Alexandria gazette & daily advertiser. [volume] (Alexandria [Va.]) 1817-1822, 1820-07-03

camel laden with her jewels, n1 sts
and other valuable ornaments. 0a at
18th appearances before lie Emns.a'ls
for this last transaction. his m s%p
ordered him to be simme.!ia,rIy LasN!
and as they led him away, .abpss@
the Emperor shaking his head .' %a
a deal Of pain and troublesome %"
MES We should have saved this y w.
man. if We had begun with him a. vT
now leave OH :"
CUSTOMS CT THE NATIVES OF IN,
FEJFE ISLANDS.
In the last Athencum we wind 81
tcresting aliicle EXTRACTED from IL,
Gentlcmaa's magazine, rclstineto som.
OF the superstitious customs Of The :,
tiVes OF .'hesc Islands situated in tLs
Pacific Ocean in Latitude about 81 dss
long. about IA deg. West. The W.
ter received his information from Cor.
Siddons, iii 1915, who had been IN s
brig to these Islands TO procure freipbt
OF sandal wood, a valuable artjcls ss%
to be worth in China S0, per .cn
Capt. Siddons sptnt se,ela. years ,
mong them, had ali estate there and a.
CURED degree of power over the \,
tives. The writer informs that h
statements arc fully corroLorated by
Tiers.
A plurality of wives is usual with II.
chiefs or men ofimportance, and som,
have five or six. When a chief dies Ors
OF more of his wives arc stranelcd a,
the funeral, At one of these ceremc
MES, Capt. S. waspresent. The covps
rolled in kind of cloth MANUFACTURES
on the Island, was conveyed to the doc
Of the caloo OF priest, Gam order Of ma
supposed TO tell future events and pa
ced on the ground with the feet toward,
the doer surrounded by the multitude,
A woman was seated al the head hold
ing in her hand a powder puff, with
which she continually strewed the
face of the corpse a kind of black pow.
der. At length shout of the multitude
tudc attracted attention ; it announced
the approach of the principal vile Of
the deceased, who presently accompa
MED by friends of her eek. She ap
peared serious but MT detected; she
advanced to the body kissed il, and
then retreated about 90 steps, keeping
her face towards it. The widow PLACID
herself upon the lap Of female, wha
several others attempted to kiss Ler,bt
she repealed them scorufully. "Ib
woman upon whose lap she sat, thu
put one of her hands on the back pat
of the head of the widow, and the olhsl
on her mouth !; man suddenly PLACED
a cord upon her neck, and six men ln'
mediately took bold of it. three at each
end, and pulled with all their force
Not the least struggle was observed
Capt. S. was anxious to know what
would be done with the dead bodies, but
was only able to see them placed y
the side of each other in the house d
the priest, with whom the final part d
the ceremony was kept secret.
Capt s. WAS acquainted with aHOttl
instance Of the same king. A fF
young CHEF who had engaged to hr
nish him cargo of sandal wood, Oil
before accomplishing his epgagemflL
Capt. S. called on the mother Of u
chief, and in compliance with the Gu
tom of the country, requested to w
and speak to tue dead body. On o
tering the room with the mother !
took hold Of the hand Of the dcceas'
and said 81 see Ricemmong what d.
happened to you, You are dead an
have left us; YOU know the agrfsnp
tina: existed between us that you VET
TO procure nc a freight OF sandal WO0I
which / have already paid you for, a'
which / have not received; what's
be done in the business, RiceammoDs
Tie mother answered, "yes, | recOltv|
the agreement, and will take care 'p|
it shall be fulfilled" The mother Sp|
anxious to save the principal vic \
her dead son from the cruel death .'r
superstition reqgil ed, and proposes \
Capt. S. who had The authority g. :.
chief, that he should bring to the pei d
Of the funeral a valuable present H@
it up in his hands, sink upon his sI ~
and pronounce: 1 beg the lJe 9. IT,. ID
7ooman. This demand would entlIs
chief to the life Of the intended IlcuJ
Can't. S. ran to his boat pulled OIL DOSla