The National tribune., 1891-03-19
BLEACH THEIR HAIR

bAsiah'AA AaAiAs nam
wholly or in spots with coral lime and put
flowers in it, wear il in knots on top Of the
head, shave il completely, with the exception
Of a single lock, or wear tonsures after the
fashion Of Catholic ecclesiastics Of olden days,
among whom the bare crown was a reality.
When habilimcnts Of home manufacture arc
made use Of, these consist Of iringed girdle,
which FOR women hangs down TO the knees,
and a long brichtly-coloTed soften or ilpa scarf
The latter is woven from the fbcfs Of the paper
mulberry, and is worn twisted about tho waist
with but one end pendant and the other brought
upwards % the shoulders, OF allowed 10 fall, as
the case may be.
Above al other races the Polynesians practice
tattooing, In Tahiti, the Marqucsas, etc. this
embroidery OF the skin, which Is a pr0,racted
and painful operation, is commenced az an
early age. Lines aud figures Of all kinds aud
degrees Of cOmplcXity are prickcd upon the
surface with to0thea instrument aud pig
ment mixed with fat is rubbed into the punct-
ures.
Evidently whatever part Of the integumout
is closely tattOoed loses 10 a considerable eX-
tent the appearance Of nudity, and this is the
reason why those tropical races whoare nearly
WITHOUT CLOTHING
adopt this and other cXpcdients 10 give the i'm
preston that their bodies are draped. IN many
cases the tattoo has religious implications, but
universally potent passion which sways the
savage mind that Is 10 say, vanity.
PO.yuesian houses, which are communal
structures either % an oval shape or built in
the form Of paralleloarams, consist Of a slight
framework Of wood flied in with grasses canes,
/ etc, aud covered with a peaked roof Of leaves.
Sometimes the floor is raised so a. 10 prevent
flooding during The rainy season, aud COM
monty their living rooms and sleeping apart
mGnts are separated by mat screens More
rarely some further subdivision is effected by
the like means and The resting places Of sepa-
rate families are marked OFF, but usually they
all sleep together, aud with the worst consc-
quenccs.
These iusular communities wherever stu.
ated subsist chiefly upon vegetable food, BUT
fish, turtles, shetl-lsh, and on special occasions
poultry, pigs aud dogs are added 10 the sweet
potatoes vans bFcadlTuit. bananas tarO and CO.
commits that form their usual diet As in many
other parts Of the world cooking Is mainly ac-
I c0mp.Ishcd By roasting whatever is 10 be eaten,
previously cuvclopcd in wet clay, on bot stones
aud when this is not DONE the live embcrs
alone are made use OF.
Salts unknown throughout most OF Oceanica,
Its place being supplied by sea-water. Fire is
produced by the friction Of two sticks, and as a
rule, banana leaves, cOcDanut shells, calabashes
and shells take the place Of table equipage
among these tribes who all eat with their fn-
gers, aud consume large quantities Of food.
IN this respect extremes meet. Eskimo aud
the hyperbOrcan peoples generally deyOur d
considerable amount oil food, but the reason for
this is not the same In the cases cited. The
necessities Of an artic climate involve tho IN
festion Of much heat aud producing ALI
! meut; on the other hand, tropical Polynesians
EAT IEoEDINATELY,
because geographical situation cuts them Of
/ from provision whose chemical constitution Is
/ similar 10 that produced in the north, and the
/ supply al hand being poor ia those elements as
/ sentia 10 bodily viPOr the quantity must be in
creased IN order 10 meet physiological require
mcnts
! Milk Of The green or ripe cocoanut, water. and
! that dccOction Of wild pepper previously de-
GcriJcd rs kava, form the only native bsver-
i ages, The latter, whose use is confined 10 the
! arstOcracy, b said 10 be uuWh0lesome, aud 20
/ produce one Of the many forms Of skin diseases
/ which have been COMPOUNDED with true lcpr0sy
There are two kinds Of vessels 10 use: a mar
4 row canoe with an OuiTigccr, and double canoes
connected by platform OF deck, aud rigged
1 for sailing as among the Fiiiaus. Curved clubs,
sometimes set with sharks teeth spears which
. they frequently point with fish bones, aud
I 6llngs, make up the offensive weapons in use
here. Bows aud arrows seem 10 be plentiful.
but are only carried on hunting expeditions
P0iygamy rs the rnlcln Polynesia. Every man
marrlcs as many Of the prCcociously- deveopcd
/ and quickly -iading girls as be wants: the
more the better since being only superior 10
slaves IN this society, their labor Is "a source OF
prpat 10 the husband. Children are not al ways
neglected ln polyam0us communities but they
are here. The moral obliquity Of tho race
woakeus this strongest and most instructive 81
al t.es, and after their uucarcd-fOT infancy
they are soon left 10 shift for themselves.
All that is constant ia marriage is the feast
/