324 THE LAST CRUISE OF THE CARNEGIE 



with, Paul reached for it to remove the cartridge lest it be dis- 

 charged by accident. As he took it from the chief it went off 

 since it had been cocked while he was not looking. In the crowded 

 quarters of the "fale" it was almost impossible not to hit someone. 

 An old chief sitting some ten yards away was the victim. For- 

 tunately he was struck only on the foot where the thick skin was 

 penetrated by only a few of the pellets. 



Some uncomfortable moments followed. It remained to be 

 seen how the affair would be taken by the assembly. However a 

 few words of regret and a prompt removal of most of the shot 

 with a sterilized needle smoothed matters wonderfully. Perhaps 

 the brilliant red of mercurochrome painted on the injured foot 

 worked the magic which changed expressions of consternation to 

 reassuring smiles. 



Entering this same village from the mountains we had been 

 startled by loud shouts of "Wu-hu-hu." The yell was repeated 

 at intervals and was answered from all parts of the village. We 

 had stumbled upon the "tafolo"-ceremony which is becoming 

 uncommon. 



This is a sort of "free lunch" supplied sporadically by the young 

 men of the village. A long line is formed beginning at the Samoan 

 hot-stone oven and ending at the chief's "fale." Breadfruit is 

 taken from the bake-oven by two of the men; the charred skin 

 is removed by the next pair; the steaming-hot breadfruit is 

 then thrown into a large wooden bowl where it is crushed by the 

 third pair with a green fruit used like a potato masher. And so 

 it passes down the line being pounded until it has the consistency 

 of bread dough. Hot coconut-cream is poured over the mass 

 and it is again pounded until it is made somewhat thinner. As 

 each batch is finished the cry of "Wu-hu-hu" is repeated and the 

 preparation is rushed into the "fale" still steaming hot. Here 

 it is distributed to the villagers by the chief who dishes it out with 

 a coconut-shell cup into banana-leaves. 



It was good fortune that our visit to Samoa coincided with the 

 annual swarming period of the famous "palolo." These marine 

 worms live in dead coral throughout the year, but on two days a 

 year, once in October and once in November, they swarm. The 



