Lewiston teller. [volume] (Lewiston, North Idaho) 1878-1900, 1891-04-30
SOME SAVAGE SPORTS.
FUN AS SEEN FROM DIFFERENT
STANDPOiNTS.
The Giant Swing Among the FIJI Island.
efs-The whip Dance OF Waraus
People-0oastinE on the
Surf Of HOnolulu.

49,
efs-The whip Dance OF waraus
People-GoastinE on the
Surf Of Honolulu.
What is sport Well, it depends q
good deal on the sort of people who in
dulge in it.
Among the enlightened inhabitants
Of this great and glorious country, it
generally consists Of two able-bodied
men trying to stun each other with the
blows OF their fists, or killing some
sort of animal or bird with firearm.
One Of the huge delights of the Fiji
young men and boys-and, to tell the
truth the Fiji young ladies likewise in
dulge in the sports the swing.
The Fiji boys look out for the stump
Of nice. straight and not too thick
grown tree, which has obligingly
grown on the side of convenient
bank.
Then they fastened to it a number
of lengths of native rope, which usually
have loops in their free ends. The
next process is for each player to place
his foot in one of the noOses and go
swinging of through the arc of the
circle of fifty or sixty feet in radius.
For the Fijian is almost, if not quite,
as much at home in the acQueous ele-
ment as his brethren the Sandwich
Islanders, and is usually able to swim
like n duck at about that period in his
history when he begins to toddle.
So he plunges into the game with
vigor, flying through the air to the
extreme length of the rope, before
letting go to disappear with splash
into the water, his wiry head OF hair
coming presently to the surface as
player after player follows his example:
and while the water is alive with coal
black wigs the air is rent with shouts
of laughter.
1t is rather different, however
among the natives of Guiana-Waraus
one of the tribes which inhabit the
banks of the Amazon. They are the
stOutest, sturdiest of these tribes, and
delight in a trial of endurance-a trial
such as any but tough skinned Indian
would prefer to be excused from at
tempting.
The young men of the tribe having
put on all the finery they are able to
muster. arm themselves with the
terrible maquarri-a peculiar whip,
from which tho dance derives its
name.
This whip is about five feet in length.
and in the hal.ds of a muscular Warau
it is capable of inflicting a wound very
little less severe than that which
would be produced by the downward
blow of knife. When the dance is
about to commence the performers
arrange themselves opposite one
another, waving their whips in the
air and giving utterance to cries re-
sembling the notes of birds.
Suddenly one of them stops, and
posing himself on one leg stretches
out the other, remaining perfectly mo-
tionless. The other stops, too, measures
the distance carefully with his eye,
| springs high in the air to give force to
the blow, and whish! down comes the
heavy whip with u fearful smack upon
his opponents outstretched limb, and
a red cash marks where the keen thong
has curled round his calf or ankle
The recipient of the blow utters
never q sound, but, smiling as cheer
fully a. possible under the circum
stances. again takes up the dance unit
it is the turn Of the other player tt
stand still and receive his punishment
which, We may depend upon it, ii
usually returned with as good will al
it was given.
Going little further south in thu
western hemisphere, we come to tn.
Araucanians. These people have F,
curious fashion of deciding which il
best man among them, and instead o
challenging each other to a turn will
the gloves, a wrestling match. Or il
serious cases. bout at fsticuffs, the.
settle the vexed question by trial a
hair-pulling.
There is a sport much INDUCED il
by the Sandwich Islanders and known
among them by the name of nolan.
The Sandwich Islanders are anon,
the best swimmers to be found in an,
waters. 1t is no exaggeration to sa,
that the little Sandwiches swim be
fore they can walk.
Providing themselves with small
pieces of board they swing out beyon'
the surf to the comparatively cain
water, diving under each successiv
wave as it nears them, and emerging il
safety, perhaps mile from the land
Great judgment is requisite in select
ing the right movement for diving. TO
should they err in this they stand tn
best Of chances of being flung bac
bruised and breathless upon the rugge
rocks which line the shore. Arrive
safely in the smooth water, the playe
/ mounts his little board and, lookin
out for the big wave which he know
will come in regular succession, h
I launches himself upon it and is sweI
forward with terrible rapidity towar
the iron bound coast before him.
Great art is required in the guidanc
' Of his frail plank through some one {