The Redwood gazette. [volume] (Redwood Falls, Minn.) 1873-1940, 1880-06-03
Astonishing the Natives.

Mr.. Whymper won the admiration of
his Alaskan friends by the exhibition of
a few Of those amusing pyrotechnic
toys termed Pharoah's serpents. Sir
Samuel Baker found galvanic battery
q sure source of establishment in saw
agedom. At parting with Rot lamar,
Of Fatiko, the traveller placed the two
handles of the apparatus in the hands
of that potentate, which gave a shock,
and sent him away surprised and de-
lighted; and nothing pleased the King
of Unyoro SO much as witnessing the
effect OF electricity on the members of
his court and household, every one of
whom was compelled to undergo the
operation; Kamrasi insisting upon the
operator putting the battery to its ut
most power, and going into roars of
laughter at the sight of his favorite
minister rolling on his back in con-
tortions, without the possibility of let
ting the torturing handles fall from his
grasp.
The author of "Two Years in Fiji''
found scariier "a kind of cupping-
glass; of even greater service to him.
self, while yielding unbounded delight
to the natives. Nothing" he writes,
"was considered more witty by those
in the secret than to place this appar-
emily harmless instrument on the back
of some unsuspecting native and touch
the spring. In an instant twelve lancets
would plunge into the swarthy flesh.
Then would follow long-drawn cry,
scarcely audible amidst the peals of
laughter from the bystanders. As soon
as the native recovered from the alarm
consequent on the suddenness of this
attack, he would ask to have the appli-
cation repeated perhaps six or seven
times. The reason of this was not very
evident ut first, but found by-and-by
that the operation was considered a
wholesome one, and also that the regu-
larity of the marks left on the skin was
much admired. At q time of great
scarcity, when the natives refused to
sell any food, I'bethought myself of the
scarifier, and by exacting a taro-root
from each person who wished to be
operated on, succeeded in collecting
enough supplies to complete the jour
ney."
A missionary stationed at one of the
South Sea Islands determined to give
his residence coat of whitewash. To
obtain this, in the absence of lime, coral
was reduced to powder by burning.
The natives watched the process of
burning with interest, believing the
coral was being cooked for them to
cat. Next morning they beheld the
missionary's cottage glittering in the
rising sun white as snow. They danced,
they sang, they screamed with joy.
| The whole island was in commotion.
Whitewash became the rage. Happy
was the coquette WHO could enhance
her charms by daub of the white
brush. Contentious arose. One party
urged their superior rank; another OBJ
tanned possession of the brush and val
icntly held it against all corners; third
tried to upset the tub to obtain some OF
the precious cosmetic. To quiet the
hubbub, more whitewash was made;
and in week not a hut, a domestic
utcnsil, war-club, or garment but
was as white as snow; not an inhabi-
tant but had a skin painted with gro
tesque figures; not pig that was not
whitcned; and even mothers might be
seen in every direction capering joy
ously, and yelling with delight at the
superior beauty Of their whitewashed
babies Chambers Journal