The Forrest City times., 1896-04-03
What We Ate at Hawaiian
Barbecue.

Nov for good time George" said a
shipmate, to me-. as the driver drew up
his reins; and we were comfortably seated
in a Hawaiian hack.
We had just left the United States war
ship, Bennington" on leave of alb
sence of one day; and a real good. jolly,
rollicking time we were anticipating.
And for this there was nothing in the Re-
public OF Hawaii that could excel a
"Lna, or native barbecue. Having been
raised in the country, and having spent
some happy days At 4th of July barbe-
cues and political dinners. ii was natural
for me tn think this drive out in the
country to picnic like those OF my boy
hood dapy, capital idea.
A drive Of ten miles through coffee,
cocoanut and orange groves; past sugar
plantations and banana fields, all OF
which gave us much information about
the products OF Hawaii. brought us TO a
beautiful ripping brook, whose waters
were made cool when trinkling down the
mountain side far up the valley, whose
banks We're green and shady-ho, how
like the scenes of boyhood.
1t was here. beneath the shade OF
towering cocoanut trees, that the "Lua'
was to be. When we arrived there was
large crowd OF natives assembled. Many
OF these were less than half dressed sonia
dependent entirely on wreaths of flowers
to hide their bodies. They were dancing
their famous "Iiulohulo." step and its
music peculiarly their own. Qt is said
that their last king kept forty girls to
amuse him with this dance 1t ha, gained
for them Il wor q wide fame as musicians
and dancers. Miss Kate Field, while
with them last fall. called them 1.-THE
French of the Pacitic.''
Our driver spoke good English. and We
used him as All interpreter. And soon We
had opened up conversation with the
crowd that had gathered around us
some to amuse themselves. others for the
sake of mere curiosity. We were shown
everything of interest. and.everytIing was
explained. And As the kanaka is a simple.
kndhearted, jolly kind of a felluw, We
passed the time very pleasantly. Until the
hour for dinner. which | thought rather
late. When dinner was ANNOUNCED we
all marched, in IA way that was somewha /
systematic. to little moss covered ridge
where we found on our right some poi. of
which shall say naught. but that it is made
from the root Of a native plant and is To
Hawaii what Irish potatoes are 10 Ireland.
But the best barbecues OF my old country
home would have been proud To have
cooked his pig as nice as were the pretty
brown carcasses that greeted our eyes on
!. the left,
Unfortunately there were no knives. or
forks--no carving there. We tore the
) flesh with our fingers. Such is the fash
ion OF Hawaii.
The shipma.e and drew ourselves up
along side nice. plump. fat carcass that
looked very much like that OF pig with
his feet cut off. The meat was tender aud
sweet; and oh. my, how We ate. Can
you remember when a boy. that number
of you once al county fair visited a lot OF
luuch-baskets and tried To see who could
eat the most. until you were III misery ?
Well. we differed from you tn this; that
we never wandered from the one carcass.
and, If possible. ate mere that you did.
oh, what feast we made of our pig
that the kanaka called ''puaa keiki;" but
what-may God iorgiye-we afterwards
learned, in English, meant DOG.
j. |. G. FRANKS
II