The Red Cloud chief., 1895-04-19

the religion of his timo, but such waS
the case. Now II Is quite orthodox to
believe in the oarth's rotundity, and we
can SEQ by this that even religious be.
lief is q matter of growth.
The natives Of these islands wcro, as
Columbus found them, noticeable for
their sweetness Of temper and goodness
of disposition" They also believed in
one Supreme being. and yet the Span.
iards actually ~dcpopu!atcd these islands
by converting them 70 their belief. No.
one Of tho original natives or their de.
sccndants is supposed 10 live here now.
There are a gOodmany divorces, formal
and informal, in this country, tho causes
being ''nonsupport and iniidelity. lam
greatly panied to know that iniidolity is
so common hero. With so much good
Bible teaching as there has been in this
country the presence Of intidelity as
shown by the divorce trials is perfectly
astonishing.
After the Spaniards had dcpopulated
the Bahamas and other western islands
the buccaneers followed. These gents
started in with q few dugouts and
canoes, valued at SO. 81, and soon cap.
tured the Spanish shipping 10y a horoism
worthy of "a better cause. These buCca-
neers knew tho reefs 80 well that they
could board - Spanish vessel, loot the
cargo, hold tho prisoners for ransom and
DO out of tho way before any ono could
get at them with large boats or heavy
armed forces.
A good dca, tho same custom is now
prevalent among tho land pirates of
Cuba and tho West Indies. A Cuban
bandit, after graduating at college, or
ganizes q littlc athletic team and starts
out for the hills, Tho party hangs about
in the deep dcfilCs Of the mountain COun-
try, where it can swoop down on the
tourist. Then it surprises them, takes
their ear hobs and watches, sells them
to the pawn people of Havana and holds
the moro likely ones for ransom.
Notice is sent into town 10 inquiring
friends as follows: 1--WE have -FOUR pa
here with Us. Would you like to have
him come homo and rattle round in the
bosom of his family? Please send >, 500
Spanish dollars by IN attractive I'M
armed person, and we will return him.
Otherwise we shall repeat this notice
with Enclosures.
The family hurrics about and sells the
piano at a sacrifice, but cannot quito
get the money on time. A second letter
III from the chief, written ON tho
finest kind of papetcric, with beauti.
full monogram and crest, and reads as
follows:
eve are panied to send this second
note.
$50 is your pa.
"We inclose his ear. You will recog.
nizo it by tho wart, Other selections
from him will be made from time to
time. Three thousand dollars will now
be required, though he is not so valuablo
as no was. As we remit to you install
ments of your pa from time to time W.
realize that we are cutting down h.,
value, especially when we begin to work
on him in thorough earnest. Please do
not make it necessary for us to resort to
vital matters, as the weather is getting
warm, and your pa might be held at the
dead letter Office. In the interest Of those
who have the best interests Of the Yesur.
rection at heart we urge that you will
not encourage us to scatter your pa any
more than necessary.
I'm closing allow mo to subscribe
myself, very sincerely, your most obedi,
ent servant,
"RICARDo COLORADO MADURo,
"Chief Anthropologist."
New Providence, tho island on which
Nassau is situated, contains So square
miles Of geology and eight mules, There
is no soil.
The trouble is that the farmers mo.
nopolizo all tho soil personally, and thu
rob vegetation, If the agriculturist hero
would divide up with the farm and let
the crops have what dirt no does not &C,
tually need to make himself healthy,
things would prosper here,
The island has q good stone founda,
ton for farms, but requires tho soil,
which seems to be walking about tho