The New York herald., 1869-01-17

RARl-Su, q EAsTn uLAHD.
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Tns British sseamer Topazs, on her return 70 vs-
paraiso from . recent cruse brought nom Eastsr
Island some Of tie gigantic images OF which muuh
has been heard from time to time but Of which -
little IL really KNOWN and which. indeed constitute
the chief attraction In that barren, outocshs-wsy
spot. These images were placed on view on board
the Topase In Valparaiso, their great bulk and
weight precluding their being easily sent on Shore
The following account Of this island and IT'S gigan-
tic images, from the valparaiso Aaf, win be found
Interesting
Rapa-nui, or Easter Island as 1t IL moro commonly
called, Is situated IN lattute n deg. 10 min south
and longitude 100 deg. 26 min. west u OF txiangu
lar form, and about l1A miles long and 6X broad.
1t is such remote spot and 80 out OF the ordinary
track of vessels that but little Is known OF It, Cook.
in his voyages, mentions having visited the island
In 1772 remaining there q few days to examine the
colossal statutes which Roggewn, the Dutch navt
closely Inspected At frst sight this island presents
. dull barren appearance not tree is to be seen,
potatoes and sugar cane forming green patches, an
is brown with sundried grass The coast ls varied.
aas e ss
which is LOFTY, rising IN pinnacles to the height Of
about 200 feet from distance It has the appearances
0l SAIL Around these and on the western side lies
Cooks Bay where he anchored; the anchorage II
toleraby good. the trade wind blowing or the Shore
the position being open 1t Is opposite this bay
that the village Angaroa lies, just above . slnah
e o ns ssa e
harry purNJ. Between them and the mission house.
which = % built on rising ground ABOUT quarter Q!
which there are about hundred; they are built OF
grass and reeds. and matched with the same mate
bottom up. and are not more than SIX ieet high with
Q small square hole for an entrance about eighteen
TO twenty ncnes square, just large enough to creep
IL Is only within the last three years that the mis-
sionaries have effected landing, whites having
arrived led life OF slavery FOR year. but through
his perseverance, aud industry ell the savages have
two others in his work Of love- it appears that about
the 1880 vessels from the republic OF Peru
20 IL
slaves Of whom only two were returned, the re-
mainder having died Of small pox SO that there
the island. Their dress consists in most cases
OF girdle round their loins, sometimes with the
their shoulders. In their former savage state they
wore large head-dresseS made OF BIRDS feathers.
They also had necklaces Of shells strung on piecs
OF thread They used to tattoo themselves all over
which made them look almost black; but that the
missionaries have stopped; the younger ones are
quite free from this savage practice and are OF
The men are lazy, indoent ana dirty, all the labor
being thrown on the women; sort OF native police
is established by the missionaries, BY whom, when
work Is required fr0m the men, they are supefln-
tended and punished should they fail to perform the
task allotted them. Their food consists OF sweet
potatoes and sugar cane both Of which grow in abun
dance all over the islands; the latter though is Of
very inferior quality. not being cultivated the only
animal food they have at present are rats but sheep
and poultry have lately beeen added TO their Stock
the fowls having greatly increased. Water is very
scarce, there not being stream on the island
anywhere. The supply IS obtained from pools Of rain
water formed In the bed Of the cratcrs Of which
ranOkau, il about two miles from the village and II
situated on the southernmost extremity. It Is about
tom and about 500 feet deep and is quite round
The bottom Is perfectly nat and marshy, with reeds
and moss growing on and here and there are the
pools where the natives get their water The sides
slope evenly down to the bottom with great unit
formity. though rather seepy, and covered with
ridge Is broken, and there the view Is very beautiful
and picturesque Just above this part, on the right
OF bu o ars S %c
account OF their position, and being very low
and entirely overgrown with grass and ferns, are
hardly distinguished. They have o small square
hole. with aspassage to 1t about i've feet long and
about foot square; in height they are about the
same as the grass ones OF the village; rough paint
ings Of BIRDS canoes &C., done slabs OF stone
placed in the sides Of the interior OF the hut in red,
from the exterior Of these hnts for the Gin rises uo
to perpendicular height OF about 900 feet the
birds living about IN great numbers and the two rocks
before mentioned with the surf breaking high upon
them, make up very pretty picture. Tue other two
volcanoes are situated each extremity OF the ISL
and. The one to the eastward, 0tooiti contains .
large number OF the gigantic images spoken OF beforc
this crater though not so large as the last mentioned
Is perhaps more interesting The bottom Is about 300
yards In diameter, covered with water, but full OF
reeds, with sugar cane growing round the edge the
ridge rises up on one side to great rocky height at
the foot OF which were several images fDlo-a,
standing erect, others fallen down: the features
were generally well chiselled though the lips seemed
rather unnaturaly drawn to the n0se the largest
measured was fourteen feet from the top OF ita
head 70 the chin nine feet across the shoulders and
thirty feet long. Outside the crater also great
number Of tmages In fact there quantities strewn
about all over the Island, but nowhere In such num-
bers together as at 0too-iti. The only Information
that can be got concerning the carving Of these
hoo came over TO Rapa-nu In large canoe from the
island oil Rapa-iu 1.-THE island where the New Zealand
steamers have their depot), carved the images and
then changed into butterfly, from whence those
insects get their name, t0ok0oth00. About two
miles from the village and on the southern shore u
q spot called wenapu, where are two platforms
with images lying on them. At one time theso
must have been II Is supposed the burial places Of
some great chiefs for underneath the faen Dl0Gt OF
one OF the platforms Is q vault containing human
most cases huge caps OF stone placed on the top q
their heads, but these, with the 0d have all fallen:
some OF these six feet In diameter and four feet
high, and the qunrries from whence they have been
obtained are situated on the top OF the ground
directly behind the village. / must not forget to
mention the paddles (tdrdpa) winch the natives
make. and which are really well carved; they arc
not used to paddle their canoes, but to nourlsh
about In their dances; also the little wooden images
which are very curious In their make they with the
with . kind OF volcanic glass. Tho soil, though
light Ia fertile. The climate In very good and
healthy and the temperature is mild. The nattvoa.
had they more and better food, would be Q much
finer race. Theyaro very intelligent and, with thl
care and guidance OF tho missionaries, viii, hd