PACIFIC AND BEEIUNG'S STRAIT. 101 



fully covered with leaves of the tee, and buried be- 

 neath a heap of earth, straw, or rushes and boughs, 

 which, by a little use, becomes matted into one 

 mass. In about an hour and a quarter the animal is 

 sufficiently cooked, and is certainly more thorough- 

 ly done than it would be by a fire. 



By the time the tent was up and the instruments 

 secured, we were summoned to a meal cooked in 

 this manner, than which a less sumptuous fare would 

 have satisfied appetites rendered keen by long absti- 

 nence and a tiresome journey. Our party divided 

 themselves that they might not crowd one house in 

 particular : Adams did not entertain ; but at Chris- 

 tian's I found a table spread with plates, knives, and 

 forks ; which, in so remote a part of the world, was 

 an unexpected sight. They were, it is true, far from 

 uniform ; but by one article being appropriated for 

 another, we all found something to put our portion 

 upon ; and but few of the natives were obliged to 

 substitute their fingers for articles which are indis- 

 pensable to the comfort of more polished life. The 

 smoking pig, by a skilful dissection, was soon por- 

 tioned to every guest, but no one ventured to put 

 its excellent qualities to the test until a lengthened 

 Amen, pronounced by all the party, had succeeded 

 an emphatic grace delivered by the village parson. 

 " Turn to" was then the signal for attack, and as it 

 is convenient that all the party should finish their 

 meal about the same time, in order that one grace 

 might serve for all, each made the most of his time. 

 In Pitcairn's Island it is not deemed proper to touch 

 even a bit of bread without a grace before and after 

 it, and a person is accused of inconsistency if he 

 leaves off and begins again. So strict is their obser- 



