The New Orleans crescent. [volume] (New Orleans, La.) 1866-1869, 1869-04-18

AND UsAGEs.
From the New York TimeSl
remarkable man recently arrived in the city
of New York, loaded with irons and charged with
He was born in Rochester, New York, about fifty
years ago. He was sent to school In his early
years, but not liking books. be ran away when
nine years Of age. and making his way across the
vessel, then just about to sail for Havre. France,
and SO was carried away across the Atlantic. On
reaching Havre, he again ran away. because he
feared the captain would restore him to his
friends on returning TO the United States. He got
q berth on board @ steamer plying on the Seine
between Rouen and Havre. Here he was ILL.,
treated and finally left and went ashore. He then
shipped on q Swedish ship and made cruise in
the Baltic Sea. Thence he went on board Rus
sian brig; thence on fruit vessel to the Medter-
rsrean. He returned on o vessel to America, and
finally arrived at New York, whence be shipped
TO Honolulu. He then went on q whaling voyage
TO the Sea Of Okhotsk; thence TO Kodiak and New
Zesland, and finally to the Marquesas Islands.
This was thirty years ago. On arriving at the
Marquesas, he found living there, among the ma
tives, sailor with whom be had been formerly
acquainted, and who persuaded him also to come
and live q free life among the savages. He agreed
to do so, and took mp his abode among them. He
has continued to live with them until within the
last two years, and has acquired q most intimate
knowledge of the languages of this remarkable
variety of mankind, their manners and customs,
and all the strange passions and superstitons that
form the moving springs Of their wide life.
The natives quickly discovered the value Of his
knowledge, and gave him prominent position In
their community. Oitahu, where he dwelt, is a
small island of the Marquesas group, containing
about two thousand inhabitants. These are di.
vided into three knsdoms or clans, occupying df-
ferent districts. but always preserving strictly
amicable relations with one another, and consid-
eriDg themselves as one family. The kings or
chiefs OF these clans are Independent OF each
other but unite their forces In any against the
If he iala Wa
adopted by one Of the kings as his son, and was
always accorded princely honors. He always ate
with the principal chiefs, and had fourteen youths
appointed to act as his servants. The Marquessns
vaIued him on account Of the services he was able
to render them in Negotiating sales Of fruit figs,
poultry, etc., to the various ships which came to
the islands. He procured for them many axes,
chisels, knives and other implements. Iron in
fact has now become indispensable to the NATIVES,
since they have lost the faculty Of shaping and
even using the stone hstchets and knives, which
were formerly their only tools.
cANNIBALIsM.
The Marquesans are tall. finely formed men, of
q dark copper color, agile, and very coura-
geous. The women are slender, and much shorter
than the men. They are inveterate cannibas,
and this not from necessity. but because they pre-
| fer human flesh to any other kind of food. The
bread fruit vows in immense quantities In all the
| islands, wi any trouble Of cultivation, and
| the natives - d. gather what they please. There
are also great quantities of bananas, pine apples
| boova taro, and other tropical vegetables grow.
ing wild. The Islands are frequented by wild
| pigeons in prodigous numbers, and there are
| plenty Of wild goats and wild pigs. The seas
abound with fsh, which the natives catch by
| Supplying them with narcotic drug and then
| hosting them rapidly into their canoes. This
drug called dUdsd, and is prepared by the natives
from small plant glowing in different parts Of the
islsDds. Nature, indeed has been lavish in her
gifts 10 these beautiful regions. And, therefore.
Il IL not want but actual relish for mans iesh,
that tempts them TO these dismal feasts. IL ap-
| pesrs that they have human banquet about once
| 4 week. The victims are the prisoners takea in
! the numerous forsys which the Islands make upon
one a2other. There unfortunates are slain, their
bodies stunned vim sweetscenfed herbs, and then
roasted upon hot stones; inss are es.s--.s4 c-e-
apparently from the description. much
alter the plan OF cooking clans at
clam bake, and finally, when cooked, are eaten
ct the public feast. Starr says Nat he did all he
| could 70 persuade the people to forego these hor.
| nd practices; but, though they were willing
| enough to obey him in other things, they.decHned
to follow his advice in this. o. one oc5ssiot, be
says, they had prepared for feast Of mems {esh
| and as he had great horror of the whole aisir,
| he went of TO the mountains to hunt While he
| was on the mountains q schooner arrived IN the
| bay. u was -fha Saa Witch, oomrnanded by
| Captain Chapman, who had formerly been Anne
| ricsn vice-consul at Rsi0tea. The captain came
ashore to see Starr and trade with him for fruits
/ etc. He assembled from the rocky shore, and
walking through the little town, came straight to
| the public square when the cannbal feast was at
| its height. A native, knowing the purpose for
| which he had landed. came forward and taking
| him by the arm, pointed out Starts hut and
| tried to make him understand that he should wait
there while they sent boy after the absent white
| chief. The captain, however, seeing the nature
of the direful festivities then in progress, began
/ to be much alarmed. He doubted what these
singular gesticulations could mean; being fat,
| healthy map, q horrid suspicion began 70 tngle
/ he of hai ha aaad
| from the grasp. Of the natives at q bound. and
rushing of at the top Of his speed, never stopped
until he reached his boat, which he caused the
man to force with pretty rapid strokes through
the water until they came alongside the schooner.
| Starr afterward met the captain in Raiotae, and
| he told him that he had never been so much
frightened in the course of his life.
| TABOO.
| We are apt to talk of the tiresome etiquette
1 and tedious conventonalties Of civilized life. and
are also apt to imagine that there is q delicious
| freedom and absence OF restraint among unciyil-
lied tribes. Nothing can be more inaccurate
than such ideas. These Msrquesans are literally
IRON bound in q set of conventional and supersti-
| tious rules which extend to the most minute cir.
| cumstances of life. The great moral apparatus
for the direction Of society here, is called /" Ia
boo," which signifies anything that is sacred or
| forbidden or reserved. Taboo" embodies all
| these Specifications, and something more, since
| ii implies also fearful retribution upon all who
| violate II. linus, ali tne men eat tOgetner, ana
/ all the articles of food that are prepared for
| them are taboo" and must never be touched
| by a woman. Even the house where the public
| meals are eaten. and its Enclosure are taboo"
and women are prohibited from entering them.
4 II piece of hair shaven from q mans head has
| fallen upon any road or pathway, woman must
| not dare TO pass it. and q mark is set up TO
| chow that the place is " taboo" There are some
articles of food which men and women may eat
together, as there are few kinds of drink
which they may also share; all other kinds
| of food are taboo" If anything is thrown
accidentally upon the head 1t is taboo" and
must never be used; it Is hung up in the sa-
| cred Enclosure until 1t rots away. Any article
inadvertently lifted over childs head is taboo"
If woman climbs into tree, it is taboo" for q
man to pass underneath it 80 the tree has always
| TO be cut down. A Marquesan believes that II he
violates taboo" be will swell up till be bursts, aud
that II he should go In a canoe on salt water, he
| would be seized aud eaten by shark. And the
most singular fact Is that the force Of imagination
is so great smoDg these people that they do In
| variably take some disease and die II they unin-
tentionally violate taboo" II they are known TO
violate it intentionally they are Immediately
| killed. II Is customary for men when they are