Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1894-12-20

| inner wall at one side but the women
who We're the only people at home
| were all sitting or reclining upon the
mating laid here and there upon the
floor. One of them was cooking tiSl
on the embers. which burned on &
primitive hearth of cobble stones. She
was bending over them blowing with
all her might to keep them aglow. but
stopped to give up broad smile OF
welcome as we entered. Another Won.
an had a sewing machine standing
before her Oh the floor, on which
she was stitching sulaS That
was surprise in a ma
! tive grass hut: it was one of the
newest patents, too-a "Plaff." A
nude baby crawling near her gazed al
the unusual visitors with all his big
black eyes. whilst his mother reached
out for Il piece of loose calico and
threw it over him. Two other H,tle
urchins peeped in at the open back
| door. They looked like lovely bronze
| statuettes. but the women evidently
thought they were not fit company
and motioned them off. just as white
mothers try to keep their babies in the
| background when they have not
| donned their best bibS and fuckers.
AS We could only converse by signs
and smiles, except for the remarks
which Mr.. Horne interpreted into
Fijian for us, We did not stay long
enough to bore the ladies.
We sauntered about the grove, While
lovely little boy with soft, harmoni-
Gus features, clad only in his tiny
sula, kept close to Us. accompanied by
much palmer and more fully clothed
child, who knew a little English and
was as cute as a young Yankee. A
still loveler girl stood at the door of
another hut, beside huge. ugly Sol
ONION islander, who had his face barred
with black steaks by way of dressing
up, and who grinned at us till he
showed his cleaning white teeth. Mr..
Horne asked him several questions,
among others upon my doubling If
this barbarian could really be Chris
tam to what denomination he be
longcd. "Cuestian," was the ready re
spOnsr. 1t sounded too ludicrous, so
we called a Queenslander, whom we
knew to be a Wesleyan, cutting him
short in a filtration with a native
lady, to introduce him to a brother in
the faith, at which rather fiat joke the
big savage grinned if possible more
broadly than before. A native who
was going into town on an errand had
in the meantime taken an order for a
carriage to a livery stable and we sat
in the grove and waited for it, while
some of the others preferred to walk
back.
Before us lay a native canoe hol-
lowed out of a tree, a frame work for
carrying fruit and so forth stretched
Que over the side like the catamarans
of the Cingalese. The two boys who
had stuck to us got into it and seat
ing themselves comfortably, criticised
us at leisure. Mr.. Horne said they
were speculat ting chow in the name of
goodness we had got hold of him.
A carriage and pair driyen by a
stalwart driver, clothed in spOtless
white, halted at the style and we babe
adieu to the villagers and bowled off
along the coral road to town. We Wis
tied the market where the natives
were squatted around their various
wares, chiefly tars and cocoanuts, and
in hopes of catching the foreigner, the
queer little wooden headrests on
which they can prop their necks with
out crushing their elaborate mops.
We had afternoon tea in hotel
where the walls were adorned with a
splendid collection Of the native arms
and with cabinets of shells. These
were very valuable, one cOwry, Of a
lovely fawn shade, about two by one
inches, being valued at Is, equal to
$50.
We were waited upon by a solemn
young Solomon islander, rejoicing in
the name of johnnie" who wore his
mop in it's original black hue and a
very stiff white shirt and high collar
and big cuffs, all Of which had a very
startling effect in contrast with his
full, short pants and bare legs and
feet; but Johnnie waited well in spite
of his heterogeneous garments.
We went to inspect curios at another
place, the tapa-clOth, cannibal forks
and such like. No genuine forks are
to be had now The last was sold
lately to a collection for $50 and even
an imitation costs a good deal more
than it is worth. The obliging Jew,
who showed US those things, asked us
if We would not like to taste the ma
tive drink. Of course we would; so
we were ushered into another depart
ment. The decoction like pale
rhpbarb powder in color, and
not unlike it in taste, lay
in a huge bowl in a kind Of sink. From
a tap of water there arose a little
spray above which those about to
drink held the gourd which had an
opening about pin point in size
through which the water squirted at
this they very thoroughly rinsed the
primitive bowl before filling it. We
all tasted the kava, agreeing that it
was villainOus stuff; while the man in
charge told US enthusiastically how
quenching it was for thirst and how
Americans and others who drank much
whisky at home would consume bowl
after bowl all day long. Native after
native hurried in, rinsed the bowl,
quaffed its full, paid 3 pence-6 cents,
and marched cut. "Johnnfe", in his
stiff collar, came to spend the first
fruits Of his tip upon it, and looked
| somewhat aClaSt to find us seated