WHERE A WOMAN RULES

Evening Post, Volume CXIX, Issue 88, 13 April 1935, Page 23

WHERE A WOMAN RULES

Twenty-six years ago. Mrs. Zahel was appointed superintendent of Badu (a lonely island not far from Thursday Island) by the Queensland Government. A lonely life, and maybe a nervous one for many women, but not for Mrs. Zahel.

"I've never closed door or window at night all those twenty-six years," she says; "and I've never been frightened."

Nowadays there are four other white folk on Badu—the manager and accountant of Australian Aboriginal Industries and their respective wives, writes Vera S. Caswell in the "Sydney Daily Telegraph."

Busy teaching, dispensing medicines, and treatment, and administering her small domain, Mrs. Zahel finds that time flies. The natives (about 500 in number) are unspoilt children of Nature, guarded from contact with objectionable elements in our modern civilisation by the Government, and wisely guided by. Mrs. Zahel along the first steps of our ways and language. No one may land on Badu Island withput Government sanction, and even with that permission, all have to meet the judicial scrutiny of Mrs. Zahel's keen eyes and judgment!

Trochus and pearl shell gathering keep the men of Badu busy. Their intelligence and physique are of a high order, and they have carried off trophies for various activities (notably dancing and fishing!) from all the other islanders of the Straits. In St. John's Theological College, on the adjoining large island of Moa, some of them are distinguishing themselves in their studies, and aim to produce a native clergy to instruct the natives.

The women are busy in their homes, and imall gardens, assisting the men also, caring for their children, or teaching under Mrs. Zahel. The children are eager and intelligent and show marked aptitude in all their studies, particularly enjoying pastel flowerdrawings, and displaying a keen sense of form and colour. They are taught English to the Queensland Public school standard.

. As an instance of the mischief that may be wrought by the introduction of an apparently innocent pastime, marble-playing had to be put down as 'an immoral game! So fascinated by it were all the burly island fathers that they neglected their fishing and shell-gathering; indeed, gave up every other activity. So a special meeting of the council had to be convened, and the fiat went forth that Badu must be "cleaned-up," and all the marbles confiscated. Thereafter, industry and prosperity returned, and' the faint cjicks of glass on glass, tor on agate, Were no more to be heard on the island! . '

The flesh of the clumsy dugong— those pig-like denizens .of the sea—is much appreciated, and all share in the feasting that .follows their capture. Even a grave and reverend councillor has his appetite therefor, especially if preceded by turtle soup, which is*as much prized by a Badu native as it is by aldermen at Guildhall banquets!

Girl Guides, Boy Scouts, councillors, police, fathers, and mothers, all turn out to follow the flag, on church parade Sundays, along the sandy track beneath the palms, to the lofty new church that is in course of construction. This will cost approximately £2000, and is being built and paid for by the natives themselves (under white supervision)-

Try. Some'

Cod Pie.-^Soak lib of salt cod all night. Next day cook it in water for i hour, allow to get cold, then chop finely. Make a rich white sauce arid add the fish, 2 well-beaten eggs, 1 tablespoonful chopped parsley, and pepper to taste. Put in a piedish, cover with a crust of well-mashed potatoes; put pieces of butter on top, and bake in the oven till a nice brown.

of:.Tliese—

Velvet Pudding.—One pint milk, 2 tablespoons cornflour, 2 eggs, essence, 2 tablespoons sugar. Blend the cornflour with a • little milk. Put the remainder of the milk on to boil, and when boiling stir irr the cornflour; Cook for 2 minutes. Add sugar, yolks, and essence. - Pour into a greased piedish, Stand in a tin of cold water, and bake in~moderate oven for 10 minutes. Beat the whites stiffly, add 3 tablespoons sugar, and heap roughly over the mixture. Return to oven till meringue is crisp and a pale browm Stuffed Breast of Veal.—Remove the bones from a breast of veal and spread the meat on a board. Flatten it out with a rolling pin and cover with a thick layer of sausage meat, mixed with some bread crumbs and herbs, and enough beaten egg to bind them together. Roll up the meat, tie with string, and bake in a moderate oven, basting frequently. Hot Crayfish Sandwich.—Here s an appetising idea for a substantial sandwich course—:hot crayfish sandwich with Newburg sauce., v Take 5 table^ spoonfuls butter, 1 cupful crayfish meat (tinned or fresh), yolks of three eggs, | teaspoonful salt, 1 cpful milk, 3 tablespoonfuls sherry. Melt two tablespoonfuls of butter in saucepan and heat in it the crayfish meat cut in small pieces. To make the.sauce melt the rest of the butter, add the salt, then milk, and heat to boiling point. Beat egg yolks into a bowl. Pour" into them part of the hot sauce, stirring constantly. Then pour it back into the saucepan and cook for two minutes over boiling water, stirring constantly. Add the sherry and take from the fire. Have ready for each sandwich two slices of blattered toast. Spread the hot crayfish over one slice and top with the second. Pour the Newburg sauce over all. Serve immediately. Savoury Round of Beef—Take 3 or 41b topside round of beef. (It should be rolled into a neat, compact joint.) Take lib fat bacon and, with a pair of scissors, cut it into strips Jin in width and 4in long. Pierce- a hole in the lean portion of the beef with a sharplypointed wooden skewer, and fill with a strip of bacon. Make holes in this way all over the beef and use up the bacon. Season the meat and roast in the usual way in a well-heated oven, basting frequently. Pineapple Cream.—One pineapple (or tin of crushed pineapple), 1 cup sugar, 1 cup water (if fresh pineapple), 2 eggs, 1 tablespoon cornflour, 1 tablespoon butter, whipped cream, chopped nuts, lemon juice. Break up the pineapple, put into a saucepan with sugar, water, and butter. Cook till soft. Add the blended cornflour, yolks, and lemon juice. Cook for 2 minutes. Allow to become quite cold; then add the stifflybeaten whites. Pour into a glass dish. Cover the top with whipped cream and sprinkle thickly with nuts. German Apple Cake.—Take Jib of sifted plain flour, & teaspoonful baking powder, 6oz. butter, and pinch of salt. Rub the butter well into the flour and add enough milk to make a stiff dough. Roll out 1 inch thick; have ready some juicy apples, pared and cut into thin slices. Sweeten them well with brown sugar, and add some seeded raisins, a little nutmeg, and the

juice 'and grated rindvof two lemons. Place;this mixture 6n the: pastry, fold over, and put into a baking dish, which has been well buttered and sprinkled with . cinnamon and brown sugar. Sprinkle the top, also with butter sugar, and cinnamon, and bake for two hours in a moderate oven.

Tomatoes With Gheese Cream.—Take 3 or 4 tomatoes, 1 gill cream, ljoz grated parmesan cheese, 2 tablespoonfuls aspic jelly, salt, and pepper. Cut the tomatoes in half, remove some of the pulp, and drain them./ Whip the cream stiffly, season with salt and pepper, whisk ii\ the aspic jelly, . which should be liquid, but cold. Add the grated cheese, fill the tomato shells, and pipe a .pretty bor.der with a rosepipe. Garnish with cress and serve very cold. ' '

Banana, Toast.— Cut six slices of bread about J >of an: inch thick and toast on" one side. Spread,the other side" liberally with butter and cover with sliced bananas, or with banana pulp to which a little lemon juice has been added. Sprinkle lightly with sugar and brown delicately.