Bismarck daily tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, Dakota [N.D.]) 1881-1916, 1911-07-13
AFEAST IN SAMOA
Develops Into a Cong'omerated
Scramble For Food.
A SCENE OF WILD DISORDER.

NOI4t1V0S 11tnoFeo on SnO OutSioo.
The principal native foods Of Samoa
are bananas. breadfruit. taro. fish and
pork. Bananas prepared "Fa Samoa"
would not appeal very strongly to an
epicurean taste. for they are gathered
unripe and baked under heated stones.
as all Samoan cooking is accomplished.
A baked green banana favors some.
what a roasted chestnut. but not
enough to cause any mistake between
the two.
The breadfruit. in my estimation,
appeals more strongly to a white
mans taste than any other Samoan
food The large. mealy balls are bak-
ed. broken open and eaten. usually
with one or other Of the two Samoan
sauces palusami and fatal. Palu-
sami Is made from the young shoots
Of the taro plant. cocoanut milk
and sea water. Fai-G Ii ev6porated
cocoanut milk. The milk is poured
into a leaf. the ends and edges tied at
the top. and 1t is then baked until the
water evaporates. leaving a thick
cream. which ia very rich and quite
palatable. Faro is the root or bulb
Of a plant which is sn exact counter
part of what we call Elephant ear" IN
the United States and is somewhat
like a yam. but inclined to be stingy
or shreddy. The inside Of baked faro
bulb Is very solid and Of blush tint.
The 6sh needs no explanation.
Pork is the supreme delicacy. accord
ing to the Samoan mind. and It is al
ways eaten In a half cooked state.
Since a Samoan will sell his birthright
for a piece Of pig. one-half grown Is
worth $40 or $40 and will always find
4 market: therefore it Is easily seen
that pork can he afforded only on hol.
iday occasions. The Samoan method
Of killing a pig Is unique. The aui.
mars feet are tied together. and 1t Ia
laid upon its back. Then two large.
heavy natives place a 2 by 4 scantling
across its neck. after which they seat
themselves one on each end OF the
scantling.
As the unfortunate pig Is slowly
strangIed to death his heartless execu'
toners calmly talk politics. The rea'
son for stranguiation in putting hog
to death Ia simply this: A pig Is held
In such high esteem that It breaks the
Samoan heart TO- seq even the blood
being wasted. The blood IL used IN
conjunction with the fatty parts Of the
entrails and when baked forms some
kind OF pudding. have never tast'
ed this kind of pudding myself. but q
Samoan will tell you that 1t Is simply
delicious. and l am willing to take bis
word for it. Even the cleaned entrails
are utilized. and right here In Samoa
we can again bring into use the Ch''
caeo stockyard phrase that ''only the
squeaI ia lost"
| we'll remember the first and only
Samoan feast | ever had the pleas
ure OF attending. ! received an tnvl-
tation one day from q Samoan whose
friendship | had formed to attend q
feast the following night which he
was giving to dedicate bis new home.
There were several white men present
and about fifty natives. We were ar
ranged In two rows facing each other.
sitting cross legged. and In front OF
each was small mat on which was
profusion OF food. including tupe
Tor pigeon,. a piece OF pork (paiusami).
taro tbreadfruit'-in fact. everything
which goes to make Samoan feast
all to be washed down with cocoanut
milk. had taken two or three
mouthfuls OF the pigeon when ! no
ticed that there was ring Of natives
each with q basket waiting impatiently
lust outside the house. As turned to
the man on my right for the purpose
of asking why these people were as.
sembled outside sensed movement
In close proximity on my left Turning
quickly around. | was just In time to
catch a farewell glimpse OF my 6ne
supper being dumped bodily into one
of those waiting baskets. l saw at
once the reason for that e~ashow meet
ing outside. The woman who sat next
to me bad taken q favorable opportu,
nifty when my back was turned to pick
I'D my mat and dispose OF my meal to
her waiting relative. who had attend
ed the overflow meeting with q ba>,
ket
Then ensued a conglomerated scram'
BILE, and the feast was turned into
scene of wild disorder rs each native
strove to Guido his neighbor in secur
ing the most food to send home The
strategy, flank movements and tact
that they exhibited under the inspiring
grab game so far provoked my comedy
bump that l was more than repaid for
the loss Of my supper In watching
their energetic struggles to obtain food
gratis.
was afterward Informed that the
spectacle | had witnessed was simply
the natural course of Samoan feast.
that they always ended the same way
and / was indeed fortunate to have
secured a taste or 80 Of my pigeon
Los Angeles Times.
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