382 ANNUAL REPORT SMITHSONIAN INSTITUTION, 1924 



The Cross lies directly south of the constellation Crater, and 

 about 30° of the pole. The precession of the equinoxes is carrying 

 the Cross steadily southward, and it is said to be a fact that the 

 constellation was last seen on the horizon in the latitude of Judea 

 about the time of Christ's crucifixion. I remember that at the 

 season of the year we were at Assouan the four stars (perhaps only 

 two of them, really) were barely visible on the horizon for a short 

 time in the early evening. I do not agree with Pigafetta that it is 

 such a Croce maravigliosa^ but then I was more gradually intro- 

 duced to it than he, and I didn't see it with his deeply religious and 

 fervent eyes. 



It must not be forgotten that Job saw the Cross as a familiar 

 heavenly series in his northern skies, as did many another ancient 

 and reliable astronomer, and yet they were not much impressed 

 by this kite-like group. Let me add that of the four stars that 

 outline the Cross the third largest (Gamma, at the top of the Cross) 

 is orange-colored ; the others are white. 



The Breadfruit tree, as I have seen it in the West Indies, South 

 America, and on these islands, is a very handsome ornament of the 

 landscape. The common variety {Artocarpus incisa) may grow to 

 a height of 50 feet and, with its long, dark, glossy leaves, at once 

 attracts attention. The fruit is round-oval, is about the size of a 

 child's head, and is covered with lozenge-shaped elevations. The 

 unripe fruit is green ; yellow when mature. For cooking, it should 

 be gathered before it is fully ripe. The fruit is then baked and 

 served with the rind, after the manner of our squash. Stones are 

 heated in the usual Polynesian fashion (or a more up-to-date oven 

 is used), the breadfruit is cut in three or four slices, and then 

 alternate layers of hot stones, leaves, and cut fruit are well covered 

 Avith leaves and earth and left to cook in their own juices. Pre- 

 pared in this fashion the pulpy interior is a faintly sweet, starchy 

 substance suggesting the crumb of a wheaten loaf. I can not say 

 that I regard it as more than a poor substitute for our white bread. 



Alfred R. Wallace, in his Malay Archipelago, rates its food value 

 very high, and says that with meat and gravy it seemed to him 

 superior to any starchy products in any temperate or tropical 

 country. He also draws attention to the delicious puddings that 

 can be made from it, especially if one adds plenty of sugar, milk, 

 and butter ! Perhaps the most important consideration, as Wallace 

 also points out, is that a fair quality of flour can be manufactured 

 from the dried fruit, available for a decent variety of bread and 

 biscuits. I suppose there is no harm in adding that the bark, trunk, 

 and gum of this tree is (or was) used by the natives of Polynesia 

 for making all sorts of things — canoes, baskets, etc. 



