Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1867-11-06

their turns-tirst the young chief and af-
| forwards the others, IN the order of their
rank. As the process is exquisitely pain
| ful, only small portion of the body is
done at q time.
After all preparations are made, the
DlQtai is presented with more mats, and
sometimes with canoe as well. As long
as he is engaged in this art he Is bountifully Y
supplied with food by the grown-up relatives
of the boys.
The performers consist Of five or six
persons-hrst of all, the natal, and num-
Der OF assistants, who wipe away the blood
with pieces of soft native cloth, as fast as
it oozes from the flesh under the eXcrucia-
ting manipulations Of the operator \
young woman sits cross-legged on a seat,
and holds the head Of the youth in her lap
tie stretches himself out at full length
Three or four other young women hold his
legs, and sing. so as to drown his groans, as
he writhes under the lacerations of the
instruments, Although it is looked Mt rs
unmanly 10 groan, it is not unusual for the
young barbarians to yell Justify as the flesh
is cut into by the operator.
The natal first tattooes stripe on the
back, and works steadily until patch of the
size Of 4 mans hand is finished The youth
then willingly gives place to another, who
is held and sung to, and yells as per sample
Until the skin is healed the boys are
really hideOus objects as they hobble
about, brushing off the flies, and show, by
their contortions. that tattooing, like war,
| is L finer thing to read about than to under
90.
The instruments used in tattOoing are
human bones, five III number, TO suit the
patterns, which are sometimes extremely
elaborate. They are from the eighth OF an
inch to haitian inch in width. u half an inch
long, and attached to handles made ofreeds
SIX inches in length and about the thick
ness ola finger. They resemble carpenters
. AIDES. The edges are serrated like fine
tooth comb. These curious instruments are
driven into the skin by the tapping Of 4
little malet, and are worked with great
rapidity and precision.
The instrument is dipped every few
moments into a mixture made from the
ashes Of the cocoa-nut and water. This
passes into the skin with every tap Of the
mallet and produces blue toned color
When the operation is about half finished
the natal waits for another present before
he will consent 10 continue his work This
demand, of course, is granted, because an
unfinished tattoo is regarded as ''very dis
reputable" The last part finished in the
navel, and it is a fearfully painful tlaaale.
When the entire operation is over, another
payment Is made, and the DldtQi goes back
to his own home.
This process has now lasted three or four
months. During all this time the natal
and his assistants have been fed at the ex-
pense OF the parents Of the youth, and
have had numerous gifts Of fine mats, fine
clothes and canoes.
When all is over" writes Il native
Tahite, and the youth thoroughly healed,
a grand dance is got up on the first availa-
bic pretext, TO display the tattooing, when
the admiration Of the fair sex is unsparinc-
Iy bestowed And this is the great reward
looked foreward 10 by the youths, as ther
smart under the hands Of the nl1taii''
The design or pattern Of the tattooing,
according to Mr.. Pritchard, IS III the main,
alike throughout the group, though certain
districts have, what they called coats OF
arlIs in addition-some animal, usually,
which serves 10 distinguish man when
slain IN battle-and each generation has
some particular trifing variation.
:. Instances occur, he adds, though
rarely, when lad becomes frightened and
refuses to have the tattooing finished, in
which case he becomes the butt Of the
Jokes and taunts Of his own sex and the OBJ
ject Of the jeers and ridicule OF the other"
The friends Of this system like to defend
it from an artistic point Of view. I remem-
Der a Scotchman who was tattoocd-who
submitted to the operation to save his life
and was soon after elected chief-who told
me that when he objected to the process,
he was answered, Why, your face looks
Ike q tUrnip!" 1t was too plain TO
please them.
And even Mr.. Pritchard adds, =. For an
untattooed Samoan does in truth look I'M
manly, looks even naked, by the side OF
one who is tattooed "
Every man to his taste,