The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1891-03-31
SOUTH SEA CURIOSITIES.
COLL CTION AT THE AMERICAN
MUSEUM OF NATURAL HISTORY.

/ dancing MaSkS-BlOod Etained Dag
gers Made From Human Bones
Wonderfully Carved War Clubs
Paddles and Maces-Shark's Teeth
Weapons-Curious Idols -Cocoanui
Armor.
From the Mem York World.
The rarest and at the same time the most
| valuable collection of South Sea curiosities
| in existence, priceless in that it contains
| specimens which can never be replaced,
may be seen in the American Museum OF
Natural History at Seventy-seYenth street
| and Eighth avenue. 1t is known as the
Sturgis collection, and represents not only
| an expenditure of thousands Of dollars in
cash, but nearly twenty-five years of search
in the United States and a quest of more
than thirty years previous TO that time
among the islands Of the South Pacific
ocean.
Contained in sixteen cases, each five feet
wide, ten feet high and ten feet long, ex-
tending along the entire east side of the third
floor of the building, are over 5000 articles,
the greater part of them beautiful, others
less so, but all Of them quaint and curious
and possessing a particular interest for
civilized people. Among the number are
many pieces brought back to the United
States by Commodore Wilkes of the Ameri-
can navy, who was sent out on an explor-
ing cruise to the south seas by the govern
ment in 1884 with the ships Vincennes,
Peacock. Relief, Porpoise, Sea Gull
and Flying Fish. In many instances he
brought back duplicate curiosities, and
through exchange many of these we're
obtained for the Sturgis election. Other
additions to the collection were made from
time to tune by purchase from private col
lections, but by far the greater part was
picked up at intervals at the old whaling
ports at Nantucket New Bedford, Falmouth
aud Edgartown, having been brought to
those places at odd times by the early
whalers of the South Pacific ocean. Many
valuable curIoslties we're found stow ed away
in out of the way places in the houses of
ola whalers VINO had retired from the sea
years before, and who settled down in the
country surrounding the places named.
Any number of these curlosities represent
an epoch in different South Sea islands long
passed. Such specimens it Is impossible in
these days to duplicate.
NO END TO THEM
While there is no end to the odd and in
teresting curiosities in the collection, vet a
visitor will find his attention directed par.
tlcularly to the masks from the New Ire
land, New Guinea and Solomon Islands.
These were used in the former days in re-
ligious dances and ceremonies, and were so
made that they could be worn over the
head. The faces are carved from wood and
hideously ornamented with red and white
paint. The upper part consists of France
work of pliable wood covered either with
native sponge or with sinnet made from
cocoanut fiber. TEH eyes are represented
by small green and white periwinkle shells
From the Solomon, New Hebrides and
Nav lTalauH iG n -
bows and arrows, the former seven or eight
and the latter about five feet long. The
arrows are tipped with bone or hard wood.
No iron is found in the islands and the wood
is hardened by fire to give it the proper de-
gree Of strength and resistance.
Two particularly interesting but horrible
specimens come from New Guinea in the
form of daggers made from the bones of
human legs. The bones are about seven
inches long, the sockets being used as han
dies, while the other end is sharpened to a
point. These ghastly curiosities were cap
tured by the crew of a whaling ship during
a fight with the natives of the island, and
the stains made by human blood can readily
be discerned
Specimens of fine carving are very nu-
merous, being especially noticeable in the
case of canoe paddles, war clubs and maces
used as badges of Office on ceremonial oc-
casions. Many are ornamented with
mother-of-pearl or abalone she'll The in
trIcate designs, remarkable for their regu-
larity and finish, are the results of years of
slow and careful work, much of the carving
having been begun by a father and COM
pleted by his son after the death Of the
former There eing no metal tools in the
islands in those days, the carving had all to
be done with pieces of she'll or with sharks
teeth. Among the collections are specimens
from the islands of New Hebrides, Mar
qlesas, Solomon, Samoa, Fiji, New Ire
land, Tonga New G inca, Mortlake, Caro-
lines, Kingsmill and Easter islands. Each
island has its distinctive style of workman
ship, which can be readily distinguished by
an expert.
Two fine war clubs from the island of
Santa Cruz. in the Solomon group, are won
derful specimens of the carver's skill. 1t
was in the vicinity of this island that the
great French navigator, La Perouse, was
wrecked. In 1885 King Louis XVI. Of
France sent him to the South Seas on voy-
age of discovery. No tidings having been
received of the expedition, the king sent a
second expedition TO the South Seas in 1871
with instructions to search for the missing
explorer. But beyond the fact obtained
from SONG natives that several French
ships were wrecked on the island of Santa
Cruz in 1888, this being verified by the find
ing of relics from the missing ships, no
further tidings were ever heard from the
great French navigator.
JADE ORNAMENTS.
The collection of jade ornaments and
weapons is especially fine These come more
particularly from New Guinea and the
early Maori settlements in New Zealand.
while many specimens are products Of Man
gaia, in the Hervey group. Heads of jade,
used for battle-axes and adzes, are quite
numerous, being firmly fastened to carved
handles by strips of the finest plated sinnet.
The finest specimens of ornamented plait~
ing come from Mangaie, the sinnet being
laid on 80 firmly and evenly and in such a
variety of desings that the work bears
the appearance of having been done by
machinery. The handle of the Implement
is in many instances hollow, the native
workman having contrived to cut away the
wood through the intervals between the
upright pillars. The carving was all done
with sharp stone or a sharks tooth dashed
to handle. Jade being susceptible of such
a high polish, much of it has been utilized
by these islanders for articles of personal
adornment in the form of earrings and
breast ornaments
From the Kingsmill Islands come some
interesting weapons, comprising what may
be termed, for want Of more suitable words,
lancss, spears swords and knives or dag
gers These are meant more for striking
than for thrusting. A slit runs along the
edge of the wood, into which the bases of
sharks teeth. the latter being serrated, are
small ftOla baVipor baiprr