1769 NATIVE MEALS 14I 
washing his hands and mouth, cleaning the cocoanut-shells 
and putting anything that may be left into the basket 
again.. 
It may be thought that I have given rather too large 
a quantity of provision to my eater, when I say that he has 
eaten three bread-fruits, each bigger than two fists, two or 
three fish, fourteen or fifteen plantains or bananas, each, if 
they are large, six or nine inches long and four or five 
round, and concluded his dinner with about a quart of a food 
as substantial as the thickest unbaked custard. But this I 
do affirm, that it is but few of the many I was acquainted 
with that eat less, while many eat a good deal more. How- 
ever, I shall not insist that any man who may read this 
should believe it as an article of faith; I shall be content if 
politeness makes him think, as Joe Miller’s friend said: 
“Well, sir, as you say so, I believe it, but by God, had I 
seen it myself, I should have doubted it exceedingly.” 
I have said that they seldom eat together; the better 
sort hardly ever do so. Even two brothers or two sisters 
have each their respective baskets, one of which contains 
victuals, the other cocoanut-shells, etc., for the furniture of 
their separate tables. These were brought every day to our 
tents to those of our friends who, having come from a 
distance, chose to spend the whole day, or sometimes two or 
three days in our company. These two relations would go 
out, and sitting down upon the ground within a few yards 
of each other, turn their faces different ways, and make 
their meals without saying a word to each other. 
The women carefully abstain from eating with the men, 
or even any of the victuals that have been prepared for 
them; all their food is prepared separately by boys, and 
kept in a shed by itself, where it is looked after by the same 
boys who attend them at their meals. Notwithstanding 
this, when we visited them at their houses, the women with 
whom we had any particular acquaintance or friendship 
would constantly ask us to partake of their meals, which we 
often did, eating out of the same basket and drinking out 
of the same cup. The old women, however, would by no 
