The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1891-10-11

business, and speared by some indignant
father of family; the figure was given
me by one of their contemporaries who
had been more prudent and survived.
The strange persistence of these fourteen
martyrs might seem to point to mono
mania or series of romantic passions;
gn is the more likely key. The poor buzz
snrds sat alone in their houses by an open
tase; they drank, their brain was fired !;
they stumbled toward the nearest house
on chance, and the dart went through
their liver. In place of paradise the
trader found an archipelago of fierce hus-
bands and of virtuous women. 'Of course,
ifyou wish to make love to them, it's the
same as anywhere's else," observed a
trader, nnocently: but he and his COM
panions rarely so choose.
The trader must be credited with vir
tue; he often makes kind and loyal hus-
band. Some of the worst beachcombers
in the Pacific some of the last of the old
school, have fallen in my path, and some
Of them were admirable to their native
wives and one made despairing widower.
The position of traders wife in the Gill
berts is, besides, unusually cnviable. She
shares the immunities of her husband.
Carfew in Butaritari sounds for her in
van. Long after the bell is rung and the
great island ladies are confined for the
night to their own roof this chartered lib
efslne may scamper and giggle through
the deserted streets or go down to battle
In the dark. The resources OF the store
are at her hand; she goes arrayed like
queen and feasts delicately every day
upon timed meats. And she who was
Aarh fAt
natives sits with captains and is enter
tanned on board of schooners. Five of
these privileged danes were some time
our neighbors. Four were handsome,
skittish lasses, gamesome like children,
and, like children, liable to its of pouting.
They wore dresses by day, but there was
tendency after dark TO strip these lend
ings and to career and squall about the
compound in the aboriginal rldi. Games
OF cards were continually played, with
shells for counters. Their course was
much marred by cheating, and the end of
a round (above all if n man was of the
party) resolved itself into scrimmage for
the counters. The fifth was q matron.
Ii was picture to see-her sail to church on
aSunday, parasol in hand, a nursemaid
following, and the baby buried in a
trade hat and armed with patent feeding
bottle. The service was enllvened by her
continual supervision and correction of
The maid. 1t was impossible not to fancy
the baby doll and the church some
t1ropean playroom. All these children
were legitimately married 1t is true that
the certihcate of one. when she proudly
showed it, proved to run thus, that she was
married for one night, and her gracious
taftner was at liberty TO ''send her to hell"
ne next morning; but she was none the
WISER or the worse for the dastardly trick.
j -
mihe IN plrated edition; II answered the
purpose rs well as a hall Bible. With all
these allurements of social distinction,
rare food and ralment, q comparative
vacation from toll, and legitimate mar
riage contracted on a pirated edition, the
trader must sometimes seek long before he
can be mated. While | was in the group
one had been eight months on the quest.
and he was still bachelor.
Within strictly native society the old
laws and practices were harsh, but not
without certain stamp of highminded-
hess. Stealthy adultery was punished
with death: open elopement was properly
considered virtue in comparison, and COM
pounded for fine in land. The male
sdulterer alone seems To have been pun
ished. Ii is correct manners for jealous
man to hang himself; jealous woman
mas different remedy-she bites her rival.
len or twenty years ago II was capital
olense to raise woman's ridi: to this day
II Is still punished with a heavy fine, and
the garment itself is still symbolically
sacred. Suppose piece of land TO be dis
Eutea In Butaritari. the claimant who
snail hrst hang a ridi on the tapu post has
gained his cause, since no one can remove
OF touch il but himself.
me rldi was the badge, not of the
snSn, nut the wife. the mark not OF her
~ out oil her station. 1t was the collar
Az a. she saves neck, the brand on merchan-
h.s Inc aduiterous woman seems 10
irnS.ap een spared; were the husband of
se 1de = II would be poor consolation to
Ka,.; aas draught cattle to the shambles.
akis S 70 TINS day calls his eight wives
NURSES, some trader having ex-