The Denison review. [volume] (Denison, Iowa) 1867-current, 1900-11-27

st!tution when we took over their terri
tory, they fell heir ts.s all the American
institutions" like Washington's birth !,
day, the glorious Fourth and especially
Thanksgiving.
The burning question with them
about this time is how to observe the
day properly after the Yankee fashion,
ally known, the island possesses in its
native fauna the requisite resources
for the festal viands, and if the writer
were there he would not ask for a
better bill of fare than he could pro-
vide If he were allowed free range of
forest and shore. To begin with, al
though there is very little game in
Porto Rico (such has been the sharp
competition for mere living among
the wretched inhabitants), there is
enough to satisfy the ordinary sports
man who knows where to look for it.
There are no wild turkeys, to be sure.
but there are some that have run wild
from the farm and are what are known
as "pavos del monte" or domestic\
fowls that have flown the coop and
turned Injun." They are not SO large
as our native turkeys and are rather
disposed to be skinny, but their flavor
is good, and, If they have been feeding
on the seeds of certain pelms and
shrubs, constitute food fit for any one
to eat.
Then there are the wild guinea fowl
occasionally found in the jungles along
the rivers, where they have left the
farms and taken to the bush. There
Is nothing on earth more delicious of
the fowl kind than nice tender pullet
that has raised itself on what it could
pick up in the woods and pastures
without having been made tough and
rank from being overturned.
So there are two kinds of meat indig-
enous to the island which if we were
there we could have for our Thanks
giving dinner. If you want another,
why there is the armadillo, which is
not so very bad If cooked in its shell
and served up in it's own sauce. 1t
takes native cook, though, to proper
ly prepare the armadillo and remove
from the flesh that distinctly earthly
smell it has acquired through life
time Of digging in the ground.
Then, again, il one is not too fastid-
ious, he can find delicious tidbit in
the quaillike flesh of the iguana. This
Is q sort Of land lizard. which attains
to the length of five or six feet and
looks SO much like good old fashioned
dragon, such as the Chinese are wont
to depict in their arts, that one might
have qualms about eating it. The
meat is tender. like young chickens,
and, except for it's musky odor, like
that of the alligator, it might be taken
for chicken If properly served. If used
however, have it stewed and as mucl
as possible disguised by the addition
of vegetables, otherwise it might bt
taken for what Sir Walter Raleigh
called it once-"a yerie uglie serpent.
Now and then among the sea grape:
Z on shore or in the hill copses may b.
found a species of pigeon and woot
dove, the former quite abundant IL
adjacent islands and the latter resem
bling partridge. Either or both thes
would be very nice broiled on toas
and served as side dishes, provided
they can be obtained. The old recip
Of first catch your hare" Of cours
will have to be observed. But as ther
are no hares or even rabbits wild i
Porto Rico the application may b
made to the doves and pigeons.
But, assuming that one of them b
found, there will be four kinds of mea
including the iguana, or three withou
1t. Betaking ourselves to the rivers W
shall find most delicious crayfish thel
by turning over the stones and rock
which are called "camarones." b
whatever name they are called the
will go well either in salad or serve
I'D by their own sweet selves, with
dash of lime juice, a pinch of peppt
and lust breath of redhot Chilli
There are fish in the rivers also, ar
better in the sea, such as red snappe
grouper, etc. But the natives re
more upon the "bacalao," or "Cal
Cod turkey" brought to their shor
in Yankee schooners, than upon tt
catches Of their friends at Ponce al
Aguadilla.
But the above will comprise the '
ands for native Thanksgiving Dime
to which may be added such veget
bles and fruits as the island can rails
which means more than one can eat
a sitting. These are, for vegetable
sweet potatoes, eddoeS, vans and pla
tains; for fruits. pineapples. guav'
bananas, oranges, sapadillas, custa
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS S{IFEHI1|, ,IIl