Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1885-04-10
AMONG THE FEJEBs.
wonderful Language and Habits Of
Truly Wonderful People.
Letter to s1N Fr4a r'sc0 c1ronIels'

Truly " OnderfuI People.
Le.tey. IN g1A Fy14 c14co CA4onicle.
It is a common impression that the
South Sea islanders are all cannibals, and
that the islands are filled with wild beasts.
Such is not the case. Tnere are no quad
rupeds there, except pigs, and caunibal-
ism has ceased to exist except in the
most remote and unapproachable Of the
isiandB. The natives are INDECENT ana
far from being savage, and in their fela-
tons with the whites are easy going and
simple. There is IHle romance arb1 less
adventure in exploring these Southern
archipelag0es. These islands are all OF
volcanic origin, and IN the lowest strata
show no evidence of ores or minerals.
The vegetation il tropical and luXurlant.
and the forests abound Ia every variety Of
birds.
1t is a common supposltion that the
islanders are physically dwarts and the
women shryeled and bag-like in appear
ance, resembling the Indian squaw. The
truth is, however, that no iincf race
exists in the world as regards physical
structure. The men are tail and web
formed. The women have magnificent
proportions, pleasing faces, are neither
fiahby nor tat, and the contours OF their
bodies are harmonious aud YOluptuOus.
Y
show beauty in their natural form, as
they wear nothing above the waist. BY
actual measurement they approach the
Venus OF Milo nearer than the European.
Their houses are built Of framework
Of Saplings. put together without any
nails, fastened by sennit made from the
cocO0nut fibre. and thatched with a long
grass to the thickness Of several feet. The
SIDES and ends are filled with Il lattice
Of . at Il INIT al
floors are covered with soft grasses to the
depth OF several feet, over which are
spread mats. One end Of the floor is raised
about one foot above the rest. and is used
a a bed, upon which is laid from 80 to 100
OF the sOttest mats. One corner is re-
S rived as small fireplace, con-
ai-ting Of bare ground and a
few stones, where are ALWAYS kept
sm0lderng a few cocOanut husks. used
fort G purpose of making the sa'Hk0, or
native cigarette. The tobacco which they
smoke is simply the raw leaf dried in the
sun. They hold the leaf over the fire until
il ~ crisp, and then roll it in dried banana
leaf to sharp point at one end and broad
at the other. One cigar usually does for
several persons, each taking few Whitts
and passing it 10 the next
The food staple OF the natives is fruit,
but they have more sumptuOus edibles
chief of these is the madrai, made from
any tuit-yams, taro or bananas
pounded into a trick paste and buried on
the shore between high and low water
mark. There it is left TO decompose for a
year, VIXEN il is dug up and steamed in a
large pot. When unToTed from the dried
banana feaves the Odor is that of bad
sourkr0ut sliced with LimburRer cheese.
The natives relish this coudiment as
masterpiece of their art, and eat it with
out even holding the nose. II il sweet To
the taste and easily digested. Another
POlyBesian delicacy is a raw fish about
the size of a sardfne, which the natives
scoop out Of the water and bolt while the
FISH is stlll wriggling. They taste like
sardines.
The natives are very polite In their in
tercourse with each other. When one7
sneezes his companion says, ''Sabula."
yonr health; the person sneezing replying,
Mol" thank you. They never meet in
the morning without saying ''Sa YandFs,''
1t is awake, and in departing say, 'sSa
lPki mOce," 90 to steep. The common
rm in then language for WRITE men is
h2i uapalagi," the first word meaning
"of the race off, ana The hast, beyond
the horizon" The PeiynesiaDs have
words TO express even metaphysical ideas,
and the language rs flexible enough to
convey new notions when frat presented
to them. They call steamer, ''laca
inka," or sal OF fire, instead of incorpO-
rating the English word into their speech.
The language abORuds in poetry, without
rhyme, and mainly Of the trochee metre,
as the accents of the words usually fall
on the penuit. They celebrate love mar
tlal deeds, teats of strength, and drinking
teats in verses, which are handed down
by oral tradition.