290 
NATIVE OVEN. 
deposited, generally whole, with hot stones, which 
had been kept for that purpose, laid upon the top of 
it. It is covered with grass, or leaves, and then 
thickly coated over with earth, which effectually 
prevents the heat from escaping. Bark is some- 
times used to cover the meat, instead of grass or 
leaves, and is in some respects better adapted for 
that purpose, being less liable to let dirt into the 
oven. I have seen meat cooked by the natives in 
this manner, which, when taken out, looked as clean 
and nicely roasted as any I ever saw from the best 
managed kitchen. 
If the oven is required for steaming food, a pro- 
cess principally applied to vegetables and some 
kinds of fruits, the fire is in the same way removed 
from the heated stones, but instead of putting on 
dry grass or leaves, wet grass or water weeds are 
spread over them. The vegetables tied up in 
small bundles are piled over this in the central part 
of the oven, wet grass being placed above them 
again, dry grass or weeds upon the wet, and earth 
over all. In putting the earth over the heap, the 
natives commence around the base, gradually filling 
it upwards. When about two-thirds covered up all 
round, they force a strong sharp-pointed stick in three 
or four different places through the whole mass of 
grass weeds and vegetables, to the bottom of the oven. 
Upon withdrawing the stick, water is poured through 
the holes thus made upon the hissing stones below, 
the top grass is hastily closed over the apertures and 
