Dodge City times. [volume] (Dodge City, Kan.) 1876-1892, 1888-10-25
GILBERT ISLANDERS.
Interesting People Who Dwell or Cora
Eeefs in tie South Pacific.

| G'CSERl ISlANOtRS.
Interesting People Who Dwell OF Coral
Reefs in the South Pacific.
The Gilbert Islanders, while proba-
bly, nearly related to the Hawaiians,
are not their equals physically OF men-
tally. Still they are Il finc-looking peo-
pie, and among them may. be found
many specimens of manly and womanly
beauty. There is no difficulty in noting
their physical characteristics, as the
ordinary clothing" of the men is
a short mat wrapped around the mid
die. of the women q thick fringed belt
tied about the hips just below the
waist. Sometimes the females-the
older one-are further screened by a
child carelessly thrown over the back
or riding astride of one hip. but this is
only done when the bowling young
sters refuse to be left behind when the
villagers rush to the beach to see the
white strangers.
The young girls often coquettishly
screen their heads and necks-from the
sun-with broad fans simply braided
from palm leaf. One article of dress
they much affect are pretty little mod
els of woman's bonnet of the
"coal-scuttle" pattern. These are not
worn on the head, where they would
look ridiculous, being only big enough
for small doll, but are fastened to
their coal-black, glossy hair, which is
very abundant. of which they are very
vain.
This rather scant costume is COM
pleted by suspending about the neck
4 fiat disk cut from a pearly shell, but
that this is not strictly an essential part
of their dress was proven by their TAX
ing off and giving us several of them
for tobacco.
The crowd that mustered on the
beach as we landed was noisy and Curl
Gus, but good-naturedly SO. When, as
happened in few instances, they were
not accustomed to a near view Of
"white" men, they-the young witches
of girls especially-indulged in much
merriment at our uncouth appearance.
They made great fun, our interpreter
told us, of the heavy "homes" (broad-
leafed hats) we wore. OF our being
wrapped up in clothes, and of our feet
being cased in little canoes (our shoes),
so that we could hardly wade through
the loose, dry sand. But when from
the pockets of our ''loose skins" we
drew plugs of tobacco, their ridicule
changed to respectful admiration and
| hundred little attentions were paid
us. They knew what tobacco was, and
coveted it.
Gilbert Islanders manage to have
good deal of fun. Being as much at
home in the water as they are on what
land they have, they all-big and lit
tle-go in bathing at all hours of the
day and moonlight nights. What they
can't do in and under the water isn't
worth attempting. In the serious bust
ness of fishing. too, they are up to
all sorts of tricks. A man will pro-
vide himself with lot of water-tight
cocoanut shells as floats, and from
each he suspends three or four short
lines, armed with fish hooks made out
of sharp fish bones, These he takes in
his canoe, and, going out little way,
bats his hooks and sets the shells float
ing about. Soon he will see one bob
and whirl around and then, slipping
overheard, he disappears under the
water for time. While down he goes
from float to float, detaching the fish
from the hooks, slowing them into
net hung around his neck, bats the
hooks from supply he carries in his
mouth, and eventually returns to his
canoe with his net crowded full. All
this he does without taking breath,
apparently,
A times they will discover some spot
in the lagoon where shark has estab-
lished himself. They will feed him for
day or two with mixture of fish and
cocoanut-meat until ne is gorged.
Then, calling the village out to help in
the sport, a thick rope of cocoanut-
fiber is laid along the beach, the noosed
end being carried out in canoe until
over the sleeping brute. One man
then slides overheard and. quietly
descending, manages to slip the moose
over the sharks tail and draw it tight.
This being done. the signal is given,
and, as the crowd of visitors, chanting
merrily. tramp over the beach with the
rope, the infuria.ed but helpless shark
is dragged backward onto the shore,
and there dispatched with clubs. 1t is
great fun for the supplemented ma