What the Thomasites ate

ALTHOUGH I live in the 21st century when air travel is common, and space travel is now a possibility for ordinary people (or those who are willing to pay the astronomical ticket price) and not just Nasa scientists and astronauts, I cannot get over the fact that a plane made of steel, burdened with passengers, baggage and supplies, actually gets off the ground and travels halfway around the world in less than 24 hours. Each time I see a 747 in flight, I marvel, knowing how hard travel used to be when people were limited by their legs or to craft that could endure the sea.

When you read Antonio Pigafetta's account of the Magellan expedition, you can imagine their wooden ships lashed by storms and the waves at a time when men worried about mermaids, sea monsters or falling off the edge of the world. Magellan had to cope with mutinies, diseases and lack of food and water that drove his men to eat their leather shoes and belts or trade in rats that provided one of the few options for fresh meat. Some 480 years later, people still traveled by sea, and one voyage that remains etched in the Filipino mind is that of the US transport Thomas that arrived in Manila in August 1901 carrying the first batch of American teachers who are now known to history as the "Thomasites."

Much has been written about the Thomasites, but one thing that is often overlooked is a list drawn by one of the teachers, James D. Barry, that gives us an idea of the food brought on board the Thomas and thus, what the teachers were fed on this historic voyage.

At first glance, the list is just another boring grocery list but one not only sees preference (more potatoes than rice, more beef than pork), but also lifestyle (cooking salt was different from dinner or table salt). One wonders why they had to bring salt when they could get this by boiling seawater, or why they brought fresh fish in ice if they could get fish from the sea. I like looking at lists because from these it is possible to get a glimpse of the past.

The grocery of the Thomas contained:

"Flour 58,700 pounds; salt pork and salt beef for emergency 8,000 pounds; hard bread for emergency 11,000 pounds; beans (white) 2,100 pounds; split peas 2,600 pounds; rice 2,900 pounds; potatoes 33,100 pounds; onions 8,900 pounds; molasses and syrup 163 gallons; vinegar 300 gallons; cooking salt 3,300 pounds; pepper 130 pounds; soap for cleaning purposes 3,500 pounds; crackers (assorted) 4,550 pounds; lima and kidney beans 1,600 pounds; other cereals 2,800 pounds; corn meal 1,250 pounds; hominy 1,100 pounds; rolled oats 2,500 pounds; Italian pastas (macaroni, etc.) 1,700 pounds; butter 6,550 pounds; cheese (assorted) 2,250 pounds; eggs 60,000; condensed milk 10,730 cans; fresh milk 240 gallons; fresh fish (assorted) 3,500 pounds; frozen oysters 400 cans; frozen clams 50 gallons; pickled fish (assorted) 4,260 pounds; smoked fish 300 pounds; canned fish (assorted) 4,600 cans; fresh beef 52,000 pounds; fresh mutton 5,200 pounds; fresh pork 4,500 pounds; fresh lamb 1,300 pounds; calves' brains 200 pounds; calves' heads and feet 60 sets; veal 2,500 pounds; beef kidneys 200 pieces; calves' liver 350 pieces; sweetbreads 200 pounds; tripe 900 pounds; fresh sausages 1,200 pounds; smoked tongue 240 pieces; corned pork 700 pounds; pickled lambs' tongues 100 gallons; sausages (assorted) 650 pounds; pickled pig's feet 42 kgs; canned meats (assorted) 12,680 pounds; coffee 3,760 pounds; tea 870 pounds; chocolate and cocoa 200 pounds; sugar 11,200 pounds; jams, jellies and marmalades 7,200 pounds; sauces and condiments 2,890 bottles; pickles (assorted) 774 bottles; pickles (assorted) 242 gallons; spices (assorted) 800 pounds; table salt 400 pounds; flavoring extracts 60 pounds; poultry 10,200 pounds; pigeons 1,200 pieces; fruits (assorted) 421 cases; canned fruits (assorted) 4,180 pounds; pie fruit (assorted) 512 gallons; fruits (dried) 12, 658 pounds; nuts (assorted) 960 pounds; fresh vegetables 21,500 pounds; canned vegetables 7,350 pounds; bacon (canned) 4,032 pounds; ham 2,800 pounds; beef (smoked) 200 pounds; bacon (smoked) 1,500 pounds; ice 110 tons."

Naturally the above is not a complete list since many minor items were too much for his and our patience, but Barry also tells us that the stewards were able to feed everyone on board in 90 minutes and that on average "1,200 to 1,400 pounds of meat, exclusive of poultry, and about three tons of ice were consumed each day of the voyage."

On planes today, we have food that has been pre-cooked and packaged. Everything is served neatly on plastic trays (unless of course you are in first class and get real plates and freshly cooked hot meals). On the Thomas, 2,500 loaves of bread were baked daily. Travel then was slower and more leisurely, people were able to walk around. Maybe this is the reason why vacation cruises are now an option rather than air travel and packaged tours.

Travel is much faster these days, but we lost something in the process. The Thomasites, who should be remembered as classes open all over the country, gain more meaning when we know what they ate on their trip to the Philippines.