Ethnognpliy (jf Micronesia. 53 



was found to nieasuro 77 cm. long, 51 em. wide and 31 cm. d(3ep, 

 but others arc even of a larger size. At feasts, balls of mashed 

 bread-fruit are served in those vessels, and each family owns one 

 or more of tliem, which are regarded as treasures. 



2. Method of Fire-making.— It is a common observation that 

 there is no tribe of men to whom fire is unknown. There are, 

 however, different ways of making fire, and the difficulty attend- 

 hig prnnitive ways is so great that the orighud method of kindling 

 fire naturally begins to disappear with the introduction from civilized 

 people of a more convenient way of attaining the object. Tiio 

 islanders of Micronesia now use imported matches, which they 

 were eager to obtain from us during our cruise, this fact may bo 

 taken as indicating the difficulty of fire-making in former times. 

 In Truk, a flame was formerly produced by rubbing together 

 pieces of wood called iimukan by the natives, this method is similar 

 to that prevailing in some parts of Polynesia.^ 



3. Preservation of Food. —uncivilized tribes living on what they 

 find will face starvation much offener than civilized men on the 

 visitation of calamities. So it is only natural that they should be 

 most anxious about the supply of food. In tropical regions, there 

 are frequent storms or cyclones, which do much damage to edible 

 plants. Some years ago, a terrible cyclone visited Saipan blowing 

 down trees and houses and even causing loss of life. When we 

 visited the island, it had not yet completely recovered from the 

 damage, which showed how furious the storm had been. Apart from 

 such calamities, the people have to provide for a fruitless season. 

 It is, therefore, nothing strange that they store quantities of bread- 

 fruit under the ground in order to provide against hard times. 



For burying the bread-fruit, a hole some 1-50 m. in diameter 



1 W. Hongh, " The Methods of Fire- malting," Smithsonian Eeport, IK'.iO, p 400. 



