The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1888-07-10
The Cradles Of the World.

INHERENT peoples nave CRANES peculiar W
themselves, and merry little eyes some
times look out upon this big, round bad
that swings in the air from some novel
houses Tnere are persons living to-day
whose cradles were of the primitive back
woods pattern, being roughly hewn trOughs
fastened TO clumsy rockers. From cradles
OF this kind have stepped presidents, gen
erals and statesmen and the frontier rock
ers, IN more than one instance, have rocked
the world
The Chinese have a queer institution
which they call the winter cradle. 1t is
shaped somewhat like an hour glass and
stands on end. There is an Openlng above and
below, and the waist, which is contracted,
serves to keep the celestial baby on its feet.
Day after day little almond shaped eyes
peep over the top Of this cradle and little
hands play with miniature dragons and
other toys till the nurse puts in an appear
ance. Some of these winter cradles are
made OF wicker work and are beautifully
painted by Chinese women artists. 1t IS
almost impossible for one to be upset; but
now and then, when two are placed close
together and the occupants declare war and
measure arms, two cradles roll over the
loor u noises that bring down tho hou'e.
The Lapp baby very often has a snow
cradle, for when the indulgent mother at
tenis church she makes hole III the snow
outside and deposits the young Laplander
therein. 1t is no uncommon sight to see a
circle Of these snow cradles III front of a
Lapp chapel, and now and then fierce
looking oJ of dogs are on guard to keep off
the wolves that might mediate rad ON
the baby contingent The Lapp cradle in
material differs essentially from that used
by the Bushman baby, whose mother digs
hole i'll the hot sand and chuCks him
therein IN the shadow of some lonely bush.
Sometimes the cradle IS ready TO hand in
the shape of an ostrich nest, and now and
then some feathers left by the mighty bird
help to soften the nest OF the future Bush
man warrior,
There is a tribe in the palm region of the
Amazon that cradles the young in palm
leaves. A single leaf tn ned up around the
edges by some native process makes an OK
cellent cradle, and now and then it Is made
to do service as a bath tub. Strong cords
are formed from the Sinews of another
species of palm, and by these this natural
cradle is swung alongside tree, AMI the
wind ROCKS the little tot to sleep. Long
aAb the Amazonian mothers discovered that
it was not wise to leave baby and cradle UNI
der cocoa palm, for the mischievous mon
key delighted to drop nuts downward with
unerrInR precision, q older child is sta
toned near by to wash the the baby dur
ing his siesta, and the chatter of monkeys
I overhead is enough to cause q speedy
migration.
Patagonian ba bies are kept in cradles made
Of fiat pieces of board. Two pieces of guam
AGO skin are SO arranged across the cradle
that the child is. firmly fastened inside and
can be carried thus, suspended from a saddle
| bow without danger In the rude hutS of
| this people these cradles are hung, ham
! mockwlse, to the rafteTs and amid the
| smoke that darkens everything, including
| ms very nature 1t seems, the PataGonian in
| FAINT passes the first stages of babyhood.
| When the village migrares the cradle is
swung from the saddle and i'll swimming a
| stream it floats like a canoe on the surface,
! while the horse is almost entirely sub
| merged Sir Francis Head, who saw
| great deal of PatagOnlan life years ago,
| leaves on record the statement That the Pat
asonian baby in his queer cradle is one of
the best natured representatives of the in
FAINT world
The Samoan CRADLE am sorry to say,
Is a torture box So is that used by the
| Chinooks of our northwest coast The
| baby Is dashed to a board with strong
| thongs L nder the head is pillow formed
| OF moss or rabbit skins, and piece of wood
is placed over the head at an incline and is
| held in its place by cords which reach to
| the foot of the queer cradle The forehead
is bandaged and the pressure of the in
| chned board gradually llattens the head of
the child to the desired degree. Impris-
oned thus the Chinook baby passes the first
| eight months of its existence. During all
this time it is never wholly released
though the various bandages are taken off
at stated intervals from motives OF ceanli-
moss. This is Chinook baby raising. The
| SamOats encase their children IN torture
cradles, face upward, and impede the
growth of the skull with weights of fiat
stones There is no possible escape from
the cradle, and the Samoan and Chinook
babies are compelled TO begin life in man
ner that savors of heartess brutality.