New-York tribune., 1909-02-13
za Amusing Book About South Sea
Islands.
Islands.

IN TIE STRANGE SOUTH Sf<[So' ssl. (Phn-
sdeiphis: :. Z. Lippincott Company
-z-.on .u .ba world was new 1t was tne pI1F
f1aea Of returning travellers TO oAsoo -.
vl,ss they had seen. and they might laIi !! - -
unon q cheerful audience But now 1h01
nook IS explored and every track Is -
rs1,es and the whole earth is fun OF 'iipP
- ..,,,5s4. ana trotters Of the globe, one must
s.,-alv go far ahesd to discern anything "Oi IL
-.r-s-f-r about n the ordinary way OF I0'e-
zssss (>rinnshavv has much IN common WIN '1rO
els explorers who went exploring ior tle me-
1--we Of IL She is willing 70 spend neT uN'9 an
energies IN chase Of the strange the no'el an ~
the remote She makes ii seem the most nstuI a.
.h5ar for lone woman from Great Britain 10 De
pushing her way into Tahiti, and haVauons0'
snd FfH. and other places with enhancing
names. and having almost persuaded you that
II ts inst the thing you ought TO be doing at THIS
very minute she proceeds TO tell you so nuch OK
che life the habits and the customs OF these out
isadfsh resorts that you don't have TO go
after all
It IS an advantage TO the author 20 be tTav-
sLl.ng slone, 60 that her pages are not laoen
with references 20 d and r. and other
alphabetical nonentities. whose 3ocular plat
ta6ss so many travellers treasure with mistaken
davofton T-hs personal element enters her book
only &c \ means Of explaining or illustrating the
scene described and il is in no sense a diary
that Is prepared for our entertainment she mas
a. faculty OF forestaliing the questions likely 10
pe suggested 20 the reader, and incidentally
supplies a fund OF informal ton as TO things not
generally known. The normal person who medi-
tstes even over the library FIRE "trip 10 the
socth Seas. casts a few thoughts upon what he
Is going 20 get 20 eat there, and so he Is inter
ested 70 know that one learns soon In Tahiti how
10 sat g pineapple and that Is to peel 1t, cut II
into the largest possible Jumps. eat these un-
diminished. even IL they make you speechless'
sad never, never slice the fruit. No mere man
eeuIe give us this lively picture OF g native din
r.r where the dishes were green leaves and the
daanties were eaten with the fingers, IN the
native way:
rarrs solshsh, baked and served with cocoa
nut ssucs, were among the items the menu;
s ns vsT s eS2d besorn m h9s e baea s and Served
hot with q regret to say) European butter. native
gssssS raw l9s sh d sos Of ' he guests would
touch re sr but the G rest snss % s Il % 6 S
rioy1nsnt give the receipt Cor the benefit Of any
ss cue 4 up into % pieces about two inches long
snd Pace TIE latter raw IN lime Juice sgree1ea4 que o4
so se had Let the hsh steep for g haf day and
which is as follows: Crate down the meat Of a
large e sna a. p9r f4 4 sa sour 'Sp SPs 81 aa th
strain several times through muslin CThe me
,asssTlsl but ne have oosoangt nut
come ont as fhiclC and opaque as cream. This
ne true rnilk OF the coooanut about which one so
cfs=n hears. II is Of imnemOrial antiquity In the
South Seas
Then there are the dried bananas. which
never come inso market, but which. COM
pressed IN s peculiar way. are pronounced by
experts superior TO dried figs, not only sub
etitute for fresh bananas, but a dainty in their
own right Add 20 these all manner OF tropical
fruit and finally turtle. the great delicacy Of the
South Seas. These creatures, weighing several
ord fea6
large household for many days The iippers,
which are full OF gelatine, make the famous
turtle soup, far surprising that supplied at the
Lord Mayors table: the grass-sreen fat Of the
upper shell is used 10 put in the soup, to fry the
thick turtle steaks and to baste the big roast of
turtle meat. Then there are the eggs, bucket
1ul at least tasting like roast chestnuts, besides
the liver and tripe that IL is a very great day
in the islands when the turtles are caught. And
there is the cocosnut crab q most delicious
rnorsel which is captured by very simple wiles.
The native slips out in the dark barefoot and
silent, and hides il q grove till he sees or hears
a crab making HIS way up a tree When the
crab is eft the top the native follows him half
way up and ties s band OF grass around the
trunk. then hurrying down piles heap Of rough
coral stones at the foot Of the tree. Then he
waits in the shadow till the crab starts TO come
down, backing carefully. tail first, and feeling
his way when he touches the cunning band
OF grass he lets go. and crack. shoots forty feet
through the air land disabled the pile of
stones prepared for his reception. This little
trick never fails to work
Now the islands OF the South Seas sadly need
population, for the native races viii keep dying
cut and Of the white settlers some "go native"
snd lose ambition and standing. and some never
had any TO lose. This leads the author TO des-
cant upon the possibilities for getting on in the
world offered 20 the sverAge Priton with a little
capital. and fsir presentment she makes Of the
case But It is the picturesque and peculiar
rather than the practical that naturally en-
crosses her attention We are told, for ex-
ample that the Pacific islander takes a special
pride in squeaky boots when he can afford any
at all and ths; some manufacturers make a
speciality OF squeakers for the island trade. The
traveller who IS everywhere received with open
handed and generous hospitality, soon learns
that he must provide himself with gifts for his
hosts. for while the latter viii accept no money
for the entertainment afforded, they expect a
fair return in silk and cotton goods mot beads),
imitation .ewelry and timed foods and sweets
At native wedding the bride. on receiving the
gifts OF her guests. reciprocates the spot with
q present of equal value to that received so that
q wedding invitation is not quite so formidable
8 thing as IN more sophisticated lands. The
simplicity OF dress in tropical climate was il
lnstrated upon arrival at Samoa:
The roadway had been fun OF natives in their
see sssS IN & o sSs IKE the he Ssds sss ns = I
bat many in the cleanest OF shirts and cotton
ised gowns OF stsrehea and laced muslin Trimmed 4n
asts and gay SIX XII ribbons The rain began TO
things began 70 happen that made ne wonder if L
meath umbrellas. In the street without any
shelter al. the samoans rapidly began undress-
dresses. all came on in tw1nkling and were