven years after being planted It bears
fruit. OF the tree itself the natives make
almost everything they use that Is not
eatable including house, furniture, cloth
ing. cooking utensils, fuel, boats, etc.
OF the trunk they make what We call a
vaa Cancel, by chiseling out the inside
ani rounding of the outside with an
ada. Before the advent Of the white
man this was done with shells, and Is
the only kind Of boat these people orr.
ginally made. II must have been
most laborious task for Il is hard wood.
The trunk also furnished posts and raft.
efs for their huts, wood Tor spears,
wooden bowls. and now answers for
making bed-posts, etc, though the people
where ! am now, do not use beds. or
the leaves they make their houses,
churches, etc, braiding them into a mat
some by feet, and tied to Taiters as
we nail shingles. OF the leaves they
also braid and weave all sorts OF baskets,
aud everything they have to carry Is
done In baskets. The native carpets
and mats are also made OF them, their
hats, ornaments Of several kinds, several
varieties OF fishing nets, etc. The stem
from which the fruit has been puckrd
serves as a broom, while from a libery
substance which binds the limbs TO the
trunk, cloth was formerly made. l,,now
answers as strainer TO extract the oil
from the nut, strain their medicines,
etc, and Is extensively used to start a
fire, besides being good covering ior
their ovens to keep In the heat aud keep
out the dirt. Il resembles the material
gunny sacks are made Of A sheai re.
sembling the leaf Of a century plant,
which grows with, and Is a protection to
the stalk bearing the fruit, contains con.
siderable oil, aud burns readily with a
bright light Il is split up, tied In long
sticks about two inches thick and mikes
an excellent torch. by the light Of which
the natives fish at night.
The cOcoanut Is the staple food, the
staff Of life, OF the Tulmotuian Islander.
II is on his breakfast table (which con.
sists OF mother earth and generally dirty
hands,, finds is way back there al din.
ner time and Is never absent az supper.
Il is food for him. his wife, his children,
his pigs, cats, dogs and chickens and, Il
he has more than he can eat he dries il
In the sun and sells II Tor four OF five
cents per kilo two and one.hhh pounds,
while the money he gets for Il Is worth
Just half what our money is When
dried u is called pupaa lcobre) and Is
shipped TO Europe and America, where
the oil Is extracted and serves iunumera-
Die purposes. OF the meat In the cocoa.
nut the native extracts the oil and makes
his perfume, his hair oil (which they all
use proiuselyl, his lamp oil. his medicine
aud many other things. while he often
mixes Il up In his bread, rice etc.
when he Is fortunate enough to secure
any, and which makes very palitable
DISH, greatly improving the eating
qualities OF the articles mentioned, and
many Others besides.
The mix OF the youns cocoanut IS a
very refreshing beverage and discounts
soda water all TO pieces, though when
FIRST landed here, ] did not like IT, lis
a God'scnd that CoCoauuts bear good
water as well as fruit, Tor the Is and
water is very bad. Rain water Is much
priced, no more by the natives than by
as, and Il Is great rcliei after drinking
the hard, salty island water. Where
Will you ind another tree that bear
both food and water3
The apu or shell Is the native cup aud
bowl made without hands, and Il Is quite
amusing TO see how the natives pass the
sacrament around Ia them. lie grasp,
It firmly In both hands and holds II Tor
you 10 drink as best you can. once
attempted to take il in my hands but the
man would not let 90 and had to give
IN This shell is also an excellent fuel
and makes a bright, hot fire. Ofthe
husk they make all kinds OF cord and