COOKING IN THE OVEN. 25 



shore and rolled up the beach^ when preparations 

 are made for a o-rand feast. The flesh is cut 

 throug'h to the ribs in thin strips^ each with its 

 share of skin and blubber^ then the tail is removed 

 and sliced with a sharp shell as we would a round of 

 beef.. The blubber is esteemed the most delicate part ; 

 but even the skin is eaten^ althoug'h it requires much 

 cooking- in the oven. 



This oven is of simple construction — a number of 

 stones^ the size of the fist^ are laid on the g-round, 

 and a iire is continued above them until they are 

 sufficiently hot. The meat is then laid upon the 

 bottom la^'er with some of the heated stones above 

 it, a rim of tea-tree bark banked up Avith sand 

 or earth is put up all round, with a quantity of 

 bark, leaves, or g'rass on top, to retain the steam, 

 and the process of baking* g"oes on. This is the 

 favourite mode of cookino- turtle and dug-'ono- 

 throug'hout Torres Strait, and on the east coast of 

 the mainland I have seen similar fire places as far 

 south as Sandy Cape. 



A gTeat variety of yam-like tubers are cultivated 

 in Torres Strait. Althoug-h on Murray and Darnley 

 and other thickly peopled and fertile islands a 

 considerable extent of land in small patches has 

 been broug'ht under cultivation, at the Prince of 

 Wales Islands the cleared spots are few in number, 

 and of small extent, — nor does the latter g'roup 

 naturally produce either the cocoa-nut or bamboo, or 

 is the culture of the banana attempted. On the main 



