200 MODE OF DRESSING A PIG. 
vide for the Royal necessity ; the measure was 
taken, and my complaisance rewarded by the 
gratitude of the whole company. At this visit, 
also, the guests ate and slept. I took advan- 
tage of this opportunity to observe the method 
of preparing the pig, always the chief dish in 
their feasts. A sufficiently large round hole 
was dug in the earth, and filled with stones. 
A fire was then lighted in it, and kept burning 
till the stones were red-hot, when the ashes and 
cinders were taken out, and the stones covered 
with large banana-leaves, upon which the pig 
was laid, after being thoroughly cleaned, and 
stuffed with the glowing stones; more leaves 
were spread upon it, and covered with hot 
stones, and finally, the hole was filled up with 
earth. After a certain time it was taken out, 
and proved a more tender and delicate roast, 
than the best European cook could have pro- 
duced. They dress their vegetables in the 
same manner, and the flavour is excellent; the 
bread-fruit, only, I preferred as baked in Wil- 
son’s Huropean oven. 
Matarai Bay is rich in finely flavoured fish, 
of various, sometimes extraordinary form, and 
