The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1895-05-27
THE FORMOSANS.
Some Interesting Facts About the
People of the Latest Republic.


The news contained in our cable dis
patches, that the people of the Island OF
Formosa have determined to set up
republican government and resist the an
nexation of the island by Japan, renders
it OF interest to note the kind of people
with whom the Japanese win have to
contend in reducing Formosa to obedience
The natives on the verge of the settled
districts, who, though living in communi-
cation with their own people and pre-
serving their own customs and modes of
life, have quietly accepted Chinese rule,
are called the Peppo-whan. They are a
large and well-formed race, says the New
Y DIRK Herald. 1t may be remembered that
IN the accounts of the repulse Of Admiral
Lespes in his attack on Tamsui the fight
ing of the hillmen was specially mention
ed; these were the Peppo-whan. They are
however, very poor, being in the grasp
of the Chinese usurers, 20 whom they have
mortgaged their lands. The crops of rice
pay the interest the unfortunate people
being allowed to retain only those of sweet
potatoes for their own use
The independent tribes of Formosa live
high up among the mountains and on the
east coast and appear to be savages pure
and simple. They are said, by Dutch
writers, to preserve in their huts the heads
of their enemies killed in war as trophies
of victory, custom common among the
Dyaks or "head-hunters" of Borneo and
certain aboriginal tribes of Luzon But a
still more serious charge is brought
against them by the Chinese-that of can
nibalism. There is nothing in our recent
knowledge of the Formosans to corrobo-
rate this charge. 1t is true that. no Euro
pean has ever had an opportunity of stu
dying the Independent tribes in stu. bur
the reports of the Peppos and the Chinese
of the west coast do not allege cannibal-
ism against their savage neighbOrs.
To what race these aborigines belong or
whence they came are questions which in
the present state of our knowledge can on
~ be answered tentatively. How far did
the twenty odd names of different tribes
scattered over the eastern portion of the
island really represent tribal distinctions il
is impossible to say; on one point only can
we be certain, that these people have no
ethnic connection with the Chinese High
cheek bones are the exception among them:
the face and head are small and round:
the eyes are straight and not obliQue: nor
do scanty vocabularies which have been
collected indicate the slightest analogy
with the Chinese. But a striking physical
resemblance mas been noticed between
them and the Pellew Islanders; this how
ever, is hardly safe chronological guide.
|, There can be little doubt that the Kuro
Siwo, the gulf stream of the Pacific. which
ApWS tAOiNiiWdtus past the island. toward
Japan, has from time 10 time cast on its
shores inhabitants of most of the islands
of the Chinese seas.
! So far the Formosans are somewhat of
an chronological puzzle, like the Inhabitants
OF the Andamans. They appear to be a
| stranded fragment of some widespread
race of the past. In the old Dutch writer's
mention is made of race of blacks of col
| ossal proportions living in the mountains
and speaking language distinct from that
of the Formosans. But no modern has ever
heard of such a people; they are quite IN
known to the Chinese and to the accessi-
! BILE natives. But there is in the opinion of
competent observers undoubted traces of
a Negrito population first, and it has been
suggested that the theory of a Negrito
| population first then a Malay conquest.
| and the destruction of large proportion
! of the former, would account for most of
/ the problems of Formosan ethnology
| From the time of the Manchu conquest
] in 1888, down to the present day China has
! been gradually anneXing Formosa, NOT
| by military operations. but by the most
powerful of all agencies, immigration
/ Nevertheless the results of two centuries
of constant immigration have been very
small, when we recollect that Formosa
/ is only about 100 miles in a direct line
/ from the teeming mainland, where as De
! Quincy said, man is a weed, and thar
! whatever differences there are in climate
| should rather invite than repel emigrants
| a great central mountain chain run
ming from north to south divides the ISL
/ and into two parts; and il may be said
| roughly that all on the west side Of the
/ chain is under the control Of the Chi
nese officials, while they are powerless in