The L'Anse sentinel. (L'Anse, L.S., Mich.) 18??-current, 1895-05-04
THe gWoMEN OF TONGA.
Beautiful Bellies OF AN Island in the West.
ern Pacific. AZ

4. .I o..
Beautiful Bellies OF AN Island In the Vest
ern Pacific. 4
In none of the countless islands OF
the western PaciHc-the Coral Edens"
of poor II. l.. Stevenson-has transi-
tion from a condition of ferocious saw
agery to at least the appearance Of fin
de-siecle civilization been more rapid,
Or more complete, than In Tonga,
beautiful island group in the western
Pacific, formerly known as the Friend-
ly islands, and lying some distance
south OF the Fijian and Samoan archi-
pelagoes.
The Tongans were long known as
restless, ambitious and INSCRIPTIONS
people, always ut war with neighbor-
ing islanders, and of cannibal propensi-
ties, acquired from frequent inter
course with the '1ong pig" eaters of
Fiji. Now the Tongans possess all the
machinery of a monarchical govern
ment, based upon European models,
including a king, parliament and
long train of public officials, many Of
whom are well educated, dress and live
in European fashion and have their
meals prepared for them by Chinese
cooks. There is a regular code of laws,
with a governor for each of the larger
islands, judges, magistrates, police con-
stables, customs officers, and so forth,
together with an elaborate system of
public instruction.
This remarkable change in the man
ners and habits of whole people is
largely the result of missionary influ-
ence. There is, however, some reason
to doubt whether it is real or merely
| superficial. 1t has certainly been ac-
companied by marked improvement
in the status of the Tongan women,
| who are, for the first time, placed upon
terms of equality, in many respects,
with the native men, and enjoy an
amount of freedom unknown in most
of the island communities.
The beneficial influence of a settled
| government and regular system of
laws is shown in the generally pros
porous condition of the islands, the
larger ones being intersected by we'll
made roads, and covered with highly
cultivated farms, luxuriant orchards
and beautiful gardens; want and beg
gary are unknown; and IL the condi-
tions of earthly happiness are to be
found anywhere, surely 1t must be in
! Tonga. 1t is the real land of the lotus
eater--a country of sunshine and flow
ers. Unlike most of the Polynesian
! peoples, the Tongans are of delicate
/ light-brown color, the men having a
Muscular, well-fed appearance, while
the women are famous far and wide
for the seductive expression of their
beautiful eyes, rivaling in softness and
Significance those of the Andalusian
bellies, especially when accompanied
by a coquettish use of the palm-leaf
fan.
The skin of the Tongan woman gen.
orally has silky appearance, the re-
suit of a plentiful application of palm
oil, well rubbed In after a preliminary
dip in some shady lagoon. This treat
ment leaves highly polished surface,
free from the least trace of greasiness.
Their dress is not picturesque. Itgen-
orally consists of cloth fastened
with long hanging tufts of dried
grasses; the head, shoulders, bust, arms,
knees and feet remaining uncovered,
although a kind of ribbon is sometime
worn round the neck and across the
breasts. One of their great grievances
Is that the native costume finds no
favor with the powers that be-" and is
not allowed to be worn in public, being
considered immodest, although it is a
decided improvement on the mar
row circlet which in the early days
of Polynesian exploration, consti-
tuted the sole attire of the female
portion of the population. Most of
the Tongan women prefer to go about
bare-headed, or, like their Samoan sis
tiers, bedecked with flowers; but the
authorities, with grandmotherly care,
condemn this practice, and prohibit
the women from entering church or
chapel unless wearing the orthodox
European hat or bonnet. The attempts
to evade this unpopular edict frequent
lyllead to amusing incidents.
The principal occupation of the
women, when not engaged with their
domestic duties. consists in the man
ufacture of kind of cloth from the
inner bark of the white mulberry, the
bark being soaked In water and beaten
into shape with n rude wooden mallet.
The process Is long and laborious, but
the women generally enliven it by in
cessant chatter or laughing. They are
wonderfully expert in catching fish,
Chicago Times-Herald.
!