Nature and Art, May 1, 1867.] 
STRAY SCRAPS FROM ODD LARDERS.” 
135 
preparation before shipment. Some idea may be 
formed of the number of these strange dainties 
collected by the slug-hunters, when we inform our 
readers that one trader obtained amongst the 
Fejee group, in exchange for various comparatively 
inexpensive articles of barter, 25,000 dollars’ worth 
in seven months ; and the importance of the trade 
in a commercial point of view may be estimated by 
the return made on one voyage — peeuls of slugs 
collected, 1,200; cost of outfit, 3,500 dollars; 
return on sales, 27,000 dollars. The value of Beche- 
de-mer ranges between ten and sixty dollars the 
pecul, according to quality. 
The edible nests of the cave-swallow (Colloccdlia 
esculenta ) are also extensively collected, and have 
been known to realize their weight in silver when 
sold in the Chinese markets. These nests are, like 
the slugs, made use of in the preparation of soups, 
for which purpose they are in very high repute. 
The rocky cliffs on the coasts of the islands of 
Borneo, Celebes, and some others of the Eastern 
Archipelago, contain numerous caverns frequented 
by these edible-nest-building swallows, the roofs 
being covered with their nests in different stages of 
forwardness. The source from whence the clear 
gelatine-like substance of which they are composed 
is obtained, remains doubtful. The birds, in flitting, 
past the moist, slimy, half-tide rocks, appear to gather 
something from the surface ; this may be some 
almost microscopic marine production which the 
bird only can perceive and utilize, or perhaps 
certain molluscs inhabiting these seas may secrete 
this substance. The newly-constructed nests are 
of the greatest value, whilst those containing eggs 
are considered not so good; the old nests in which a 
brood of young birds has been hatched being of the 
lowest quality and least esteemed, from the number 
of feathers often associated with them. The sea- 
slugs are procured along the shallow reaches and 
inlets of the innumerable islands dotting the 
Eastern seas, even as far as the inhospitable and 
savage Andaman group in the Bay of Bengal. 
Many valuable discoveries have from time to time 
been made by the Beche-de-mer traders. 
The dreaded Buccaneers were for many years 
simply food-liunters, who derived their name from 
Boucan, a term applied to a rough species of grate or 
hurdle used by them to barbecue or jerk the flesh 
of the wild cattle they hunted. These men were 
bound together by strange laws, made by them- 
selves. Each hunter selected an especial comrade who 
shared his good or evil fortune, performed half the 
labour, and on the death of either, the survivor 
became the possessor of the common stock of arms 
and other valuables. Quarrels with the Spaniards 
and others led them to institute the formidable 
league known as the “ Brethren of the Coast,” 
who, in their day, made even kings quake on their 
thrones, and high admirals tremble. The inhabit- 
ants of a great number of the islands of the Eastern 
seas are indebted to the early navigators for the 
introduction of the pig, which, finding abundant 
and congenial food, multiplied rapidly and formed 
large herds, soon became wild, and by their 
abundance went far to prevent cannibalism ; for 
although many of these fertile isles literally teem 
with the richest of vegetable productions, and the 
surrounding seas swarm with fish, a lurking regard 
for roast meat prevails, and in the absence of short 
pig, long pig is at times partaken of. The Taro 
root ( Calaclium esculentum), the bread fruit, the 
various edible fern roots, Pteris escidenta amongst 
the number, the sweet potato (Battuta convolvidans), 
and many other vegetables and tuberous roots, are 
cooked in the primitive ovens of the natives ; whilst 
the cocoa-nut affords food, drink, fishing-nets, 
clothes, cordage, oil, and timber. 
In many of the Australasian islands and 
New Zealand vast quantities of sea-fowl (the 
sooty petrel, or mutton-bird, especially) are 
captured for food by the sealers and natives. 
These birds visit the islands annually in vast 
flocks, arriving generally about the latter end of 
November, for the purpose of depositing their 
eggs, of which each hen bird lays one or two, 
about the size of ordinary goose-eggs and somewhat 
similar in flavour. The cock bird takes charge of 
the nest during the day, and the hen by night, 
taking in turn the duty of going to sea for food, 
Berfect warrens, like those of rabbits, are formed by 
these birds, who burrow into the soft earth for a 
distance of two or three feet, and there form their 
nests. Some of the islands are so thickly and com- 
pletely honeycombed by these feathered miners as 
to render walking a very unsafe proceeding. The 
collection of the eggs and young birds from the 
depths of the holes is a task usually assigned to the 
native women, who not uncommonly find a snake 
coiled up where the young petrel should be. When 
a large catch is determined on for preservation and 
the obtainment of feathers, a number of bird- 
hunters assemble, and construct a sort of hedge or 
fence a short distance from the beach, and just 
before daybreak, when the birds about to proceed to 
sea to feed are out of their retreats, a sudden rush 
is made by the whole assembled party of bird- 
catchers, who with the most hideous yells and cries 
drive the throngs of waddling, flapping victims, who 
cannot rise from the ground to fly, towards the centre 
of the fatal barrier, where a deep pit has been pre- 
pared for their reception ; into this they are forced, 
layer on layer, until they literally suffocate each 
other in their vain endeavours to escape from the 
treacherous pitfall. The feathers, when plucked 
from the birds, are worth about threepence per lb., 
and it requires the joint plumage of about twenty 
to produce that quantity. Thirty bags of feathers, 
constituting the cargoes of two trading boats, were 
obtained by the sacrifice of 18,000 birds. A 
portion of the birds are preserved by dry smoking, 
and are extensively made use of. Some of the 
New Zealand tribes, by whom this bird is called 
the “ Titi,” have recourse to a most ingenious and 
effective method of preservation for it and some 
other articles of food. The petrels, after having 
been carefully plucked, have all their bones removed ; 
they are then cooked over the fire in large shallow 
dishes or platters, made from the bark of the 
