The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1893-02-22

BILE, careless, irresponsible people in the
world. The nearest approach to work of
any of them is in their employment as
cowboys on the stock ranches. They
are wonderfully expert horsemen and
also become adept in the use of the lasso.
A native man, or native woman for that
matter, is never 80 happy as when on
spirited horse, going at hand gallop,
decked out with howery leis and stream
ers of bright colored cloth, in screaming
conversation with whole troop of CON-
panions. They ride their horses to death,
they kill their babies with neglect and
improper food, and yet it cannot be said
that there is grain of conscious cruelty
in their nature. They are licentious and
sensual to an unparalleled degree, in
fact the most promiscuous and unbridled
intercourse is the universal rule among
them. Yet there is no record of any
violence ever done by them to woman.
A white woman is absolutely safe among
them without any protection, and is ex-
empt from insult or even disrespect, be.
yond what may come from an uncon-
scious usage of etiquette. Many of them
pass the greater part of their lives squat.
ting on woven grass mats before the
doors of their huts. chattering inconse-
quently and eating their meal of fox
whey the inclination comes to them.
THE FAMILY CIRCLE.
The household sits on mats around the
calabach and all dip their fingers in the
common supply, bringing them out with
an upward and outward twist, followed
by downward and inward twist and to
the desired haven of the mouth. 1t is
not infreguently the case that two men
and one woman dwell together thus in
peace and harmony. In family circle
there is not unlikely to be an old crone
who puts in almost all her walking hours
in monotonous chant, which is carried
on steadily through all the clatter Of
small talk by the others. These old
women arc possessed of prodigious infor.
nation and have been indu'triously
drilled and trained through carry life in
these chants, which are recitation of
the traditions Of her people. These old
women, in fact, constitute the archieves
and take the place that scrolls and bound
volumes fill with more civilized people.
A FLOOD TRADITION.
It is an interesting fact that one of the
traditions of this people is of great
flood which covered all the earth. They
are superstitious to fantastic degree.
Natives are often known to die when in
formed by a kakuna or physician that he
intended to bring them to death. The
late princess Likelike, sister to the de-
posed Queen Liliuckalsni, died after the
appearance of q school of small red fish
in the harbor, the appearances of which
is supposed to bode the death of chief.
Evil spirits are supposed to be in the
air at night. Sacrifices are offered to
Pele, goddess of fire, at the period Of a
volcanic eruption. One article of diet is
raw fish, and have often seen them
catch small fish with their hands and eat
them as they come out of the water.
Their expertness as swimmers is remark
able. Mothers put their two-year-old
babes in pool of water and watch them
laughipgly strike out to swim.
A little over hundred years ago Capt.
Cook found this people, numbering sew
eral hundred thousands. clean, happy,
free from disease. These FIRST white men
planted among them the foul diseases
which have ravaged them ever since with
little less appalling effect than the dread
leprosy itself. They number less than
10000 now and will scarcely last another
generation. As their fair islands must
then paes into other hands the oppor-
tunity at present offered would seem 10
be particularly favorable for the United
States to accept the proffered annexation.