The National tribune. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1877-1917, 1894-11-29

OF hshing boats came gut to meet us and we
were given a most cordial welcome In one
of these boats we presently went ashore.
But first word OF two about Mnicoy as
we viewed it from onF steamer. 1t presents
the appearance Of small, low island, the
tallest palm of which rises scarcely more
than hundred feet above the sea level. 1t
is about five miles long. by four across its
widest part, and stands solitary in mid
ocean, without a speck of land to be seen
on the north, south, east or west. AS we
glide toward it through the smooth, still
water we cannot help being impressed by
the utter loneliness of the place, nor wonder
ing how, in this restless age, two-thlrds of
its inhabitants can be content to live their
allotted span without single glimpse be-
yond the uDbroken sheet of green that
giimmers all around them.
As we are rowed ashore we pass three large
700-ton sehooners. This is the fleet Of the is
land. 1t is August and the southwest mon
soon having lost its terrors, the sailors on
board busily engaged in getting the ves-
sells ready for their regnIar eight months voy-
age. This annual setting out and the annual
return in April constitute the two great
events Of their island life.
Turning our eyes shoreward, we see congre-
gated about the landing groups of women
and girls. Surely enough. they are all clad in
silsen gowns, striped silk most of them. de-
noting that their wcarers are the common
people.
These gowns reach nearly to the ankles and
made with q hole through which to pass
the head. The sleeves are short and in many
cases very beautifully embroidered. A couple
of inches OF white undergarment show be-
meath the bottom OF these gowns, and the
whole attire fits snugly and displays the wear
er's charms to perfection. The women are
bareheaded and barefooted. and although
Mahometans they 90 unyailed, which fact
lends color to the belief that these people
were at one time Christians.
On landing we find that the women are
there not merely out of idle curiosity, for
presently they come forward and lay before
us gifts of fruits, vegetables and eggs Re-
ceiying our thanks through our interpreter
they retire and we proceed toward the Gov
ernment, office. But we not to get off SO
easily. Another deputation appears and again
made the recipients of gifts OF island
produce. Then follows third gift-laden depu-
tation, which is succeeded by fourth, fifth.
and sixth, and so on until we begin to fear
that in the Iavishness of their hospitality our
kind hostesses will fairly blockade our path
way with their presents
| With number 10, however, the deputations
end and our fear of being buried alive is dis
sipated Inquiry into the meaning of it all
introduces TO q distinctly Minicovite inst-
tuition. Each deputatIon, we learn from our
interpreter, represents a varangi.
1t appears that the ladies are organized sep.
ara,ey from the men and each organ nZation is
called a varangi. There are 10 of these, each
OF which is presifieit over by a head woman.
The male organizations are called attiris and
are in number only nine. In other words the
township is divided into 10 parts, the women
holding the controlling balance and running
things generally. n
Each varang and attiri has its own meeting
house. and thus Jh tfie town, which extends
along the margin Of the lagoon for about a
mile, there nd aess than 19 public build
ings most Of them siauutily decorated In
bright coIors and finished off with something
of an elaborate gable end. Here the members
meet to transact the business of their division
and to perform the work which brings it its
revenue. -
As we approach one of these neat little
structures we heir tile rustic of silken gowns
as hutter goes through the company Of
women and girls inside. The sight of a man
at their meeting house is exceedingly unusual.
for this is their sanctum sanctorum. 1t is
their equivalent for our ladies' club or sewing
society.
At present we find them engaged in spin
ming coir fiber into yarn. The head-wonlan,
a buxom good-looking dame, comes forward to
meet and kindly explains the workings Of
the institution under her charge.
At 8 a. m., she Informs us, the women repair
to the coir beating grounds, which lie at the
back Of the town. Here the husks of the
cocoa nut are soaked in water pits and then
pounded on limestone slabs into cor fiber.
At $40 or 9 a. n. sufficient fiber having been
beaten out for days work, the women gather
up the product of their mornings labor and
return home to break fast Their meal fin
ished ell. save few upper class women. pro-
ceed to the meeting-house, where they work
up the raw material into marketable ropes
and yarns. Their work Is sometimes varied
by the plating of cocoanut leaves into mats.
by drawing aud carrying water and various