Mystery

Letteers

meats

Madam, Pacific Islanders have been happy with fresh fish for centuries, but now the benefits of commerce are luring them to tinned meats, some of which would have made your average Neanderthal think twice about vegetarianism.

One familiar contribution to this process is charmingly called ‘Roasted Goose with Bone’. The bone seems to be the selling point here — a bonus of some sort, like the prize in a box of cereal.

The picture on the tin’s label (which is easily worth the thousand words you would find on an American label) shows a slab of rather red flesh. To the untrained eye, it is not obviously a goose, or at least not what I would imagine an uncooked goose to look like, though I have never actually seen one lying in the middle of the road. No sign of the bone in the picture; you will just have to take their word that it’s there and hope for the best.

But with the goose, at least you know what you’re getting at first glance. Some tins simply offer Meat This or Meat That — those blunt labels like corned meat. No genus mentioned, much less species.

If you don’t have your reading glasses for the fine print, you can check the quick clue: the picture of placid animals grazing in the green pastures on the label. In this case, you will see reassuring old friends like a sheep and a cow, (I say old friends, but sheep, especially, are a bit out of place in the tropical Pacific and will continue to be antil they swap some of that ridiculous vool for something lightweight and wrap iround.) So, from the picture on this meat label t seems pretty clear that, for example, here is no yak or rhino meat in the tin, hough who knows what lesser members of he animal kingdom are hiding behind that ow in the scene.

One of the British empire’s lasting ontributions to the Pacific shelves is sheep

ongues. Occasionally the manufacturer

ssures us the tongues have been “peeled”, Dr those of us who like our animals tortured rst.

Now, I am an American and we tend not 3 go for such things. We prefer having only ne tongue in our mouths at a time, and md to spew any loose ones. In America, imagine the cats usually get our tongues, lough they probably are presented to us umans in a disguised form. To accommo ate sensitive American stomachs, I believe

most US companies involved in this sordid meat business put leftover parts into a big bin destined for the Luncheon Meat Department. There the parts are turned into something flat, pink, vague looking and tasting something like a page ripped from a biology textbook. Occasionally there is a round bit disturbingly familiar in the middle of an otherwise anony mous slice.

Now, I have never actually seen a sheep’s tongue, I must confess except in in situ of course, and not at the end of a fork. I don’t really care for articulate food. I can only imagine opening the tin and finding a short stack of baaaa-ing instruments neatly packed. But then my conscience would dread the day of stumbling upon a hillside of mute New Zealand sheep.

Of course, gutting fish and ripping open a pig for a feast have their own pleasures.

But why import such leftovers?

Peter Morrison Tarawa

Republic of Kiribati

Flnks

mandate

Madam, The Bureau Politique of the FLNKS notes that recently a very unfortunate

argument has developed in the English language press in the South Pacific by independence activists living in New Zea land.

The Bureau Politique points out that it is under its authority that the external relations of the FLNKS are organised, the spokespeople for which are the FLNKS president, Paul Neaoutyine, and vice president, Rock Warnytan. In certain countries or conferences, other activists are delegated by the Bureau Politique to speak and act in the name of the FLNKS. Since 1985, this status has been given to Suzanne Ounei-Small who lives in Christchurch, New Zealand.

The Bureau Politique would like to make it clear that Luc Tutugoro has no mandate at all to represent the FLNKS in external affairs, even though in the past some internal responsibilities were entrusted to him. Luc Tutugoro is therefore only speaking for himself in any statements he may make.

Susi Newborn is also a participant in this debate. We scarcely know her and she is not a member of the FLNKS.

The Bureau Politique of the FLNKS therefore reminds its activitists living over seas of their obligation to exercise dis cretion. We would also like to take this opportunity to thank all the people or groups who, in close contact with Suzanne Ounei-Small, have since 1985 given precious moral and material support to the liberation struggle of the Kanak people.

Chanel Kapoen, Sylvain Pabouty, Norbert Caff a,

Victor Tutugoro,

Kanak Socialist National Liberation Front, New Caledonia