The Emmett index. [volume] (Emmett, Idaho) 1893-1925, 1894-04-21


rows in lighting. but many Of them are now
armed with guns. They have large war
canoes with tall prows and sterns. which
rise in the form Of wooden pillars and are
adorned with most picturesque and elab-
crate carvings
The men and women wear no clothing
but a loin band. and at Rubiana. one OF
their principal towns. they worship a gro
tesque idol formed Of an upright block OF
wood which bears the likeness Of a human
face and has inlaid rings for eyes and ears
In war they are inveterate head hunters.
and their victims are devOured. II Is said
that Al the time Alverdo de Mendana dis
covered the islands in 1867 the natives
looked upon cannibalism as such a matter
OF course that the chief Of san Isabel sent
the Spanish navigator part Of the body Of a
boy. lust as he would have offered half OF a
bullock. and was much offended when Men
dana ordered the present buried
Until very recently the crews Of traders
and whalers did not dare land on the il
lands. owing TO the treachery aud murder
Gus propensities OF the natives. and allowed
but few canoes TO come alongside the ship
at one time. The chiefs were permitted TO
come on board as much for the sake OF Sc
curing them as hostages in the event Of
bostilities as TO do them honor 30 long
they behaved themselves. The bulwarks
were also protected 10 a considerable
/ height by hammock MEETINGS in order TO
preclude a sudden boarding Of the vessel
| by the islanders. but in spite Of these pre-
cautions a number of ships have fallen into
the hands of the cannibals, and their crews
were murdered and devoured- Although a
few missionaries are now hard at work
among the islanders. there are still many
/ places where a small party Of white men
would lose their heads in short order II the
natives were convinced that their fate
would remain a mystery.
Since the British gunboat Rapid has
shelled number Of native villages. how
ever, and claimed a life for a life every time
a white man was murdered. the islanders
have confined themselves TO ADJUSTMENTS
| that were less provocative Of grape and
canister aud an aftermath Of shot and shell.
Not long ago a trader named Duval was
| murdered in Mott bay, among the southern
islands Of the group. Shortly after the
commission Of the crime the Rapid steam
ed into the bay. cleared for action and then
sent word TO the chief Of the island where
the murder occurred that IL the slayer Of
Mr.. Duval were not delivered aboard the
ship in two hours the village would be
plowed with shells and sowed with a mum
Der Of choice varieties Of grape and CAMS
ter.
The chief had either experienced a speci.
men Of this method Of British cultivation
OF had leAru al ABOUT now IL NiA- Oouc,
for he caught the murderer instanter. tum-
bled into a war canoe with him and with
breathless haste padded him 10 the Rapid.
The accused man confessed his crime. and
the next morning he was taken ashore un-
der guard Of strong force OF marines and
sailors and shot in the presence Of several
hundreds Of his friends and fellow head
hunters such lessons as the Duval cas-
are rapidly convincing the islanders that
killing and eating a white man is such an
expensive luxury that 10 is quite out OF
date.
There Is something Of a romance connect
ed with the naming OF the islands Mendana
gave them the name they DOW bear TO the
end that the SpaniArds. supposing them q
be those isles whence solomon fetched gold
10 adorn the temple Of Jerusalem. might b
more DESTROYS 10 20 and inhabit the same
Nendanas colonization scheme failed, how
ever for when be set out TO ind them again
he WAS unable TO do 30. and they were lost
sight Of until Carteret rediscovered then
exactly acentury later and formed a French
settlement on san Christoval, which wa
finally abandoned on account Of the un
tamable ferocity Of the natives.
The islands are OF volcanic origin. and
they possess one active crater. The gold
that Mendana eadeavored TO use as a bail
TO lure colonists TO the group was AL in hi.
mind, and naturally none OF IL has evei
been found on the islands. The land j. Ken
orally fertile. yielding breadfruit. cocoa
nuts vans and sago in abundance, and rSl
also be cultivated for cotton and sugar.