Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1884-12-10
FERTILE FORMoSA.
PRIZE NOW co vErxD sYS SaAscx
An account Of the IsIasd. im rsssle, Rss.
aacss, and Gsvesnmsss.

An aeeoast Of the IsIasa. lts ressle, PSss
dacss, and Gsvesumsus.
Tam Sui sFornosaj Letssr.J
u the French take and colonize Forno-
"a, tney VIII have such possession as they
nave nowhere else In the world. II is an
lsi'nd of great possibilities Of development.
IL Is rich In soil. nearly all Of Il. even 70
remote valleys snd nigh mountain siopcs.
capable Of cultivation. snd II has usIld.
equa5le climate that s not unhealthy md
Is suitable 10 grains and fruits and other
vegetable productions OF far northern and
southern attitudes. Coal Is known 10 exist
mere and there IN the mountains IN great
Quantities, snd there are supp ,sed to be
hrrc deposits of gold. siIvrr. and other
N ntrals precious aud useful, nwaiting In
felligenf development. Were IL lIIed with
French farmers and its full capacities test
ed, there Is no predicting what might not
be done with 1t. There II M question that
the French can hold It II they see tit. for
nc matter how well the Chinese may be
allie to defend themselves on land, they
have no power to retaka territory which
has been once taken from them.
Formosa lies directly opposite the south.
ern provinces Of China, from With IL II
divided by a channel perhaps 40 miles
wide at its broadest point and so miles
ut the narrowest--that is, the strait be-
tween Tam Sui and nearest land In the Fo
KIN province. Its mean temperature Is
therefore that Of these districts OF China,
except that, being surrounded by the sea.
II IL much moister, and IT presents an
aspect OF universal greenness when the
whole OF the mainland Is as brown as
California In s5mmer-time. The entire
length '0f the island Is 2l0 miles. and Its
extreme width 20. IL forms a pretty
piece OF territory, far more salubrious
than Tonquin or Cocbin China, and II not
more fertile, having at least the Advantage
OF being habitable BY Europeans. The
Chinese claim the merit OF having discov-
cred II, so also do the japanese. II would
be strange, considering its nearncss, tuat
the navigators OF ore or other OF these peo-
pie should not have seen or visited II. But
Its first settlers we're the Dutch, who. from
India, Java. AMI Siam, pushed round into
the China seas and reached here In 1884.
Their occupation only continued few
years, though 1t gave them time 10 finish
two forts OF some solidity, one at Tam-Wan
Foe, the capital, and the other at Ia ,l-Sui.
the seat OF the present troubles. II was
about the time OF the Tartar invasion, and
they were speedily dI:pos.essed by the pI-
rates under Koksinga, who infested these
seas and rendered commerce impossible.
After the departure Of the Dutch and the
partial subjugation OF the pirates by the
new dynasty, the Chinese began to emil
CRATE from the neighboring Province OF Fo
Ken, partly OF their own free will and
partly at the suggestion Of, or TO get as far
as possible from, their Tartar masters.
This immigration has been going on grad
ually, till now the population OF Chinese
and half-breeds numbers from 5000, 900 TO
4 .00e, 600. OF late years the Chinese All.
have been trying to accelerate IL.
Placards are posted i'm Annoy. Swatow, and
adjacent villages, Offering land IN the in.
terror TO all who Will cultivate it. This
land Is, Of course. on the frontier and ad.
iacert to or on the upper slopes OF the
still occupied by the savages
w hose property has not been purchased
ard who object to being dispossessed.
When the deluded Immigrants arrive they
are told where their property l. located
and directed 10 90 and t,ke IL. IL Is this
that has caused the trouble with the saw
ages and lead TO the high premium they
these valued that they are considered essen
tal TO the worship OF the aborigines, and
amor2 some tribes no young brave is al
lowed TO marry till he cen bring a. proof
Of his va'or at least one head or skull with
pigtail attached.
THE ABoBIGrSEs.
When the Chinese came they found two
distinct peoples. though perhaps not races,
inhabiting the island-the Pep-o-whlns on
The western coast and the plains and foot
bills 10 the east OF them. and the sayages
whose various tribes occupied the entire
range. from the extreme north to
the extreme south. and portion of it,
" eslern slopes and valleys. The Pep-o-
" hans easily affiliated with the invaders.
They had before been friendly with the
Dutch, and TO this day there are found
among them those who pretend, with con-
siderable pride, 10 strain OF Dutch blood.
W hen the Protestant missionaries came
q few years ago they found them quite
npproachable, and now claim many OF them
as sincere converts. They have intermar-
ried with the Chinese, partially adopted
the Chinese dress and habits, and so lost
much Of their distinctive character. They
are farmers by occupation AMI mild and
friendly in disposition. The women are
described as large and finely.fOrmed and
wearing a peculiar head-dress, made by
braiding red six. or worsted. with the
hair and then coiliDg il about the head into
a crown or coronet. Possibly per cent.
Of the Chinese portion OF the population
are Pep-o-whans, and the two races are so
closely allied in interest as to render them
10 all infant and Yt,Fpasaa ono naonIp
Scattered along the eastern frontier OF
the Chinese settlements are the Hlkkas.
who may number $4,000. They began to
emisrate from Kwang Tune, the Canton
province, and Kwang 81, just west OF II. at
. comparatively recent peri0d. They are
race OF aborigines, who speak dialect un-
like any other heard in China, but mostly
resembling the mandarin. They are strong.
hardy and brave, the pioneers OF this small
world which they have chosen as their home.
Their work is to till the fields and cut down
the camphor forests for Chinese capitalists
md landowners. OF late they have been
brought IN from the fields and made SER
giceable in fighting the French. Without
hem it is barely possible the late repulse OF
he landing party at Tam Sui would never
have occurred. In most respects these peo-
ple are Chinese--of 4 better class, IL Is
,rue-and need no minute description.
Like the savages, they are thought TO be OF
MALAY origin, though they have come to
he island at much more recent date.
SAVAGE LIFE AND TRAITS.
The "savages" are known ty no other
name among the Chinese, by whom they
ire greatly dreaded. They live in stockaded
villages in the mountains. They are oe-
seen in the cities on the sea coast,
)ut are rarely visited by whites in their
native forests. Though they are 50 bitterly
hostile and SO war-like, tbey are being
gradually forced backed into their noun
ain fasinesses, and their subjugation or
,ntire extinction IS but question OF COM
Daratiyely few years. Those In the south
IN half Of the island are best known.
These are described by those who
nave visited them as having the brown,
.mooth skin Of the Malay, and be.
ng symmetrically made. They have never
illed the ground till lately, having hitherto
ived by the chase. They are black-halred.
and not bad.ooking, iudg'
ng them by Oriental standards. Their
women are spoken OF as finely made and
iarkly handsome. Disease has never been
Known among them until smallpox was
by foreigners some years
lgo. Their ideas OF religion are vague and
md often ferocious. Among certain tribes
he chief object OF alteration Is post
decorated with three skulls. Chinese skulls
ire considered the most appropriate oiirr-
ng on their bloody altars. Other tribes
sith gentIer sentiment worship beauti-
ul echo in an outdoor temple in valley