The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1891-04-28
HEATHEN CURIOSITlES.
THE VALUABLE COLLECTION IN THE
NEW YORK MUSEUM.

It Contains Dancing Masks, Wonderfully
Carved War Clubs. Blood Stained Dag
gers Made from Human Bones, Paddles
and Maces-Sharks' Teeth Weapons.
The rarest and at the same time the most
valuable collection of South sea curiosities
in existence, priceless in that in contains
specimens which can never be replaced,
may be seen in the American Museum of
Natural History at Seventy-seventh street
and Eighth avenue. II 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 quest of more
than thirty years previous to that time
among the islands of the South Pacific
ocean.
Contained in sixteen cases, each feet
wide 10 feet high and 10 feet long, extend
ing along the entire east side of the third
floor of the building, are over 6,000 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.
Any number of these curiosities repre-
sent an epoch in different South Sea ISL
ands long passed. Such specimens it is
impossible in these days to duplicate
While there is no end TO the odd and in
teresting curiosities in the collection, yet a
visitor will find his attention directed par
tcularly to the masks from New Ireland,
New Guinea and Solomon Islands. These
were used in former days in religious
dances and ceremonies, and were SO made
that they could be worn over the head.
The faces are carved from wood and hide
ously ornamented with red and white
paint. The upper part consists of frame
work of pliable wood, covered either with
native sponge or with sinnet made from
cocoanut fiber. The eyes are represented
by small green and white periwinkle shells.
WEAPONS OF WAR.
From the Solomon, New Hebrides and
New Ireland islands is large collection of
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 degree of strength and resistance.
Two particularly interesting but horrible
specimens come from New Guinea in the
human legs The bones are about seven
inches long, the sockets being used as
handles, while the other end is sharpened
to a point. These CHASTITY curiosities were
captured by the crew of a whaling ship
during fight with the natives of the ISL
and, and the stains made by human blood
can readily be discerned.
Specimens of fine carving are very nu-
Inerous, being especially noticeable in the
case of canoe paddles, war clubs and maces
used AS badges Of Office on ceremonial
occasions. Many are ornamented with
mother Of pearl or abalone shell. 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 father and
completed by his son after the death of the
former. There being no metal tools in the
islands in those days, the carving had all
to be done with pieces of shell or with
sharks teeth.
Two fine war clubs from the island of
Santa Cruz, in the Solomon group, are
wonderful 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
voyage of discovery. No tidings having
been received of the expedition, the king
sent second expedition to the South seas
in 1871, with instructions to search for the
missing explorer. But beyond the fact OBJ
tanned from some natives that several
FIR ench ships were wrecked on the island
of Santa Cruz in 11SS, this being verified
by the finding of relics from the missing
ships, no further tidings were ever heard
of the great French navigator.
ORNAMENTS AND IDOLS.
The collection of jade ornaments and
weapons is especially fine. These come
more particularly from New Guinea and
the early Maori settlements in New Yea
land, while many specimens are products of
Mangaia, in the Hervey group. Heads of
jade, used for battle axes and AIDES, are
quite numerous, being firmly fastened to
carved handles by strips of the finest plat
ed sinnet. The finest specimens of orna-
mented plating come from Mangaia, the
sinnet being laid on so firmly and evenly
and in such variety of designs 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 a sharp stone or sharks
tooth dashed to a handle.
New Zealand, New Ireland and the Mar
ouesan group, the Kingsmill and Easter
islands contribute a number of wooden
idols varying in length from twelve inches
to three feet, and much resembling in de-
81 On those in use by the Indians of Alaska.
The heads are fashioned with either for
bidding or grotesque features. Dogs teeth
are often set ia the mouth, while the eyes
are made of mother of pearl, in the center
of each being set black bead to represent
the pupil.
Two suits Of armor from Samoa, made Of
fiber, are among the rarest and
finest specimens in the collection. Each
suit is made of two pieces and corresponds
in form to European coat and pair Of
trousers. The plating is done so finely and
closely that it would offer strong resist
ance to modern bullet at reasonable
distance These specimens were brought
to Nantucket by a whaling ship in 1853.
Such armor has long been out of date in
Samoa Not single suit can be found in
the islands today.-JOhn c. Klein in New
York World
Superstitions About Beetles
In Sweden the churchyard beetle is re-
al Of