contempt because there was no kitchen garden.
Mummy apples, which he had regarded as weeds,
under her guidance appeared as appetizing
breakfast fruit, and, at dinner, were metamor-
phosed into puddings that elicited his unquali-
fied admiration. Bananas, foraged from the
bush, were served, cooked and raw, a dozen
different ways, each one of which he declared
was better than any other. She or her sailors
dynamited fish daily, while the Balesuna natives
were paid tobacco for bringing in oysters from
the mangrove swamps. Her achievements with
cocoanuts were a revelation. She taught the
cook how to make yeast from the milk, that, in
turn, raised light and airy bread. From the
tiptop heart of the tree she concocted a delicious
salad. From the milk and the meat of the nut
she made various sauces and dressings, sweet and
sour, that were served, according to prepara-
tion, with dishes that ranged from fish to pud-
ding. She taught Sheldon the superiority of
cocoanut cream over condensed cream, for use
in coffee. From the old and sprouting nuts she
took the solid, spongy centres and turned them

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