At Gulei, They Have "Instant" Poached

Birds' Eggs For Breakfast

[N an area of bubbling mud and L boiling water near Gulei, west of Jakanai in New Britain, natives njoy regular poached egg break asts.

In fact they can eat them poached, ►oiled or coddled as fancy takes hem, for in this thermal area both iggs and cooking conveniences ibound.

Reports of the Gulei natives’ cook ng habits was brought back to fcabaul recently by Mr. Jim Barrie, ■egional agricultural officer, who had risked the area in company with Mr. David Montgomery, agricultural afficer stationed at Talasea. [ They found a vast thermal area past Cape Hoskins where “literally millions” of a species of wildfowl had congregated to nest.

In the surrounding dense jungle they found the earth honeycombed with large nesting holes almost all of which contained fresh laid eggs.

The Gulei district natives gather these by lowering themselves head first into the holes, usually with a stalwart helper on hand to help pull them back again. The eggs are then placed in palmleaf baskets and suspended into a boiling spring for as long as it takes to cook.

As many as 300 dozen eggs were gathered in one day during the visit of the agricultural officers.

When news of the egg-eating Guleis was brought to Rabaul locals re called that Matupi and Talwat natives enjoy an almost similar supply of eggs.

Presumably the same species of wildfowl inhabits the warm ridges near Matupi volcano and during the nesting season “miauk” eggs are a delicacy much sought after by the natives.

This area and that at Gulei are regarded as natural wildfowl reserves by the natives and the birds are not molested—other than by having their nests rifled of eggs. (The eggs in question are larger and more oval than those of a duck, are uniformly brown in colour and strong in flavour. The bird itself, while being very sturdily and strongly built in the legs is only slightly larger than a domestic hen.)