46 



Captain Cook gave an interesting account of the fermenting 

 of the breadfruit by the Tahitians:* 



"The fruit is gathered just before it is perfectly ripe, and being 

 laid in heaps, is closely covered with leaves; in this state it under- 

 goes a fermentation, and becomes disagreeably sweet; the core 

 is then taken out entire, which is done by gently pulling the stalk, 

 and the rest of the fruit is thrown into a hole which is dug for 

 the purpose, generally in the houses, and neatly covered in the 

 bottom and sides with grass; the whole is then covered with 

 leaves, and heavy stones laid upon them; in this stage it under- 

 goes a second fermentation, and becomes sour, after which it 

 will suffer no change for many months; it is taken out of the hole 

 as it is wanted for use, and being made into balls, it is wrapped 

 up in leaves, and baked; after it is dressed it will keep five or 

 six weeks. It is eaten both hot and cold, and the natives seldom 

 make a meal without it. . . ." 



Crozet's narrative contains an interesting record of the early 

 uses of the breadfruit in the island of Guam: 



"The fruit can be eaten when it has attained its full size, but 

 though it still be green. In this stage the islanders cook it 

 before eating; they take off its knotty rind and cut it in slices 

 like pieces of bread. When they wish to preserve it, they cut 

 it in round slices, and in this very thin sea-biscuit form they dry 

 it in the sun or in the oven. This natural biscuit preserves its 

 quality for years, and very much better than does our ships* 

 biscuit. Our sailors ate it green, slightly grilled; they also made 

 their soup of it; they had no other bread, and we attributed the 

 quick recovery of those suffering from scurvy to the breadfruit 

 diet. To this diet the inhabitants have always attributed anti- 

 scorbutic properties. 



"When this fruit is ripe, it becomes yellow and soft, its odour 

 is more fragrant, but it loses its farinaceous taste and becomes 

 insipid. At this stage it has no longer the same properties as 

 before; it is now laxative and heating; its pulp no longer takes 

 the place of bread, and it has little to recommend it. Some of 

 the breadfruit trees bear the male fruit and others bear female 



* Cook's First Voj^age, Hawkesworth ed., Vol. 2, pp. 211-13. 



