292 
NATIVE COOKERY. 
prepared. Most birds have the feathers pulled or 
singed off, they are then thrown on the fire for a 
moment or two and when warm are withdrawn, 
skinned and the skin eaten. The meat is now se-^ 
parated on each side of the breast bone, the limbs 
are disjointed and thrown back, and the bird is 
placed upon the fire, and soon cooked, from the 
previous dissection it had undergone, and from hot 
coals being put above it. 
The smaller fish and reptiles are simply thrown 
upon the fire, sometimes gutted, at other times not. 
The larger fish are divided into three pieces, in the 
following manner. The fish is laid on its side, and 
a longitudinal cut made from the head to within 
three or four inches of the tail, just above where the 
ribs are joined to the back bone, these are separated 
by a sharp pointed stick, and the same done on the 
other side ; a transverse incision is then made near 
the root of the tail, the gills are separated from the 
head, the fleshy part covering the back dissected 
from one to two inches thick, over the whole 
surface left between the longitudinal cuts that had 
been made in the sides, and extending from the 
head to the transverse incision near the tail. The 
divisions then consist of three pieces, one comprising 
the head, backbone, and tail, another the fleshy part 
that covered the back, and the third the belly and 
sides. The last is the most prized of the three. This 
method of dividing the fish is well adapted for en- 
suring rapid preparation in the process of cooking ; 
