Ethnography of IVIicronesia. 49 



West Caroline group the natives now have large earthen pots of 

 their own making. It is not certain, however, whether the in- 

 habitants in the East Caroline gronp know the art of pottery. But 

 since there are many tribes among whom pottery- making is mi- 

 known and whose vessels and methods of cooking are as primitive 

 as those now employed among the natives in the Murray Islands 

 in Torres Straits, i.e., clam shells and red-hot stones,^ it- may be 

 supposed that formerly the inhabitants m the East Caroline Islands 

 resorted to such means as mentioned above. The tribes who have 

 no earthen pots naturally depend upon the earth oven already 

 described, as is the case in Polynesia and a part of Melanesia. 



The copra, from wdiich oil is obtained and which is exported 

 from the islands, is the albumen of coconuts dried in the sun. 

 The natives also get a colourless, transparent oil from the albumen, 

 which they use for dietary and toilet purposes. In the island of 

 Truk, for instance, the flesli of the nut is cut into small pieces and 

 dried in the sun for a whole day. After this the pieces are wrapped 

 in sheaths of coco-tree leaves and squeezed in the coconut-oil press, 

 which is a simple trifurcated appliance. It is said that in this 

 way they obtain only e>ne pint of oil from ten coconuts. As 

 already described in the paragraphs on personal adornment, the 

 oil is mostly used on the hair or as pigments, though some is 

 eaten with cakes of mashed bread-fruit. Formerly it supplied the 

 material for lighting purposes. 



In Jaluit, bread-fruit, pandanus and coconut are often boiled 

 and kneaded into pasty cakes. These cakes last long in spite of 

 the tropical climate. I was told that they have a sweet taste like 

 that of our sweet potato cakes. 



•< A. C. Hunt, " Ethnographical Notes on the Murray Islands, Torres Straits," Jour. Anthr. 

 Inst.. XXVm, 1899. p. 13. 



