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IV

In the middle of 1922—when first I knew the islands—home-brewing could scarcely be called common, although there had recently been convictions of white planters for illicit distillation. But towards the end of that year "How's your brew?" became—in semi-seriousness—the usual salutation, and recipes were exchanged and symptoms of their brews remarked, by people meeting, with the same avidity with which old dames might discuss their cures and physical ailments. It was then that the edict had gone forth, unofficially, from the Administrator's office, where I was then working, that home-brewing in excess of the alcoholic content (3 per cent.) allowed by law was to be tolerated, in the case of Europeans manufacturing for their own consumption. This, of course, included half-castes.

It was said that were the Europeans prevented brewing beer or making wine they would drink something worse, such as "cocoa-juice"—a virulent spirit produced of a product of the fermenting-boxes and sold by Chinese coolies working on cocoa-plantations, but going now out of fashion. For the same reason it was decided not to attempt to prohibit the importation of "All-in-One"—a mixture of malt and hops made in prohibitionist San Francisco, put up in tins of about two pounds content, and looking like molasses. For this there was a large sale in the stores. It was merely necessary—no directions being given—to tip one tin to four gallons of water, hot or cold, add three or four pounds of sugar, and a very potent beer resulted in four or five days. Wine, from rasins, was made by a somewhat similar method. Home-brewing now facetiously was termed "The Third Industry of Samoa": coconut-and cocoa-planting, on which all else depended, being allowed respectively the first and second place. An era of comparative contentment set in. The "cup of kindness" again did overflow.