Fort Worth gazette. [volume] (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1891-1898, 1894-03-31
WAS BOUND IN IRON CHAINS
OF DARKEST surERsrlFros -rr
HAS rrcruREsauE SIDE.
washington star.

~" SeAianu mas become so far mod
HE'D by European influence that the
most interesting OF the enelent native
customs are fast dying out" said a
traveller 70 writer Tor tho star.
Enough Of them remain. however, to
furnish very curious study to the
anthropologist. Most Important Is the
system Of tahu, concerning which
much has been written. 1t is spread
all over Polynesia, where II has held
control for many centuries, dominating
.ne people with the awe Of religious
dread.
7 can best explain the system by
describing its operation. In New zoa-
land formerly chief was always a
parsonage greatly revered. An his
goods. the place he stayed, and any.
thing he handled became tabu-that is
TO say, sacred When at home. he was
surrounded by charmed circle, into
which only his most Intimate friends
were permitted to enter by express
Invitation. No one could eat In his
house or take light from his fire. No
woman was allowed to enter his DWELL
Ing until a ceremony had been gone
through. The great man could not
carry food lest to do so should cause
his death by destroying his tabu. The
chief could not blow fire with his
mouth The sacred breath would COM
municate hts sanctlty 10 tho flames
and brand might possibly be taken
by slave or man Of another tribe,
which would cause the death OF the
great man, His food was always
served separately, and once set apart
It became tabu. No one would think
OF eating with him or OF touching any
food left by him, Such leavings were
always thrown away into one OF the
sacred places, and woe be to the pig
which broke into one OF these forbid
den garbage repositories. The animal
was at once killed and thrown away
for impie.y. This custom has become
so far modified that nowndays only the
snout and feet are thrown away, those
being the parts which have come into
contact with the holy ground The car
cass is enten-a much more economl-
cal plan.
"such notions seem very absurd,
but IT must be realized that they con.
stituted n ouasl-rellrious faith The
belief in them was absolute. Andrew
Lang i'm his Romance Of the First
Radical, tena how Why-Why. cave
dwelling youth OF 100000 years ago on
the shores Of the Mediterranean, was
,ns.rn,od hy no wise men OF his trlb,
,na, soneth,,g horrible would happen
d 10 o,o an oyster. Those moluskl
- ~, ne The polvnesians would
nya,,a.,,o,ess heinr OF n sneptica
~ ...,,,s,.a t,rr ~ mind. he decided
- 49,, ~ ones,lon whether or MOI
- ,,as ony truth IN this notion. II,
~ =, a,i.,ar ana nothing happen
u,' 90 ~ .s,,,. M, from this tim,
-, ~ -, ras,,sod ~ believe things with
lortn ne reius'u " -
~, ~, p.''e non,,is orc y,fted witt
70 49, 49, 49, ia such matters
WY Wy ~, ya,,,n.stan system q
we laus" ~ s,'.7 - ,ayo Great man,
supeis''.io'' -. ,ns,,,, I'd dara no
.eou , % ~ NOV now strong belle
'niii' MI, ~ Ne a. New zoa
IN suun '''''e9 80 .,',anoas ,gberc native
iahu' t"ete W. '''.' ~, h. ,cc,dan,
ave 'ne - - ,n,ormea az 10 wha
ahu' on pe'np -, naeo,ne .,ddcni,
u,ey n"s ~. 80, ~ ,sy bonrs "a II from
III anu u,Tu :" ~. q no,nt viii lmagl
poison ~ So 49, ,,,,ia ~ th,s potlot
he.lon -, m. New zealand chic
now reifia'ns, .r nar,ioularIv 4
is sun krea. ,.,,orol,io n
',ne 81 wa 800 ~, ~ and XII friends an
me common peop's' . MI, "a ,ake foo
Followers uo ~ ,,,,an. ysad 70 be,
with nm -, hrasl, through IN
powerful oins' pr 80 The system AZ
tapu oi /" NM means or appra
iorosu . ar,tela coveted. Til
prlatns sns aau 1, bis baeIsbon,
CHIEF hau onis - ama ana II wa
OF 70 s'Ne !. - .,.oss,on az for hir
~ onee 80 49, II he wished 70 proven
W h's pes s.., .,o,ny 10 a certain plac
perso" i'Vn - sod no had only /
or py - ~ o,her tabu. II a dro
man ~ ,',aoa ,su upon anything. IN
Of ms DioO1 -, ,..a,nc tabu on on
ia'er a. ,ho ereat chief TIE Henke
! occasion $50 - I'M very nne me-
, was s.7pp.N j. anotber man. II