FOOD OF THE ABORIGINES. 99 



of several of their dishes. As was nearly the universal custom 

 throughout the tropical Pacific, they cooked in pits in the earth in ^ 

 which the}^ built fires and heated stones, covering their food with 

 hot stones and leaves somewhat after the manner of a New England 

 clambake. Cooking in this manner they called "chahan." To cook 

 on the embers they called "peha." Few articles of their food could 

 be eaten raw. Fish called "manahag" a were caught in great quanti- 

 ties at certain periods, dried in the sun, and stored for future con- 

 sumption. Breadfruit was cut into thin slices and dried. It could be 

 kept for a long time and eaten during the season when the fresh fruit 

 was lacking. The dried slices could be eaten without further prepara- 

 tion, or they could be prepared in various ways for food. At their 

 feasts a sort of broth or stew was made of rice. Taro was not made 

 into poi, as in the Hawaiian Islands. 



They did not eat to excess nor did they use wine or other intoxicat- 

 ing liquor. It was not until the Spaniards brought Filipinos to Guam 

 that the natives learned to ferment tuba from the sap of the coconut 

 and to distill it into aguardiente. Water was their only beverage b V 

 besides the milk of unripe coconuts. 



Narcotics. — The custom of betel chewing was universal, and has 

 survived to the present day. Around a fragment of the nut of the 

 betel palm (Areca cathecu)- is wrapped a fresh leaf of betel pepper 

 (Piper hetle) and a pinch of lime burned from coral rock is added. This 

 stains the saliva red and discolors the teeth. An aromatic fragrance 

 is imparted to the breath, which is not disagreeable. Kava, an infu- « 

 sion of the root of Piper methysticum, of wide use throughout the 

 greater part of the Pacific islands was, unknown to them. 



Fire. — It was asserted by the early missionaries that the aborigines' 

 of Guam were ignorant of fire before the advent of the Spaniards. 6 ' 



« See list of fishes, p. 83. 



& "Their drink is water," says one of the early missionaries, "and consequently 

 their most usual infirmity is hydropsy." Garcia, Vida y Martyrio de Sanvitores, 

 p. 198, 1685. 



'This statement was first made by Garcia, who says: "It need not be asked 

 whether they had any knowledge of letters, science, or art concerning those who 

 were ignorant of one of the elements and knew not t*hat there was fire in the world 

 until they saw it kindled by the Spaniards in the shipwreck of the year 1638." 

 (Garcia, note & , p. 198.) The assertion was probably made in consequence of the 

 yarns of some of the shipwrecked sailors, who also recounted a number of miraculous 

 happenings. Using Padre Garcia' s statement as a theme, Pere Charles le Gobien, 

 repeats it with elaborate variations, though he does not give his authority for his 

 information. Having read Pigafetta's narrative of Magellan's expedition, Le Gobien 

 dates back their introduction to fire to the time of his discovery of the island, when 

 he caused a number of houses and boats to be burned. " What is most astonishing," 

 says Le Gobien, "and what one will find hard to believe, is that they had never 

 seen fire. This element so necessary was entirely unknown to them. They knew 

 neither the use of it nor its qualities; and never were they more surprised than when 



