Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1892-01-30

persons Of distinction and were set mp az monu
| ments to perpetuate their memory. Tht
| smallest of them that has been found measure.
| three feet in height. They are all very much
alike. each being the upper half OF human
figure, cut of at the hips. The faces are OF ar
unvarying type, with heavy brows, long nose
| and short upper lip. In every case the head il
cut fiat on top, so as to hold the crown. AL
the effigies, upon being placed in position, vert
adorned with massive crowns OF red tufa, some
times weighing much as three tons and meas
uring twelve feet in diameter. The burial
platforms we're usually near the beach, so thai
the images could look out upon the sea- They
were constructed Of rough pieces Of rock ordi
narily. with facing of cut stones neatly Joined
inclosing chambers which were filed with
corpses wrapped in dried grass and laid at full
length with their heads toward the ocean. Be
meath one platform was discovered a vault con.
tanning vast number Of skulls closely packed
together. From the fact that all of these
crania were those of adults it is presumed that
they were trophies of a war. The largest plat.
form Is $40 feet long, feet wide and feet
high. II was ornamented with fifteen gigantic
statues. all OF which are now thrown down on
their faces, their crowns lying near by.
The image makers were a privileged class
and their profession desce nded from father to
son. For some reason, which in all proba-
bllity viii forever remain amystery, their work
was suddenly discontinued, never to be re-
sumed- The statues In all stages Of completion
roads to the coast indicate that the labor was
suddenly arrested, presumably by some extra
ordinary calamity, but tradition is silent as to
the reason why. Respecting the cause of the
destruction and overthrow OF these monuments,
very extraordinary story is told by the sur
vlvlng natives. 1t had to do with the prac tice
OF cannibalism, which was formerly popular on
Easter Island 1t is said to have originated
with band of warriors which was defeated in
war and besieged in a cave stronghold Being
reduced to starvation. they ate the prisoners
they had captured and the custom obtained
such favor that enemies slain in battle were
also devoured. Finally it came about
that every unfortunate against whom the most
trivial charges were made met with a similar
fate. Any person who displeased the king was
marked for sacrifice and goobled. There were
even instances where children were eaten by
their parents simply for the qualification Of an
unhealthy appetite. Ruins are found today Of
sacrificlal affairs, on which there is reason to
believe that thousands of individuals we're
cooked. In these affairs are receptacles which
were utilized as ovens for roasting to a proper
turn the bodies of victims. Up TO SO recent a
time has cannibalism prevailed that the older
Islanders now surviving acknowledge having
consumed 'long pig when they were young
and describe the process of cooking employed.
The completion of burial platform was
always made the occasion for feast Tradi-
ton states that the one called ''Tahiri' was the
last built. Its workmanship was exceptionally
fine, as may be seen TO this day, and it was in
tended that the seyenty-foot image in the crater
workshop should stand upon it. Everything
being In readiness. great cannibal banquet
was given by the powerful tribe of yinapu.
Unfortunately. the wife of the chief Of this
tribe, who herself belonged TO the Tongariki
clan, was sighted in the division of the long
pig" not receiving the rib roast IT other Sc
lected portion which she entitled TO by
her rank according to Easter Island etiquette
Enraged at the insult, she went back to her
own clan. which rose in body to defend Ton
garlki honor. Bloody wars followed, during
which the platforms were wrecked ami the
statues thrown down. and thus were these ex-
traordlnary works ruined.
THE ANCIENT GOVERNMENT.
The ancient government was an arbitrary
monarch, the people being governed by an he
reditary king, whose person was sacred. Into
six districts the island was divided, each being
ruled by a chief, whose authority descended