Series 03: Joseph Banks - Endeavour journal, 25 August 1768 - 12 July 1771 (vol. 2) - No. 0461
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[Page 461]
357.
Some account of Savu
Eat enormous quantities of it it hurt nobody only gently opning the body & not as we feard bringing on fluxes
[Margin note] firewood
Fire wood is very scarce here to remedy therefore that inconvenience as much as possible they make use of a contrivance which is not unknown in Europe tho seldom practisd but in camps which it is a burrow or pipe dug in the ground & open at each end as long as convenient generaly about 2 yards & open at each end The one opening of this into which they put the fire is large the other which serves only to cause a draught is much smaller immediately over this pipe circular holes are dug which reach quite down into it in these the earthen pots are set about 3 to such a fire which are large in the middle & taper towards the bottom by which means the fire acts upon a large part of their surface it is realy marvelous to see with how small a quantity of fire they will keep these pots boiling each of which Contains 8 or 10 gallons a palm leaf or a dry stalk now & then is sufficient indeed it seemd in the part of the Island at least where we were that the palms alone supplyd sufficient fuel not only