Alma record. (Alma, Mich.) 1878-1928, 1892-01-01
WILD MEN OF BORNEO.
MISSIONARY LABORS AMONG
THE SAVACES.
What Has Been Done to Ciyilige The m
Head Hunting. Brutal Warfare,
and Barbarian Done Away
With-Agrlcuiture.

prllne'hl JunBle I'LL up inc lslanu Oh
Borneo, says the Chicago Inter- Ocean.
| Devoted Catholic missionaries form an
entering wedge OF Christian civiliza-
ton at one end of the country. Sir
Charles Brooke. Ra ah of Sarawak.
with the English. have center OF
culture at the other. The intermedi-
ate land is claimed by the Dutch. who
have issued carefully prepared map
of the interior without taking the
pains to make any preliminary explo-
rationS
The Very Rev. Thomas jackson. an
Englishman of venerable appearance,
is the project apostolic of Labnan and
Northern Borneo. A member of ST.
Joseph's Foreign missionary society.
he received in 1881 a commission from
Rome TO engage in the work OF re-
claiming the utter savagery OF the
natives OF this remote land. Father
Jackson's life has been replete with
interesting experiences from the be-
ginning of his missionary career.
His method of procedure Is that of
the Catholic Church in its foreign mis-
sions everywhere. Three priests, two
Irish and one Dutch were sent TO the
island in 1880. They devoted them
selves at first TO acquiring the native
tongue, preparing vocabularles and
translating the prayers OF the church
into the vernacular. Nothing had ever
been done in this direction. perpetual
war waging between wandering tribes
had filled the island with innumerable
dialects. and the priests had even TO
devise system OF transiteration.
This necessary work completed,
during the preparation OF which the
missionaries had dwelt among the ma
tives and acquiring, as far as possible.
their habits and customs of living,
they sought TO save souls. Finding
the elder people so imbued with ira
ditions that progress among them was
almost impractlcable, they procured
children for attendance upon the
schools they hoped to establish.
Slowly by much pleading and ardu-
Gus labor, they obtained pupils. The
little saddle olored children were
homesick and ran away betimes but
the force used TO get them under the
church's tutelage was sufficient TO
bring them back. There was no con-
ception OF school or instruction or
knowledge before the advent of the
missionaries. Money was unknown,
commerce and agriculture things I'M
dreamed of. Rice the only staple OF
the country, was grown n little at a
time by dint Of careful watch kept
day and night, against the inroads of
ha
men of the woods" came down in
force and left never a spear behind if
the guard failed for moment
The priests devoted half the day to
instructing the children in the art of
planting and sowing. Arrangements
were made for the sale OF the product
with the Chinese converts on the coast
and trade sufficient to support the
children themselves, so far as food is
concerned, has already grown out OF
these efforts
Through the children, parents and
kinsiolk ere gradually reached. The
superstit.ols practices OF savagery
stood in the way, and was very slowly
overcome That barbarous custom
known as head hunting was and is
stumbling block. To become a man
in its full aboriginal sense, a warrior,
it was necdful for the adolescent TO
bring home the heads of those slain in
war either in combat or in the result
ing massacre, 10 boil them and hang
the denuded skull in the primitive
cabin. Collections OF fifty or sixty
grinning boninesses are not unusual
ho nF f,.ih
This practice had become fashionable
many years ago and the Christian
youth in the community found it i'm
possible 10 obtain wives without these
CHASTITY evidences of their powers.
The means adopted to obviate what
might have been an insuperable OBJ
lection to the new faith are interest
ing.
Father jackson journeying in pursu-
ance Of his apostolic duties arrived
at the station in charge OF Father
Dunn, one of the first priests sent out
from Europe. TO find his assistant
in deep distress II appeared that
war had just been declared by the
tribe among which bis labors were
carried on. against a band of maraud-
ers far distant in the interior. The
question whether heads might lawfully
be taken had been submitted 10 the
priest by the Christian young men, and
he had awaited the coming of his SUI
perior. Within few days the wan
dering disciples heard Of the Projects
arrival, and waited upon him for
settlement OF the difficulty. After the
Ysual anStapn conformation about dif-
ferent and irrelevent things, the
query was propounded Father jack
son replied that the war was just
one, and that Christians were justified
In engaging in righteous strife.
But may we take heads?" was in
sisted
Yes" said the reverend father, If
the men be killed in warfare the TAX