The Hood River glacier. (Hood River, Or.) 1889-1933, 1891-09-19

WHO lNHAelT TROPICAL ISLANDS
IN THE SOUTH PACIFIC.

the Water--A shark,
4 gentleman who has visited many OF
the out Of the way corners Of the world
gives the following account of group Of
South sea islands that are rarely visited
10y white men;
There is race OF people living almost
exactly cQuidstant between the two con-
tiuents Of America and Asia, who, though
they dwell in the tropics and are not far
distant from lands which are types OF the
luxuriousness of vegetation, the abund-
auCe OF moisture and the variety Of seem
cry associated generally with the cqua-
torial regions of the world, still have no
words in their primitive language for
such natural features as u river, stream,
lake, pond, spring or other body Of fresh
water; or for u mountain, hill, valley, plain,
crag or hlutr; fora meadow, pasture, field
or grass plate any kind for any four footed
animal, save, perhaps, species OF rat;
for any land bird; for but two or three
flowers or fruits, and for no minerals or
metals, simply because none of these
physical features belong 10 their land,
None Of the fauna and flora SO common
elsewhere are indigenous to that country.
This singular region is now called the
"Gilbert Islands, formerly known as the
"kngsmill Group and locally, as the
"RadiCk Chain of Coral AtollS. They
lie between lij degs. and III degs. W.
and , degs. : and 80 minis, n. of the
equator On the isothermic charts they
are eucircled 10y line of their own, with
in which prevails the highest average
temperature of any spot iii the world, not
/ that il seems to be very "hot' there, but
the temperature varies but little night or
| day, winter OF summer.
| The group is made up of some fifteen
| islands lying close to each other in long
chain, running nearly north and south.
| Each island is made of coral, built, prob
/ ably, on volcanic peaks, which are either
| the remains of a sunken continent or the
/ highest point OF areas Of slowly rising
| land. Whichever hypothesis is correct
| there, these wonderful islands are thou
/ sands of miles distant from the nearest
| important bodies of land, each lying-to
quote Professor Dana's words in his
| Coral and Coral Islands - like u
wreath thrown upon the waterh in the
| illimitahle waste of the Pacific.
The Gilbert Islanders while probably
nearly related to the Hawaians, are not
their equals physically or mentally. Still
/ they are fine looking people, and among
/ them may be found many specimens Of
manly and womanly beauty. There is no
difficulty in noting their physical charac-
| teristics, as the ordinary clothing Of
the men is short mat wrapped around
| the middle, and of the women thick
| fringed belt tied about the hips just below
| the waist. Sometimes the females-the
older ones-are further screened by q
child carelessly thrown over the back or
riding astride of one hip, but this is only
| done when the bowling youngsters 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 models of a
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 a small doll, but are
| fastened to their coal black, glossy hair,
which is very abundant, and of which
they are very vain.
This rather scant costume is completed
by suspending about the neck fiat disk
cut from O pearly shell, but that this is
not strictly an essential part Of their dress
was proven by their taking off and giving
us several of them-for tobacco!
The crowd that mustered on the beach
| as we landed was noisy and curious, but
| good naturedly so. When, as happened
| g., I,,
! toned to a near view Of "whiten men,
they-the young witches of girls especially
-indulged in much merriment at our un-
couth appearance. They made great fun,
our interpreter told us, of the heavy
"homesn 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 adj
miration, and hundred little attentions
were paid us They knew what tobacco
was, and coveted it.
The Gilbert Islanders manage to have O
good deal of fun. Being as much at home
in the water as they are on what land
they have, they all-big and little-go in
bathing at all hours of the day and moon
light nights. What they can't do in and
under the water isn't worth attempting.
In the serious business of fishing, too,
they are up to all sorts of tricks. A man
will provide 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 floating 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 hook, slowing
them into net hung around his neck;
bats the hook 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, appar-
emily.
At times they will discover some spot
in the lagoon where shark has estab-
lished himself. They will feed him for q
day or two with q mixture of fish and
cocoanut meat until he is gorged. Then,
calling the village out to help in the sport,
thick rope of cocoanut fibre is laid along
the beach, the noosed end being carried
| out in a canoe until over the sleeping