Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1890-01-23
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THE TAIL PIECE.
But where the above mentioned angle
of the land showed TO us a turning OF
the shore toward the south, we agreed
to sail beyond it, and search out what
might he in those regions. We pro
ceeded along the coast about six hundred
leagues, and often disemharked on The
land and talked and conversed with the
inhabitants of those regions, and by
them were received kindly, and by them
selves, whenever we would remain
fifteen or twenty days together. Were
amicably and Hospitality entertained. as
YOU will learn below.
a part of this new continent is in the
torrid zone. beyond the equinoctial line
equator toward the antarctic pole, for
the head of it begins in the eighth degree
beyond the equinoctial line equator
itself. We sailed along 30 much of this
coast, that the tropic of Capricorn hav
ing been passed. weefound the antarctic
pole 80 dogs. higher than their horizon.
and we We're near TO the antarctic circle.
as far as the latitude of III dogs, and
what there | saw and learned concern
ing the character, habits and tractability
of those races. the fertility of the soil
the salubriousness Of the air, and the ar
rangement OF the heavenly bodies, and
especially concerning the fixed stars and
the eight spheres never before seen or
considered by our ancestors, will speak
4 later.
First then, as to the peoples so far as
we came upon the multitude of the race
in those regions so great that no man
could count them, as we read in
the Apocalypse. call the race gentle
and tractable. All members of both
races approach each other naked and
covering no part Of the body. and even
as they come into the world so do they
go unto the time of their death.
For they have large bodies with figures
square and shoulders well proportional
anu "a oJhv, oo,uei Any VI. .tsii o5s, which
think happens to them because from
going about naked they are tanned with
the sun. They have thick, black hair
In their gait, especially in their sports
they are agile and easy, and of a comely
countenance, which, however. they mar
for they pierce the cheeks. the lips, the
nose and the ear: nor would you think
these holes to be small or as large as they
are. For have seen some of them who
had in their face alone seven holes, any
one of which was as large as a small
plum. They stop up these holes with
pieces of crystal resembling marble and
bits of alabaster, which pieces are very
beautiful, and also with bits Of glitter
ing white bone and other substances.
skillfully carved according to their Gus
tom. But if you could see anything so
strange and monstrous-a man. forsooth,
having in his cheeks and in his lips
seven stones, some Of them half as long
gin e. yc3- as..a, you would not be
-:::iS;:s establishment. toT o:tcntimes
have considered and thought that seven
such stones would weigh sixteen ounce.
and more. In each ear, pierced with
three holes, they are accustomed to carry
other pendant stones in rings. and this
custom is peculiar to the men, for the
women do not perforate the face, but
only the ears.
They do not have garments or cloaks
linen or silk-because they are not
necessary to them, nor DO they possess
individual property, but all things are
owned in common. They live at the same
time without king, without a govern.
ment, and each man is law unto him
self. They have as many wives as they
please, and the son marries his mother,
and the brother with his sister, and the
first man the first woman wherever he
meets her. As often as they wish they
break up their marriages, and in these
matters observe no rule. Moreover. they
have no temple and no law, nor are they
idolators. What can say more? They
live according to nature, and NAV be
called epicureans rather than stoics.
Among them there are no traders nor is
there any exchange Of goods. The tribes
carry on war among themselves without
art or recognized rules. The elders in
certain public assemblies of their own
turn the young men to whatever course
they desire. They are also eager for
wars. in which they kill each other with
cruelty, and those whom they have made
captives in batth they preserve for kill.
ing. not for the sake Of their lives, but
for the purpose of food. For sometimes
one side and sometimes the other is vic
torious, and eat up the vanquished. and
among them human flesh is common
article of food
OF this fact you may be certain, be
cause already father has been known
to eat up his sons and his wives. and
myself have known and talked with a
man whom they used to report had par
taken of more than three hundred human
bodies; besides spent twenty seven DAYS
in a certain town where | saw in the
houses human flesh sailed and hung
from the ceiling jus. as it is the custom
among us to hang bacon and pork. /
say further, that they wonder why we
don't eat our enemies, and do not use
their flesh as food, which flesh they de-
clare to be most savory.
The limitation Of space compels the
cutting short of the letter at this point.
But what an interesting story the Italian
voyager tells! Even in it's quaint Ian
guage it reads as well as Stanley's latest
letter upon Central Africa 1t is but lit
tie wonder that his admirers changed his
name and called him Americas rather
than Albericus Vespuccius in honor of
the New World he had discovered.
WILLIAM E. s. FALEs.
oc'ooer being the eighth month Of ,ns
year, derives its name from octo, meaning
eight.