Portage sentinel. [volume] (Ravenna, Ohio) 1845-1854, 1853-08-03

standing the way to prepare any ordinary ferment-
ed liquors, the islanders had been led to the dis
covery of strange substitute. They, procure a
root called Cava root, (Which appears, byethe bye,
to be very rich in starch0 they cut it up, and
chew it thoroughly; they then wash it in water,
strain it through tappa cloth; and, throwing the
fbrous part away, retain, the washings. These
are allowed to stand for short time, during
which they ferment, and acquire intoxicating
power. This drink appears to act as slow poison;
for indulgence in it reduces men to a miserable
state of nervousness and blindness. z-.rss ,-s. IS
These natives seem, from Daniels account, to
be epicures in cannlbalism; and it is rather agree
able to white men, to know that they do rot
think so much of white as they do black
Black mems flesh is greatly preferred to pork,
and their fondness for it is decided that no man
of that color would ever have choice given him
for his life. The whites, on the contrary usual
ly meet with the same treatment that Dash and
his companions had experienced. The feast be-
ing over, tatooing. operations were commenced
upon him. The instruments employed were pieces
of bone filed into the shape of very fine saws;
they were about three inches long and varied from
pen-knife's to two fingers breadth; these were
set in handles, and when used were placed upon
the skin and struck by sort of wooden mallet
till the blood spirited out. Burnt human bones
were then rubbed in over the wound. The pro-
Gees exceedingly painful, so much so that
only small portions of the skin were painted at a
sitting. Three months elapsed before the whole
tatooing was complete. Dash was marked on
the face, on the breast, the back, and from the
toe nails to the ancles. ALI the natives of this
island and the neighboring ones are tattooed-
The process seems to be compulsory, like some
of the limitations practiced by the North Ameri-
can Indians. 1t has to be undergone alike by
men and women, The priests or doctors, called
'tVahanna,' are the operators. The usual age
for the operation is eighteen. The father hands
over his children to the operator as they reach
that age, with certain sum, either of goods,
money Or land. In case of his death before his
children are sufficiently mature, he leaves some
Of his land for the same purpose. The men are
usually tattooed in patterns, women more plainly.
In women the lips. are marked by spots, the ears
are bored, and round the hole, faint blue eoncen-
trio lines are drawn; The hands are marked as
far as the wrists, looking as if they were gloved.
The feet are marked in similar way as far as
the ancle, and there extend strips from the upper
margin of his tatooed shoe to the knee joint.
When the process of tottooing had been prop
erly completed, Dash adopted by the chiefs
nto the tribe. This man changed places with
him, gave up his seat to him, and then exchanged
names; Dash became Coonooai (Coonooy) or the
"great Chief, and the chief David or Daniel Dash.
The chief could pronounce Daniel better than
David, and so adopted that one OF the two names
which the sailor claims the right to at option.
The chief also gave him his daughter to wife,
well-built, handsome woman of nineteen years of
age. He had to marry also four and twenty 9TH
ers, who expected to be treated his lawful
spouses, but who were inferior in some degrees to
the princess. e@e
The brothers and friends of these wives soon
built for their new associate a hut of bamboo, in
which the entire family resided. A small COM
partment was made for the princess and her
spouse-a sort of stateroom, to mark their su-
periority. He was in every way treated as
chief; the brothers of his wives prepared his vic
tuals; a pig was killed every second for the use
of his household, and they had many boiled
potatoes as they could eat. He had four children
only during the time he remained on the island,
three of whom died in their infancy. He was
about ten months before he could speak the Ian
guage perfectly, but he could make himself un-
derstood much earlier. " . "
The natives of the Marquesas keep up their
swimming powers throughout their lives, and at
tain extraordinary faculties. They have no fear
of sharks; when one appears in the bay the ma
tives singly or in numbers sgo out to attack it''
in it's own element with their knives. They have
canoes which they manage cleverly, and use in
trading excursions to other islands, or in fishing
The color of the islanders is similar to that Of
many tawny Spaniard-a light mahogany
The men and women are of medium height,
well made, and often very good looking. Their
dress consists of piece of tappa cloth, around
the loins, concerning which they are as careful
and proud as we are in reference to the quality
and fashion of our more numerous and costly gar
ments.- This tappa cloth is made by beating a
part of the bark of the breadfrut tree with sort
of wooden mall, which breaks up its fibres so that
it may be stretched out, like the lace bark of the
West Indies. This is carefully washed and
bleached until it becomes as white and fine as
linen. It is never woven. -, -
IN disposition the islanders are, by Daniels
account, true savages. They are constantly at
war with neighboring tribes. The country is
full of mountains and woods, the former being
extensive. The valleys and bays are the parts in
and about which the inhabitants are chiefly clus.
i tered. A distance of four miles is frequently
i all the interspace between the lands belonging
to the two hostile tribes. The men are constant