The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1898-10-09

soma UNEXPECTED larger wave ifts the raft
spha SAifriSs them ont e sea 10 an pncomiorS-
or elss their trail craft fails TO pieces under
them and they must swim and wade ashore.
All g loud noise and good temper. Canoes
the fleet NAV DO capsized In succession. but
t ORR Sls : aS ;s as we'll 3 S as iIs6Inas. ana "a tSSecSS S STe
bound TO a y II as 4. eomes..
ducking the fleets Of canoes manage TO rot
into chosen places and 70 keep In the places
q Tolieyy " Toe Shout sS m y iII m9S SSsrS Il on Th e sn Il
whore that. Late conner are hailed with de-
rlsiye calls and ieerlng shouts; rs they try to
ers. Some one too eagerly scanning the sur
face Of the water nor signs Of the palolo cap-
eSse, despite tbs tRs ,~OSIssTlsserl-ond them the
w whessor r9 Sd o resSgad e Wi,h ,G grsstionS as to
not. As the time. goes on In the darkness the
tide goee out and out, until IL seems as IL I
could get no lower The sea grows more and
more lumpy as still more sprays OF coral are
laid bare and the pools become more and more
confined. These, signs, cause a hush TO fall
which II Is natural and human to await the
coming OF something that takes place only at
leaders In. the fishery mass orders. which AFRO
tSpe al sd 5T8% SAM same sc TO canoe 1Gss ,h IN y whlspeTTs e
frightened out Of their annual appearance
q profound, belief Of this fishery not supported
BY any evidence. There is now no sound but
seward side Of the reef and the soft swish. OF
some net lightly swept over the surface OF the
Whaoer ny some one eager 10 ne the hrst TO nnu
One, moment Il is certain that the surface
pothins.t the, sharPssst eyes tsS sW can see o' nothing
put the black water. Then some one starts a
SsiSro 'R &c c sae d RalISSl1h hs sa HP Ts Is to Sw shH sRetrS Sp
In the shouts from every canoe.Hlong the reef.
In the lhea same instant !stoI the worms have appeared;
them where n moment before there was moth
Ing. and the fishermen use the shallow nets
as fast as the arms can move. Il is not nee
S Ss { shs spot a The ssot t6sS rise issn At III Il. As ssrE fast
others rise and may be scooped up In
turn tSg :r.o They seem to rise entirely within
that time has elapsed n pool scooped clean re-,
mains empty Of the worms, There is something
the surface Of the lagoon looks dimly dark and
Iorbidding. there Is not q sign OF life in the
Gsse oi.llf s1 wien to i cl Is ifll.Sdf, tR Rll y Ei i a q rep Of.
with worms whose crawling and wrigglnE
mystery ys : s; 81 t 6si origin or t 44t feel g that B they are
arms are sweeping small nets over The water
more reiiIsfheedd for its rarity. '"' '"u i' "A '"9
worms aGa 'p pise f TO che 8 suT afSseter1 II Fl Ief En- uh hS@r seS
hour on the surface and then disappear as
rect to say = that hat the SS Whole iRSe Is IS comprised a1aiS iSsi
within two hours, once, q year. As soon as
east the last palolo yanishes into the mystery
from which 1t has emerged for, 80 brief o space
Now Il Is quite safe to Predicate of the So
moan that he does uot get up in the middle Of
b he night and go Q fishing Tor these worms solely
history; There. must be some. reason more
solid than that to cause the leisure-lovipR
The reason. Is q very, valid one. Palolo smacks
most pleasantly on his palate. One day In the
remaining days. when he cannot get palolo to
eat he, thinks OF all the palolo he has eaten In
more paIolo. To the iU'T white mans pa palate etaesiitt las
people would % general principles rather be
sort. Still. II one schools the mind by a more
Or less severe course OF reasoning to. recognize
garded by whole races of men must be at least |
fair eating. # may be possible to lay aside the
are a disappointment as an article OF food Tor
good nor plstiirs sHfs St bad iel' PsobaRb ds' the dis.
the savage ~epicpres regard the rare food, The
best way Of eating palolo Is raw. The island
which they are enable to find room Tor when
l. Is freshly caught; Itmust, be pvt on to cook
Eaten BY handouts lust fresh from the sea the
palolo has no very distinct flavor beyond that
OF the salt water; 1t leaves an after taste In the /
mouth family reminiscent. of scallops. When /
there Is any Of the palolo left over to be cooked |
1t is steamed In leaves in the ommon pit oven |
and eaten cold. Thus prepared It has some |
what the appearance of spinach and tastes so |
strongly Of sea salt that any other flavor which /
may appertain to it - completely disguised. /
The Samoans themselves say that it Is not so /
good when cooked and that they would not eat |
II thus prepared except for tho fact that 1t will ]
be q whole year before they can have 1t again. |
No explanation has ever accounted for the /
mysterious. periodicity Of this. worm. which Is
SO astonishinRly accurate in the keeping /
of its engagements with humankind. 1t Is /
known that other. worms OF the SANE general /
class undergo their transformations under /
the protection OF the coral: therefore 1t Is as
sumed that the palolo lives in some very deep
coral. They evidently come to the surface to
spawn. for II a few of the worms are placed in /
q glass they soon cloud the water with eggs 80
fine as to be distinguished only under a micro
scope. Other sea worms live In coral and come
the surface to spawn. but the palolo has
characteristics which the other worms lack. /
1t is the only inhabitant of the sea which |
comes within knowledge. Of mankind for so
brief a period and yet with such unfailinR ac-
curacy. Among the unsolved mysteries of
life must be classed the power which enables
these scarcely organized worms to keep.care-
full reckoning OF the months. to intercalate /
with untailing regularity so as to keep time
by moons. yet not get out OF harmony with the
suns year. TO rise TO the surface all together Il
and in what Is practically the same moment
OF time. to remaiDw within view for an hour i
n0N thar 90 - ~. A.Aa Il