Page:The Boy Travellers in Australasia.djvu/200

176 kitchen was a rough hearth, with some clay pots in which fish and yams were cooked.

Partly by signs and partly by the words "want eat," the host invited the youths to stay to dinner. They accepted, more to see how and upon what the natives live rather than on account of having an appetite. Fire was lighted on the hearth, or rather it was stirred up from some slumbering coals, fish and yams were put on to boil, and in a little while the meal was ready. Frank and Fred made friends with the children, to whom they showed their watches, and made a few presents of silver coin as an indirect compensation for their dinner, and when the meal was ready they proceeded to enjoy it. One of the children had been sent for some banana-leaves, which served as plates; on these leaves the fish and yams were dished up, and a piece of rock-salt was brought out, together with a shell, with which each guest could scrape off as much salt as he liked, and whenever he wanted it. The youths made a practical demonstration of the truth of the adage that fingers were made before forks, though not without some inconvenience. To end the repast they had some ripe bananas, and of course the drink that accompanied the meal was the juice of freshly picked cocoanuts.

As soon as Frank and Fred rose from the mats the youngsters of the family attacked what they had left, and in a very few minutes nothing remained save the lump of salt and the empty banana-leaf plates. Then