CHEMICAL COMPOSITiGN OF THE KRONGELAPESS DUET
The Isngusta, spiny looster, is eaten poiled.
The clamsare either boiled as a chowder or
frual the inniacure mud is preterred for dviakig, AUG viny vareiy is the
germinated murc
baked in the shell in a covered pit. The clam
eaten. Copra, the dried soueiit meat, is a
staple eaten alone or mixed with ouier tues,
meat is sometimes also dricd in the sun atrer
baking and “sept for several days.
Birds are eaten either baked or boiled,
and are also dried following precooking.
Vae coconut scp is collected from ihe cut
etais Of iIndurescenees OF CLCONUE trees 3et
aside for this vaurvose in the viluve urea.
VYhe feo sap is vartaken of by all ag
STOUDS, and wage fyrmenied aan, “jekro” or
G
Bird evzs, usually hard boiled, form only an
5
ineidemial part of the diet; they are used
principally when the Rongelapese are visit-
“yuyaree,” is consumed LY aluits,
Breadtruit (Ma) is eaten either Laked or
buted, and also is mace into a preparation
referred to as “cheese.” To
ma)
ing islands other than their maiu isiand or
uearby .Aiinginae -Atoll.
Pig and chicken are eaten primariy on
special occasions.
Vhe source of fresh water fu the area is
cisterns. Ground water, though powixe in
:
the skin ts removed and she pa:
salt wacer for ihree Cavs,
r
wreadiruit leaves and buried in tie saud for
ac least one weex Lefore ir is eaten. The
Nougelapesé Cluimt that this “cheese” wu
keep two years Of ure hi the sand.
Pandanus (Bop) is eaten fresa, oGiied, ur
ia. ced. “Jenken,” & preparation said io Keor
See
Tor
ane
WaOre
:
Takin
rarer
- tye
sept
Years,
is
tye”
certail orcas during ine rainy season, is mor
orGinarily drank,
Of the imported foods, rice, wheat nour,
and canned corned beef apyear to ue ie
most inmportant, Many other proaucts are
inipartea sumtine £0 time, such as sardines,
C-ration, ship's biscuit, and candy. In 1938
arve quantities of C-rations were consumed.
Taye
OTe area
aN
axing OF Uulling the Doncanus keys anu‘
teter
GS
tie
or
eee
7
eye esate
sts
7
serapeug Out the puso.
‘
Holiday
Nas
Ol
ts
™
sacee
eee
sya
a
-
Tee
at
Lie pulp is rice,
ie
0 ver COais aeeqeel
Vein ad
zal,
TeHeNes ie CoO: isisteucy Ol TG 3e
Many incividuais prefer the imported foods.
bue dvicd
MATERIALS AND METHODS
CAND io DYesseG iato a ruil ane wrap:sed in
Ve nae
pen
aa
TE
SS
eee
Can
es
Oandaius of cocouur leaves.
.
The
see
Silees are cut
2Q4-hy
Ga. Os hecucs..
period in
were
collected
September,
during
a
shigle
1939, at Ronyeiap
Isiand, takine care that the composition and the
Vaees or arrowrout (Mowmokx) tubers ure
washion with sea Water, cruslied and vassed
LarOuwa a sieve into a2 van oF sea we wer, and
amount
cocrespunced to te composition and
amount actually eaten by the individual. (Bwio
Soap, former village secretary, and Neil Morriss,
Trust Territory Resident Agriculturist at Rongelap Atoil at that time, or one of the authors caljected each samoie.) Wet weights of the sampies
were taken in the field. The samples were then
dried at 90°C and shipped to the University of
Washington, Svattle.
Caution must be used in collecting to be reasonably sure that auch daily rations are a true reoresentation,
Misunderstanding and a
unsguided
alowed to settle tor three or four uours.
When the starch begins to coagulate, the
water is decanted. Sea-water washes ire
repeated several times, fouowed by one
Jresh-water wash. Finady the starcu is dried
ami stored as a povwder.
samples
The powder ts
mixed with water for use, and etereaten
immediately as prepared or bouled or
The papaya is eaten iresh, sometimes
desire to please can easily lead some Rongelapese
wixed with rice or grated coconut.
to provide merely a collection of miscellaneous
The tish consumed cre primarily reet sh
food items rather than actual daily rations of prepured food. It was felt that a few samples com-
such as the goatish, tdloldleciys sp., mullet, Veouyeus sp., surgeon-ish, deat. us
sp., and the siyanids. The Ash are eaten
posed of items and sortions actually seen to be
consumed were preferable to many samples of
uncertain origin, Consequently, some samples prarfered by individuals were discarded.
ave goattish, mullet, and siganids.
number 3 (Table 1}, for exaimpie, cppears to be
baked, boiled, or raw. The three fish we
have observed the Rongelapese to eat raw
Even so, there are obvious discrepancies. Sample
“ish are
also preseyedby baking>or and then drying in
netimes salt t is added before the
the sun.
Ash are dried.
ridiculously low in the total amount consumed.
Doubtless there must have been some “snacking,”
but the eating habits of the Rongelapese are irregu{25
~“
SUM mee
oe
ws
”
’
o
:
‘woe
J
ee
eg
e
See same Ss pee wae
.
:
ran
teow