Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1884-01-27
THE ISLAND OF HAINAN.
The Rich Territory Which France is said
to Have Seized-A Curious Island of
the Saa and Tts Curious PaonIa

The Rich Territory Which France is said
to Have Seized-A Curious Island of
the Sea and Its Curious People.
The report that the French army has
succeeded not only in reducing SOntay,
but has also sent contingent to occupy
the Island of Hainan, is one of consider
able importance, the island being rich in
minerals, numerOusly populated, fertile
and of great extent. The rumor about
Hainan has not been officially confirmed,
but there is every probability that 1t is
correct, because it is no longer a secret
that France is determined to take GER
tain portion Of the Chinese empire as a
security for the expense which she has
had to bear in consequence of China's ac-
ton in Tonquin. Premier Ferry is cred
tied with having said that France will
eventually take possession of one of the
important Chinese ports. but, as that
would almost inevitably bring about inter-
national complications with those coun-
tries which are deeply concerned in Chi
nese commerce, it is probable that the re-
publican government will seek elsewhere
for indemnifcation, and there is no part
of the Chinese empire which could prove
to it more profitable or desirable from
every point of view than the extensive
island which separates the Gulf of Ton
quin from the China sea. The seizure Of
HaInan Will not involve a collision with
any European power; only the Chinese
government and the Hainanese would
have to be settled with.
PHYSICAL FEATURES OF THE ISLAND.
This splendid island, says a writer in
the Philadelphia Press, is shaped like
pear. The central portion is mountainous
and the valleys which lie between are
splendidly cultivated and wooded. Not
much is known to Europeans about the in
ternal features OfHalnan, although the gen.
eral features OF the towns on the littoral
have been frequently visited by travellers,
among others TaintOr and Mayors, but all
they have said or written on the subject is
that they know the island to be we'll
wooded, we'll watered and populated by a
sturdy race who possessed the love of in
dependence shared by the inhabitants of
most mountainous countries. These ex-
plOrers believe it to be possessed of great
mineral wealth, and paradise tor sports
men, as wild animals, especially deer,
wild boar and leOpards, ranged freely
through its forests. 1t is estimated to
contain about 1900 square miles, and pro-
badly it is as large as the State of Della
ware. The northern portion of the island
has an invigOrating, temperate climate,
but the southern, being sheltered from the
nOrtherly winds, is warm and humid, and
has corresponding influence upon the
physique of the inhabitants. Snow falls
so rarely that when it fell in 1854 the ma
tives thought that nature had gone mad
and that new era was daWning for man.
kind. They are, however, more familiar
with earthquakes, for these occur with
great severity almost every quarter of
century.
THE INHABITANTS AND THEIR CUSTOMS,
The population of Hainan, generally
speaking, consists of three classes. and
all possess features more or less of the Mon
gOlian type. The ShuliS are of the same
stature as the Chinese, but differ in haV-
ing warmer copper color, higher cheek
bones, more angular features, and eyes
OF the Caucasian type, inasmuch as they
are not Oblique. Their hair is long. soft.
thin and straight, and the men, with few
exceptions, are smooth faced. The women
are compactly built and when young
quite cOmely. The wild abOrigines of
Sheng-li are a fierce and intractable set,
who live among the mountains and guard
their land with a jealousy which makes it
almost impossible for any stranger to visit
them. Like the old Highlanders of Scot
land and the vendettists of Corsica, they
are divided INTO clans which quarrel with
each o5her with the most deadly animOs-
iUY, although they readily combine when
they are threatened by an outside foe.
If the French penetrate into the interior
they will find this out. The Chimes did so
long ago, for they found these wilde men of
Sheng-li so savage and intractabIe that
they exercised over them only a nominal
suZerainty. When any of these aborigines
appear in Kiung-shOw-fOo, the capital,
which possesses 200, 900 inhabitants and a
number of extensive and singularly pic
turesque ruins, they create a sensation.
CURSoUs CUSTOMS.
When these abOrigines marry, the BRIDE
groom prepares pattern, generally with
dragons, demons and trees as the domin-
ant idea, and orders his bride to tattoo it
on her face. This she does at once,
though the operation must give her in
tense pain, and when she reappears in
public she is known ever after, by the
pattern, as So and-sO's wife II Ito very
effective mode of IDENTIFICATION, and gen
erallv koops the woman faithful. when
a heath occurs in a family the relatives
assemble and agree to abstain from drink
ing for certain time and to eat nothing
during that period but raw beef. The
coffin consists of one log followed out In
the case Of sickness the relatives of the
sick person sacrifice oxen to propitiate
the evil powers, and, of course the num-
Der of sacrifices is in proportion to the
wealth of the interested persons. The
spring time is opened by picturesque pro-
cessi0ns Of gaudily dressed and painted
men and women, who wander from house
to house, hand in hand, and sing songs of
love and patriotism. The whole popula-
ton Of Hainaa is estimated at 1000, 900.
What the value Of its trade is no one
knows accurately, but it is great enough
to make Hainan q very valuable adjunct
to the colonial possessions Of the French
republic.