The National tribune., 1891-01-22

4 ON ethnology of that divi-
An E<ETFl sion OF Pacific Island
| A1EA Il ers who are called
| E&<NAl y \. Melancsians, the geo.
E<A ". MY graphical order adopt
N=~--4A sS.zssz-- ed next brings us i'm
| E559%nez contact with those false,
.[=-tfSx Ess 49, cruel savages who in
~ Sf-ST habit the Sol ON o n
@SssSS-~ isles, situated 10 the
southeast of New Brit
ain Archipelago. So
! far as these are OF Melanesan stock they be-
! long TO the Papuan race, but physical differ
ences exist between the populations OF northern
and southern islands in this group which have
been accounted for upon the ground that the
] lighter color aud superior bodily development
OF the former, were due TO Polynesian invasion
and consequent intcrmixture of blood.
Without discussing those conditions and pro-
cesses by which race amalgamatiOu results
sometimes in improvement and at others in
degeneration, tho fact remains that, while
these natives are mentally Of the highest grade
among all peoples belonging TO theft family,
/ they are morally inferior to most populations
/ upon the face of the earth.
How they became so is another question and
| one which our limited knowledge Of their his
tory does not enable us 10 answer. It is safe to
assume, however, that if the tribes Of New Brit
ain, New Ireland and New Hanover are for the
most part amiable aud friendly, hOspitabe and
| trustworthy, while the Solomon Islanders arc
/ the reverse, and massacre and eat every
/ stranger they lay hands upon, there is a suff-
cient external cause for this conduct. near or
remote. The opinion that their behavior is due
10 innate depravity or to suggestions from the
| devil, may be an orthodox way OF accounting
| for it, but is not one TO which the natural his
tory Of man lends any support.
Little or nothing is known Of their religion
and yet il is 10 his creed that most Of what
! IL IL n. -
referred. Their
POLITICAL RELATIONS
are equally obscure and, as in the case OF all
! peoples, from these arc derived many of the
more important elements OF opinion which ex-
4 press themselves i'm their conduct 10 each other
and toward foreigners.
At present war is the natural state OF the
Solomon Islander, and this has been the case
! for an indefinite period. Inevitably a much
worse style Of man is produced under such cir
cumstances than if life were more peaceful.
large part Of his energies being directed 70 com
! passing the destruction Of other men in order
that he may devonr their bodies and display
their skulls as trophies those abhorrent traits
enlarged upon by evangelical visitors and
/ traders, naturally become very conspicuous.
Their principal god (Yona) they say is deaf
and blind, aud as offerings TO this deity are cast
into the sea, where they sink or are swept
away, there are no priests 20 contribute any
/ thing toward the regeneration Of society. Ger
tain wooden idols occupy places in the council
houses, but these receive little reverence and
/ indeed without priesthood of some kind there
can be no defined system Of worship, and there
/ fore religious sentiments must be undevclOped.
Such would appear TO be the fact from re-
ports Of the III success Of Catholic and Protest
ant Missionaries in these parts. Nevertheless,
the character Of those fierce and goddess canni-
| balls has been 10 some extent msrepresented by
writers who, while actuated with the best in
! tentiOns no Doubt, evidently overlooked the
/ importance Of facts which they probably
/ gArded Ms Of minor Importance. We hear tho
! indictment against them, but not the defense.
1 For example, there are but few domesticated
animals among these tribes, and game is scarce
and Insignificant.
| Under such circumstances man eating is per-
| feciy natural and has prevailed everywhere.
IL has been already explained that primitive
men have no objection to human flesh rs such,
aud that ia the nature OF things they must be
| incapable OF those sentiments which render an
| thropOphagy OdiOus 10 those who are differently
conditioned. Meat, however, is, or seems TO be.
q general necessity, and with nations among
whom the
CONSUMPTION OF ANIMAL FOOD
! is not regarded rs sacrilege, "meat-hunger," as
il is called in Africa, always manifests itself
4 under some aberrant form. aud does not appear,
as in this instance, capable Of being satisfied
with fish.
Independently, then, Of any religious obliga.
ton which they may feel 10 deyour cseh other,
an obligation which is often Of The most
stringent character, and apart from the sane
/ tion which other sentiments. as is frequently
the ease, might lend 10 this custom, their can
| nibalism is nothing more than should be- cx-
pected from an ill-supplied savage aud isolated
| race.
Furthermore, il is stated that their council
houses have a religions as we'll as r. socio.
| political character, that they live in well-buit
! quadrangular houses which are highly Ona-
mented, aud are gathered together into perma-
nent and rudely-forti6ed villages; that the
! people possess a rudimentaTy form OF shell
money, are fond Of music, preserve their dead
| with care, and regularly till enough ground 10
supply their immediate necessities. These facts
are incompatible with the pictures in which
the Solomon Islander is drawn as a bloodthirsty
brute, without reverence. uprightness or honor.
Awe Of and respect for persOnihcatiOns OF
natural forces or those which reside in them
selves, are common 10 all men, aud however
doubtful the conceptions attaching 10 them
may be, the gods in their council-chamber are
more than ornaments. The delibcrative assem-
bly, itself bears witness 10 some appreciation Of
human wisdom and experience 10 a certain sub
ordination Of individual will, and TO a mutual
foTbearance and trust, without which its exist
ence would be impossible.
SaYagcs arc most commonly misjudged, and
as a rule they are misrepresented in the minds
Of the majority by being separated In thought
as a class apart from the rest of humanity. In
reality the only differences between these and
evolved men are those dependent upon relative
development Savagery is prolonged child
hood, but there is the same groundwork Of fac
ulty and feeling in the one case as i'm the other
aud children ia civilized communities are saw
ages with the inherited capacity for
RAPID EVOLUTION.
There arc also like contrasts and resem-
blances between these classes and members Of
the same class. Among the unenlghtencd "A
few men rise 10 an eminence which places
them beside ourselves; among ourselves multi.
tHdcs possess all the essentials Of saVagery.
The weapons made by the Solomon Islanders
are the best in the South Seas. " Bows and ar
rows" (the latter frequently poisoned by being
dipped in decomposed animal natter reach
the highest development 10 be found among
Papuan races" War clubs, sometimes shaped
like sabers, bone and shell-tipped spears with
iulaid aud carved shafts, and a shield that is
| impervi0us 20 these destructive implements,
and in time Of peace serves for an umbrella,
constitute their armament. They construct
canoes Of planks and boards, steady them
| with outriRgers 10 carry sail, and ornament
these high. popped aud lofty bowed little ves-
sells with the best wood carving that the Pacific
races produce.