215 



The Samoans called the cakes which they baked from this 

 mixture masi, a name which they also apply to ship-biscuits and 

 crackers. The Tahitians call it mahic, and use it in much the same 

 way, as do also the Fijians, who call it madrai. To European 

 nostrils the aroma of this preparation is far from appetizing, a con- 

 dition of affairs which is reciprocated, however, when Polynesians 

 are confronted with European cheese. The masi or cakes are 

 generally reserved for use during times of scarcity of the fresh 

 breadfruit and taro. 



"The general and best way of dressing the breadfruit is by 

 baking it in an oven of heated stones. The rind is scraped off, 

 each fruit is cut into three or four pieces, and the core carefully 

 taken out ; heated stones are then spread over the bottom of the 

 cavity forming the oven, and covered with leaves, upon which the 

 pieces of breadfruit are placed ; a layer of green leaves is strewn 

 over the fruit, and the other heated stones are laid on the top ; the 

 whole is then covered with earth and leaves several inches in 

 depth. In this state the oven remairs half an hour or longer, when 

 the earth and leaves are removed, and the pieces of breadfruit taken 

 out; the outsides are in general nicely browned, and the inner parts 

 present a yellowish or white, cellular, pulpy substance, in appear- 

 ance slightly resembling the crumb of a small wheaten loaf. Its 

 color, size, and structure are, however, the only resemblance it has 

 to bread. It has but little taste, and that is frequently rather 

 sweet ; it is somewhat farinaceous, but not so much so as in seve- 

 ral other vegetables, and probably less so than the English potato, 

 to which in flavor it is also inferior. It is slightly astringent, and 

 as a vegetable, it is good, but it is a very indifferent substitute for 

 English bread.* 



Dampier tells us also that the natives of Guam use it as bread 

 " gathering it when fully grown, while it is green and hard, and 

 then baking it in an oven, which scorches the rind and makes it 

 black ; but they scrape off the outside black crust, and there re- 

 mains a tender, thin crust, and the inside is soft, tender, and white, 

 resembling the crumb of a loaf." Comm. Anson, whose visit to 

 Guam has already been noticed, further tells us that "the 

 Spaniards slice it, and expose it to the sun, and when brought 

 thereby to a crispature, they reserve it as a biscuit, and say it will 

 bear long keeping when so prepared." According to Mr. W. E. 

 Safford of the U. S. Department of Agriculture the natives of 

 Guam also dry these slices in ovens, t The fruit, according to the 

 same authority, is rather tasteless, unless eaten with condiments 

 such as butter, salt, gravy, etc. The Chamorro population of 

 Guam have abandoned the custom of fermenting the fruit in un- 

 derground pits, a custom which is retained, however, by the Caro- 

 line Islanders, who sought refuge on the island from tidal waves 



♦Ellis's " I'ulyiiesiau Researches." 



fW. E. Safford " Notes of a Naturalist on the Island of Guam." 



