The Waterbury Democrat., 1937-12-09
"Turns Of The Tide' Spirit of Christmas HOvers Over Island of MOOrea-Natives Join Celebration as Guests of American Residents; Staff Reporter
 Grows Reminiscent
Grows Reminiscent

destined to unpopular disregard in view of the demand and the abil- ity of the Chinese to undersell the law-mindful storekeepers.
 Youngsters Assist
 Mere and Tuarae, assisted by brigade of youngsters who had gathered to see what was happen ing when we rolled the hogshead out onto the lawn near our prize lime tree, brought up the bags of corks and the bottles. We in- serted two rubber hoses at two bungs and started our labor of filling some 300 bottles and getting them stored in our cellar" which, paradoxically, was pseudo sec- ond-floor planking in the main room of the house, reached by a ladder.
 The wine was from a valley at the foot of the Pyrenees, French side, and was known as "Castel- real" It was not expensive, inas- much as there was very slight duty for all products from the mother nation of the Society Islands, France. But 1t was good.
 Not bad" remarked the ex- Dartmouth athlete, as he experi- enced some difficulty with his siphon and was forced to take Q swallow Cor two), before starting another bottle through the line of small Tahitians, some stark and some partly draped in pare,is, who passed the bottles along to Mere and Tuarae, placed advantageous ly at and on the ladder to the cellar"
 Good" responded, feeling similarly impelled to clear my siphon before turning the spark ling red vintage into a mere bottle which once had contained Scotch whiskey. A couple of swallows, the work went forward, q swallow here, a swallow there, the siphoils seemed to clog frequently.
 Our noon meal was to be feast. From all sections Of the islands the natives had arrived bringing young wild pig, baked on heated stones in the ground; crabs, wrapped In large leaves, and similarly cooked; bananas, fei, langouste, yams and guavas, all manner of fish prepared by am cient cooking methods, the best ot all systems to retain the true taste of foods, by the way.
 Surfeited with work" of siphon- ing, the two expatriated New Englanders repaired to respective rooms for d siesta. When I awakened, the sun was past, long past the noon-day high and na- tives were gathered in groups near the roadway awaiting the star Of "open house." The feast was In the kitchen, hours behind schedule. The plum pudding Tee mained in the can.
 Native boys strunmed on their string instruments, mandolins, guitars, Tahitian models of the Hawaiian guitar, and the sun sank low. Girls in pareus, those figured cloths which sometimes extend from knee over bosom, danced to the jungle rhythm of what we know as the "hula." Wine, red wine, and rhum passed among the three- e-score adolescent and adult natives, while the tiny ones ate candy and drank lime juice with brown sugar.
 Tau tira mutu e,
 70 ia fnanenia mutu e. ." the natives sang, and the dance fever heightened as the sun crept below the castellated cliffs over Cooks Bay, two points away. "Te avae." he moon, slipped out of the inoun- ta.ns of Tahiti and Christmas day passed to evening.
 "Oh, come ye merrie gentlemen" the brother and I attempted once. pEhaps twice, as the 'upa upa" music swelled through Maharepa,s valleys, joining the sweetly insid- ious scent of that lovely island flower, the tiare Tahiti, and the "n1aramarama, the south wind, stirred the gray Pacific's legions as they continually battered, breaker on breaker, against the coral barrier reef beyond the lag con.
 Quoting c one-time friend, "the dolce far niente" of the tropics had overcome the winters chief fetc, so far as New England observance would have had 1t. Christmas day was over and the plum pudding, when last happened to look one day in the following summer, was occupying its accustomed spot in the "cuisine," as the Tahit.ans called our kitchen.
 Next: Authors q ''Mutiny on the Bounty" James Norman Hall and Charles Nordhofs, at home on Tahiti