Freeland tribune. (Freeland, Pa.) 1888-1921, 1901-03-15
SOUTH SEA WHITEBAIT,
Treat which Pacific Islanders Have in
Early Autumn.

Early Autumn.
For a few days in each year, and al
ways in the month of September the
South Sea people have treat in the
way of fish-a small stream runner,
smaller than the Thames whitehall
and better favored.
The natural history of this fish is
obscure. 1t seems to be the fry of
some fish, for when taken away many
have the yelk sac still attached to
them. The first that is known of it is
when schools appear in the mouths
of rivers. The river mouths at all sea-
sons of the tide seem fairly alive with
the multitudes of fish not an inch long,
but all swimming and leaping, under
the impulse of the instinct to ascend
the freshwater streams. Then they are
simply by sinking a piece OF cloth in
the water and lifting it by its four cor
ners at once. A square Of cloth six
feet each way will hold, at an ordin-
airy draft, half bushel of the fish.
which the Samoans and many other
islanders know under the name
manga" During the few days they
are running they are taken by millions
without diminishing the schools in the
least. Enormous numbers of them
are known to pass up the streams, but
once past the bar at the river mouth,
they disappear from sight and all
knowledge Even in the height of their
return they are not seen in the streams
above the mouth, yet they are never
seen running back to sea. The run
lasts for not more than a week or ten
days in any one stream, and on the
island of Upolu seems to begin in the
eastern streams earlier than in those
down to the west. Apia harbor has two
streams debouching into it. Not more
than half mile separates the two, yet
the school begins to run in the Vaisin-
gano three days before it make it's ap.
pearance in tha Mulivai, which lies 10
;he westward.
In native cookery they are wrapped
in banana leaves and steamed tor
short time. But the catchers eat them
raw with great avidity. Once a for
eign resident secured a mess of the
dainty fish and gave them to IA Samo-
AN cook boy to prepare after civilized
methods of cookery. The domestic ty-
rant was not prepared to venture on
blunt refusal, Tut he prOfessed to be
much shocked at the order. When
asked why it affected him that way,
e whispered that Of course he would
obey orders, but he would have to do
1t when he could he sure that no other
Samoan cou.d discover waat the was
doing. Still further pressed for rea-
sons for so much secrecy, he announced
that the ''inanga" was, in his own way
of putting it, extremely "tufanua" or
low caste, and not at all fish for one
to eat so highly placed as the family
he had the honor to serve. 1t was a
clever device, but it did not bear the
investigation which followed, the Quts-
tion of foods proper to certain ranks
being interesting If true. The frying
Of the fish showed why the cook
shirked tho task. They keep their vi
tality for n surprisingly long time, and
when they are put into hot pan it is
task of much attention to keep them
there for they hop about like so many
winged creatures. 1t was solely to save
himself this bother that the cook had
invented low rank for fish tnat is
really superior to any of the most ia
nous whitebait, whether of England,
New Zealand or Puget Sound.-Forest
and Stream.