Highland recorder. (Monterey, Highland County, Va.) 1877-1972, 1908-11-20
TRIP TO THE Orient
Clarence e. Edwords Touring the
Eastern Countries.
HE IS OUR SPECIAL CORRESPONDENT.
INTERESTINGLY WRITTEN IN WEEK
LY LETTERS, WHICH WILL AP.
PEAR IN THE RECORDER.


LY LETTERS, WHICH WILL AP.
PEAR IN THE RECORDER.
Papeete, Tahiti, July 20:-The
great institution of Papeete is the
market. and the great market day
is Sunday. If you want to see the
market at it's best you have to get
up very early in the morning, for
in less than an hour after it opens
the best is gone. | got up at half
past four and went down to the
big public market. / was half an
hour early but [ lost nothing by
this for saw many queer things
that | would have missed had |
waited until the bell rang, which
permits the beginning of the sales.
Across the street is the Chinaman's
and there | got a cut of coffee and
a buttered loaf of bread for half a
franc, or FIVE cents, good money, "
and sat and watched the people en-
joying themselves in a similar man
ner. At this early hour there was
little talk, for the natives who had
brought their loads Of bananas,
feis, cocoanuts, oranges, fish, vans
and other articles were too tired to
care for gossip so early.
Promptly at 5 o'clock big bell
rang, and then market place, which
occupies an entire square, became
a chattering, chaffering mass of hui
manity. Everybody was eager to
sell to those who wanted to buy,
and such babel of sound is rarely
heard. But the interesting part OF
the market was the character of ar
ticles offered for sale, and the
prices charged for them. A large
part of the market is devoted to
fish, and if one desire to obtain
perfect idea of the fish life of the
island waters, he need but go to
Papeete market on Sunday morn
ing. There he will see such strange
things as usually come only in
dreams.
Fish of all sizes, shapes and col
ors are displayed on the stands,
and ever now and then man will
come staggering in with a load
fresh from the sea. Some OF the
colorings are beautiful beyond con-
ception. One that especially at
tracted my attention had all the
colors of the rainbow in stripped
array along its sides. At one stand
could be found oysters, out OF their
shells and strung on sticks, there
being about two dozen on a stick,
the whole being sold for ten cents.
In the other end-ef the market
were the meat and vegetable stalls,
and was surprised to find that
the best cuts of beef and mutton
were sold at prices which would
drive our butchers to the poor
house. Along the side of this part
of the market were a number OF
men and women, offering for sale
| chickens, ducks and small pigs
These fowls and animals were tieo
to the railing by strings ATTACHED
to their legs, and seemed to have
become accustomed to constant
handy, for they made no oblec
ton when picked up and examined
by prospective buyers. All OF tn
meat markets except two were-ll
charge of Chinese, who seem t.
take to this sort of thing. On
enterprising Chinese had a deli
catessen stand where he sold cook
ed foods, hot bread and othe
things that looked good to eat. ii
was not well patronized for the ma
tives do not like the Chinese.
| Outside the building, all alon
the side, and along the walls OF
fountain, were natives who ha'
come from the hills with their littl
loads of fruit, which they offere'
for sale at marvelously low prices
IA ii leaf basket, holding about tw
dozen oranges, the sweetest | eve