54 '^I'f- ^ri.— A. M.itsiimura: 



and 1-20 m. in dei»tli is first dug in the ground, and then grass, or 

 leaves of tlie coconut tree and the banana are laid some 1-00 m. 

 thick. On this, pieces of tiie bread-fruit (one bread-fruit is cut 

 lengthwise into four pieces, which are, in turn, cut crosswise into 

 two each) are heaped up to a heiglit of about 30 cm. above ground. 

 Tliis heap is again covered witli banana leaves and coco-tree leaves. 

 In two or three days the materials in the hole sink in bulk, produc- 

 ing a hollow on the surface. Fresli pieces of the bread-fruit are 

 added and tlien covered again with banana leaves, etc. Finally 

 the hole is carefully covered with stones (PL YI, fig. 3 and PL 

 XIII, fig. 1). Bread-fruit stored in tliis way is said to keep several 

 yeai's. This custom of preserving the bread-fruit under ground is 

 also found hi Samoa and other Polynesian regions.^ 



The above is a description of the method of food preservation 

 in Truk, but in a part of Ponapé a method -somewhat different 

 is met with. Here a quantity of Ijread-fruit is put in a net and 

 carried into tlie sea, wliero it is beaten with a rod, until witli the 

 absorption of water tlie fruit sinks below the surface. Then it is 

 brought back and buried in a hole dug inside the house. In a 

 few days the buried fruit is dug out, kneaded and put back into 

 the. hole again. This process is repeated, several times, so this 

 method is not so simple as the one described above. 



4. Transportation of Food. — Sometimes bread-fruit and coconuts 

 are put into simple baskets and carried on the shoulder by means 

 of a pole. Sometimes the bread-fruit is fastened together with 

 the bark of the hibiscus and tied to both ends of a pole, 

 which pole again rests on the shoulder, as it is the custom in 

 Japan. Fifteen or sixteen is the usual number of the bread-fruit 

 tied to either end of the pole (PL VI, fig. 3). The coconut palm 



^ G. Turner, " Sumoa," p. 107, "W. Ellis, •' Tulynebian Researches," Vol. T, p. 42. 



