The best way to cook the pumpkin is to bake it in its skin in the oven. Remove the seeds and cut it into suitable pieces. Sprinkle salt on the flesh and put a little fat or butter in the hollows. Place the pumpkin in the oven on an over slide at the same time as the potatoes are put in. The cored apples, stuffed with sugar, dates or raisins, and with a small dab of butter on each, should have had thin cuts made through the skin right round their middles. This should stop them from “bursting” when they are cooking. They should stand in a very small amount of of water in a cake tin or an overproof glass dish. These go in the oven when the potatoes do but the oven should be heated up a little to about 400°F and the apples put about 2/3rd of the way up the oven. The meat and vegetables are put on lower shelves, the meat at the lowest level. If custard is to be served with the baked apples allow 1 egg and 2 teaspoons of sugar to each ½ pint of milk. A drop or two of vanilla essence can be used to flavour the cooled cooked custard. Heat the milk in a double boiler (or in a small saucepan standing in hot water in a slightly larger saucepan). Beat the egg and sugar lightly and pour the hot milk on to the egg mixture. Stir well. Pour the mixture back into the small saucepan and cook the custard over hot water until it thickens. Stir the custard while it is cooking and be careful not to overcook and so curdle it. After making the custard the green vegetable can be washed and cut up. Place it in a small amount of boiling salted water and cook it quickly for 10 to 15 minutes. Heat the dinner plates and serving dishes, set the table, and begin to dish up the dinner. Keep the meat and vegetables warm in the oven or on a rack while making the gravy. Save the vegetable cooking water. To make gravy, drain off most of the fat from the roasting pan leaving about two tablespoons of melted fat. Sprinkle two tablespoons of flour into the pan and blend it well with the fat. Heat it gently and pour in the vegetable juice and more hot water if it is needed. Stir the gravy while it is thickening, and add more salt if it is required. Thus should be cooked a roast dinner.

IN BRIEF A dictionary of the Rarotonga-Maori Language by Stephen Savage, who died in 1941, is now being printed by the Cook Island Administration at their Printing Office in Rarotonga. Stephen Savage had close contact with the people of the Cook Islands over a period of some 40 years, in his work as Registrar and as Commissioner of the Land Court. His knowledge of their language, customs, history and legends was comprehensive and accurate. In recording this knowledge, he included much miscellaneous information that is not usually found in a dictionary. Linguists who were consulted looked upon it only as raw material for a dictionary, but expressed the hope that the information would be preserved in some form for the people of the Cook Islands, linguists and students of Polynesia. Publication of this work will preserve much that was in grave danger of being lost. It could form the basis of a future dictionary. Copies will be obtainable before the end of 1955 from the Government Printing Office, Wellington. * * * A campaign to raise £1000 to save the Te Aute College chapel is being organized at present by old boys of the school. This picturesque and historic building has a lovely old-time shingle roof and this is at present in a particularly bad state of repair. If the money can be collected shingles will again be used when the roof is renovated. The distinctive tower on which much work is needed is also to be preserved in its present form. The drive organizer is Mr W. T. Ngata, of the Department of Maori Affairs, Wellington. * * * A natural brown stone obelisk has been erected at Pakanae, near Opononi, in memory of Kupe, the great Polynesian navigator and discoverer of New Zealand. It is a tribute from his descendants—a section of the Ngapuhi tribe living on the shores of the Hokianga harbour. * * * A community centre is the first aim of the newly formed Marton Tribal Committee (chairman, Mr J. Henare) whose first meeting, in conjunction with the local Maori Women's Welfare League, was held in the Borough Council Chambers at Marton recently. * * * The Te Awhina Social Club (president, Mr W. Tahere) held its second annual meeting recently, according to a special report to Te Ao Hou by George Koea. The club is open to Maori and Pakeha alike, has a membership of fifty. A choir has been formed and has already broadcast from New Plymouth radio station 2XP and sung elsewhere in public. Among plans for the future the club hopes to hold debates, mock ‘Parliaments’, lessons in Maori arts and crafts, and to organise educational talks. Table tennis and Maori action songs and hakas are also encouraged.