Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1875-06-03
Picturesque Sayages.

The special correspondent of the
Pioneer of Iadic, who accompanied
the British expedition against the Ma
gas, gives the following description Of
the natives and their abodes
The Nagas about here are most pict-
uresque savages, far surprising the
Dufias both as to the number and ma
ture of their decorations. A descrip-
tion Of the head man Of this village in
tull dress will give you some idea of
them. On his head is a helmet of fine
colored cane-work red and black
plume rises from the front and falls
over the back. From the front on
either side two curious strips of buffalo
horn, each about two feet long, and
carrying at the ends couple of touch
an feathers, stretch themselves out,
ana two smaller rips, adorned with
long tufts Of hair and feathers, spring
from the back of the helmet; through
the knot of hair at the back of the
mans head two or three curved pieces
OF horn, carrying long tufts of red and
white hair, are passed.
From the ears depend strings of yellow
beads terminating in long waves of
hair. On each arm above the elbow
he wears innumerable rings (about
eight or nine inches in diameter) of
red and black cane, the lowest being
furnished with long tufts of black and
red and white hair, which fall grace
fully on the forearm; the wrists being
adorned with deep bracelets of cloth
and cowries round his waist. and
pinching 1t in very much, is broad
belt Of variegated cane-work, and his
lolns are covered with deep blue cloth
with embroidered ends and red fringe.
Below the knee he wears broad bands
OF cowries, and wisps of yellow grass
are bound round the ankle, the long
ends sticking out in front. In his left
hand he carries a shield of buffalo hide
ornamented with red hair and four tas-
sells of yellow grass, and in his right
hand is formidable dao, with broad.
triangular blade and handle two feet
long, adorned with thick tufts of hair.
The dao rather than the spear seems
to be the principal offensive weapon
here. The Nagas Of this tribe tattoo
a good deal on the face, four lines be-
ing taken over the forehead, under,
the eyes and round the corners of the
mouth, meeting on the chin, two fine
lines marking out a lozenge-shaped
space on the nose. The effect is the
reverse of pleasing. There are some
men from two neighboring tribes--the
Borduarias and Nanusavgias--in the
village. These men do not tattoo on
the face, but do a good deal on the
body and legs. They resemble the
Mutans closely in dress and decorations,
are much cleaner than most hillmen,
and as rule are fine. well-made fell
lows. They all wear their hair tied
up in big knot behind, on which their
helmets rest away from the forehead,
exactly in the fashion adopted by la
dies at home now. The women wear
nothing but strip Of cloth about six
inches deep tied loosely round the
loins; some supplement- this with a
little tattoolng on the body and legs.
The houses here are large and commo-
dious; one end 'rests on the ground,
and the other is supported on long
bamboo piles; the principal uprights
project several feet through the ridge
Of the roof. suggesting the idea of
| chlmneys at a distance. These are
thatched carefully to prevent wet pen
etrating through the hole they make in
the roof. The thatch is sometimes in
geniously worked into figures of men.
We are told that this arrangement of
posts is adopted in order that if they
are damaged by damp, etc., below the
ground line, that part can be cut off
and the post lowered without affecting
the stability Of the house-an ingen-
ious idea.
He was past the prime Of life. but