The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1895-05-01

back, which are out for that purpose. Be
meath him stand the members of the So
ciety of Fools with sharp lances appraised
II he rails ne is impaled by the lances, and
etiquette demands that he shall be eaten
at once by the oannibals. II is more than
suspected that these Indians do now and
Then Kill an individual and eat him secret
The Cannibal Spirit is called the wisest
one. One of the most interesting of the
myths relating to him seems to show
mat, like the modern devil, he was easily
duped for all his wisdom -Four brothers
went forth on a certain occasion to hunt
on mountain. Their father warned
them that they would see three houses,
black smoke, and a third with red smoke.
into the nrst they might so, for it was
the home of the mountain goat, and into
the second, which was the dwelling of
the black bear, they might venture like
wise; but the house with the red smoke
was the residence of the Cannibal Spirit,
and they must avoid 1t. Nevertheless
they did go into the house with the red
smoke, finding there a little boy with
very large head. Becoming frightened,
the brothers ran away and the boy cried
away" The Cannibal Spirit heard and
started in pursuit. Finding that they
were being overtaken, the Oldest of the
brothers threw over his shoulder first a
stone, which was transformed into a
mountain, then a bottle of fish oil, which
became lake, and finally a comb, which
turned into gigantic thicket. Reaching
home just in time, they constructed a pit
of burning embers into which the unsus-
pecttng Spirit was induced to tumble. He
was burned up. and his ashes, blown
away, became mosquitoes. This is the rea-
son why these insects bite human beings
Some of the myths of these savages
compare favorably with modern European
fairy tales. one of them relates to the
infamous Russian governor, Baranoff,
whose cruel treatment of the natives of
the northwest coast has passed into his
tory. He built fort at Sitka, and during
a year of absence LETT his son in COM
mand of it. 1t was ATTACKED and burned
by the Indians, young Baranof being
killed. According to the legend, the elder
Baranof started in his ship to search
the world for his son. But first he gave
orders that there should be no woman
on board of the vessel, because the pres
ence of a female passenger would certain
ly cause the expedition to fail The first
country they came to was the Land of
Fogs, which threatened to devour them.
was inhabited by women only. Baranoff
asked, Where are your husbands?" and
they pointed to some logs of driftwood.
They said that every day when the tide
came in they were accustomed to float
these logs. Later on the logs would come
back with two seals tied to each limb,
and in this way they were furnished with
food.
After a while they came to country
where no people We're to be found, though
there were houses in which smoked sal
ed to take some of the salmon, but were
compelled ITO desist by invisible hands,
which beat them severely. Then they per-
ceived that they had reached the Land OF
Shadows. So they sailed away again and
eventually they came to the corner of the
world, whore the stream of the ocean
rushes down to depths beneath. Barahoff
put letter into a bucket asking where his
son was and lowered Ii through the hole
When the bucket was pulled up another
letter was found in il. which said: please
send us some fresh water. for we are
thirsty and can procure none. Your son
lives beyond the edge of the world Go
thither and you will find there the ghosts
Of the departed, your son among the rest.
But II there is a woman on board OF
your ship you will not be able to see
him." BaranOff sailed on until he came
to the edge of the world. There he saw
smoke arising. Ghosts were flying TO and
fro, singing and talking. but he could see
nothing, and his son did not appear He
ordered the. ship to be searched and in a
trunk was found a woman, who has been
concealed by a sailor. The sailor and the
woman were thrown overheard
Now, all of these incidents have beap
derived from other legends. They have
been put together and thus made 10 com,
pose a Veritable Odyssey. Thus "a fair ~
ample is afforded of the creation Of a
modern myth. The Fort Rupert indiana
are wonderful myth-mak ers OF tba
masks secured by DR. Boas, which arc
worn at the ceremonials, one is a huga
black face in wood of a woman with nr,o
truding red lips. This is a reprseenfafion
OF the Witch Woman, who is quite