RISING OF THE PALOLO.

Auckland Star, Volume LIX, Issue 267, 10 November 1928, Page 11

RISING OF THE PALOLO.

A SANfOAN PHENOMENON, i ■'NATIVES';,'- j EMERGENCE-FKOM THE COKAL. » ~;', '■'.... ... .', APIA,; October 9. < . The natives of Samoa are on the tiptoe of expectation-for-the annual rising j of the palolbi'which'.is expected to take 1 place,during:October, and,which Will sup- j ply'the -epicures with- a -much-relished ( delicacy, all' the-more keenly enjoyed , on-.account,of-, the-long-: period ■ between j risings. The palolo is a thread-like i worm ] about 16 inches'an length, which, for the [whole' year, except for. one-hour, is hidden in. the- dead„coral, iwhich-abound in the reef Enclosed Samoan''shore.. Gener- c ally the worm is'supposed to rise to the J j surface- only-once in but most ( I Samoans seem'to'consider that there are i two • risings, within.. a; .month -.of one ] another,, the,, time depending on. ;the < moon. If-the,first rising,is-\small, the • second; will be large, and vice versa, . The palolo,rises.only;in-the.process of spawning.. At the chosen time the worm pushes-, out from -thev coral: about-, six inches -of • its whiehs-it.- wriggles about '-. until-: the;'• part • breaks ?ofi . : and floats to the Surface." The. parent body returns to the coral;-while the spawn, which.may-be male :or female,-comes , to the surface just as the rising moon shines its ; first"'beams on the •'sea. Then-the myriad of worms indulge; in. a riotous, wriggling, squirming dance for.about one hour, then,- with the appearance of the rising sun,! as if at a given signal,, the palolo gradually disappears .under ; the very eyes of. the : observer. This is ccca- , sioned by.the bursting of the.worm and ' the consequent scattering .of the eggs or [ milk of'which it is composed, j ": The palolo-is keenly relished by the ] Samoans, who;eat it raw/or cooked. The 3 European is generally not attracted by r the reddish-brown and bluish-green mass i of jelly-like worms, and even the most » avid: oyster-eater would scarcely forbear ;. a shudder ;at-the ; thought of eating,.the e paloloi But-when.cooked-the right way, - those-.who -can overcome, their; qualmß, o eat it: with-delight, and-describe it as o being something ilike.-whitebait.with a Y flavour all.its own.' .- • -.'■ e ,' The/palolo is-not indigenous.to Samoa, a but :its'.:name has become associated

been .first- studied'there. : There \ are 'frequent mentions of it being; found;.all over the Pacific, and a few. isolated accounts of the ■ risings by .travellers who have been fortunate.to.chance : on a native .-settlement at the. right- time. :r Europeans in • Samoa frequently .join in the sport of : palolo fishing;.wlth the hundreds: of natives, -who regard-the rising as one of! the events of. and the water is crowded'with hundreds in quest of this .rarity, among delicacies. Everyone works hufrieclly,' and, the : pails and, receptacles' are quickly • filled,- -for time is short, andwith the moohrise.the palolo. is, gone. Like the sharks, .which put; in an unwanted appearance at this time, the natives have a peculiar instinct as'to when the worm will.rise, .for.Awhile the European isvaguely guessing.at;th'e date, the- Samoari -quietly, relies .6n. v his own judgment, and 'is •invariably, pref pared with nets and ; pails • at ; the'right hour. . . ■:■■'.■ .. - "■•'•' ; '-• -'