Tautira

A Week-End At

Memories of a Tahitian Gourmand —and Galantine!

By A. C. Rowland

ONE of our most joyous, most satisfying memories is of a week-end at Tautira, at a time when Tahiti and the world were happier than they are to-day.

The two chief characters of the oc casion were Kennedy and Natua Kennedy, because he was a host beyond compare; Natua, because he brought to the company, sparkle and laughter with out end. Natua was a Euronesian; in ap pearance a European, the Polynesian— strong within him —revealed itself in picturesque speech in three languages, in the mannerisms of an arioi comedian, and most of all in the zest and fervour with which he addressed himself to the pleasures of the table.

Kennedy’s house —a great Tahitian style structure —was on a point of land commanding, on one hand, a view of the central peaks of Taiarapu, through the corridor of Ata’aroa Valley; and, to the north-west, of the high broken massif of Tahiti-Nui.

To spare his guests the tiresome land journey, Kennedy had chartered the motor-schooner “Tiare Variau”. She bore us from Papeete along the north and east coast of Tahiti-Nui (following in reverse the track of Wallis and Cook), pausing off Matavai to pick up a guest who came out on an out-rigger canoe, called for an hour at Hitia’a for no other purpose than to allow us to inspect that then isolated settlement, and thence away over the open sea to Tautira.

Natua, as was usually his habit, missed the boat, but did not miss the party. At the hour of dinner he arrived to the sound of a clanging gong attached to the motor-bus on which he journeyed. He entered with the air and circumstance of a Roman Imperator—and the party was complete.

The dinner was a chef-d’oeuvre of an Empress of cuisineres from the island of Martinique: an exquisite puree; that ambrosia of Neptune—varo; turkey from Tupuai; shrimp from cold mountain streams; a dozen exotic delights; and galantine.

Galantine is a compound of duck, herbs, spices and a sort of transparent jelly, that is very delectable to some palates.

Natua had already sustained his repu tation as a noble trencherman before the galantine had been brought in. He then fell to, and surpassed all his earlier records. Kennedy had lodged us at several houses in the village; but Natua preferred to camp on a settee in the living-room in order to forage, during the early hours of the morning, and refresh him self with galantine.

Now, galantine is a tender flower which under the heat of the tropics, fades into something quite different from its natal splendour. Consequently, when we had returned—at the end of the second day—from an expedition to the ultima thule of Tahiti which is known as the Pari (the cliffs), galantine did not appear on the menu of our evening repast.

There was, however, one remaining in the larder, and Natua discovered it as we were about to depart on the morning of the third day. One of our company had sent his motor car and six of us (including Natua) elected to return by land, stopping en route at Mau’u’s (in Vaiari) for luncheon.

At the moment of departure, there was a spirited colloquy between Kennedy and Natua over the galantine. Kennedy said

he did not wish any of his guests to die of ptomaine poisoning. Natua replied that it would be better for him to have the galantine than any of Kennedy’s servants, who would surely eat it the moment Kennedy’s back was turned.

We finally comforted Kennedy by the privately-given assurance that we would see to it the galantine disappeared during the journey to Papeete.

There was no opportunity to jettison the galantine before our arrival at Vaiari.

Natua guarded his treasure with jealous care. Before luncheon he put it into the hands of Mau’u for safe keeping.

A surreptitious interview with Mau’u, during the hubbub of luncheon, ac quainted him with the urgency of the occasion, and he promised to aid in our undertaking.

The repast at Mau’u’s was the standard Tahitian bill of fare that included roast sucking pig. It was the pig that solved our problem.

Mau’u, knowing Natua well, had re served for him the head of the pig, and at the moment of departure, presented it on a tin plate wrapped in a snowy napkin. Natua's delight over this new acquisition was so great that he forgot the galantine for the time being, and we hastened to get under weigh before the ecstasy should pass.

With a whispered admonition to Mau’u

to tie a heavy stone on that galantine and cast it into a deep cavern of the sea, we departed in a cloud of dust.

By some miracle, Natua did not think of the galantine until we arrived at Papeete.

At one point of our route, as we were passing from Vaiari to the next district, we had a moment of dark apprehension —a file of ducks were crossing the high way and we had to stop the motor-car to let them pass. We feared the sight of them would remind Natua of his galan tine and that he would demand a return to fetch it; but the dubks waddled past and no word came from Natua. So we breathed again and drove on.

The awful scene which ensued when Natua, descending at Papeete, found no galantine among his luggage, revealed to us the secrets of the English, French and Polynesian languages. All these thunders and forked lightnings and shrieking tempests were hurled at Mau’u, who was far away and could suffer no harm; wdiile we who were guilty were unsuspected.

In time, the storm passed over our heads, our friendship of years emerged without a blemish, and Natua was saved from ptomaines which might have brought his gay life to an unhappy end.

Mr. J. H. Luxford, a former Chief Judge of Western Samoa, has been ap pointed Senior Stipendiary Magistrate in Auckland, NZ.