The Banner-Democrat. [volume] (Lake Providence, East Carroll Parish, La.) 1892-current, 1896-10-31
QUEEN OF THE CANNIBALS.
AN AMERICAN WIFE FOR KING
JOHN, OF THE NEW HEBRIDES.
Miss Ella Collin, a Beautiful Girl OF
New York. VIII Go to the South
FOR Crnxun

" BEAUTIFUL American girl
~ is to be the Queen of the
NJ Cannibal Islands. She is Miss
Ella Collin, and her father,
P. Collin, is q tailor in New York.
Miss Collin is not an heiress, and the
only dover she brings to her royal
husband is her matchless beauty of
face and figure. Miss Ella will make
very acceptable Queen for the Can
nibals down in the New Hebrides.
That is not to say because she is as
pretty as they ara ugly. She is only
eighteen years old and has the face OF
Juno. Her eyes are large aud
lustrous, and her hair, OF which there
is frsat profusion, is Of that warm
hue that Titan loved to paint.
The King of the Cannibal Islands is
himself not bad looking man. He
was a pretty stanch American before
he expatriated himself to rule over tho
gorgeous domain in the great South
Seas, which he now calls his own. In
his Southern home he was known Us
plain John Hobbs. Now he has a
title as long as his arm. He has dark
eyes, aud his expression is generally
frank and pleasant. King Hobbs is
not a pirate king, nor did he take
possession of his islands by right OF
conquest He was born in South
Carolina thirty four years ago. His
father is we'll practicipg physl-
clan at Atlanta. Ga, and his grand
father was United States Senator.
When Hobbs was youth he conceived
violent desire to travel, and for
many years he was wanderer on the
face of the earth. At last he settled
in Sydney, New South Wales, and
first met the natives OF the New
Hebrides in 1890, when the Australian
Government sent him to Ilika, one of
the South Sea group, to enforce the
law with reference to the return OF
| Ilikan laborers. While on his way
thither the ship which bore him was
wrecked and young Hobbs confided
himself to the mercy of the waves,
clad only in cork jacket.
After drifting about for two days,
suffering unspeakaole torture from
hunger, thirst and fatigue, he WAS
picked up by two Ilikan fishermen AMI
taken to an island. When the king
heard OF his presence Hobbs was or
dered before him. The American
reached the island OF critical time.
The natives were just about to go to
war with o nsighboring island, and
the king accepted Hobbs as divine
messenger. He at once adopted him,
|; and explained to him the plans of the
campaign. By clever bit of strategy
Hobbs succeeded in defeating the
army of tie opposition and the king
made him war chief. When, nine
months later, the king died the nation
met and chose John Hobbs to be the
successor to the throne. He Is called
King John by foreigners, and by the
natives "Oumalea.
King Johns people do not ask him
to work very hard. One-half the yea,
he spends in taking vacation, during
which he travels wherever his desire;
lead him. Last year he visited New
York, where he met Miss Collin quite
by accident. He fell madly in love
with her. They were engaged, and ht
gave his word to return within si1
months and make her his queen. 1
is to fill this promise that he re
turned. He says that his subject
will look upon his wife as q goddess
and that the royal family will live lik'
the young people in fairy story. Mr.
and Mrs. Collin, Elias parents, ar
charmed with the prospects. The,
have been invited to visit the kinI
and queen as soon as the royal pair ar
''settled" in the capital Of ilika. King
John has long and fat purse, and b.
will see that his father and mother
in-law will want for no comforts OF
the occasion of their visit.
The New Hebrides, over part 0
which King John Hobbs has absolut
sway, are pretty group of South SCI
! islands, lying between the New Gale
donias and the Fijis. They are vol
: canic in origin. Abont twenty year
J ago one of them, thirty-five mile
long and six miles wide. suddenly dis
appeared-was swallowed up by til
J | ocean-and no trace of it has sine
! been seen. The climate is, OF course
! tropical, and too humid to be health
full. From May do October the trade
blow steadily. Heavy transforms
. and even cyclones, visit the island
. during the prevalence of the wester
gales. Owing to the sbundar
, moisture, the vegetation is dense, an
the mountains are mostly clad wit
, forests. The fora of these island
3 comprises q large number OF form
not found elsewhere. There is
, species of myrtle that grows to
;. height of forty feet, and gives out
d very pungent ordor. There is var
s ETY. of cedar that attains so great
b height that its timber may be use
e for the masts of ships. Here are c.
g coanut trees, sage, breadfruit, banaf
Il trees and such fruit trees as are foun
y in tropical countries. The yam col
o stitutes the staple of food for the n
n tives. The indigenous animals in th
Il New Hebrides are rats and bats. II
pig has already been imported, ar
seems to like the climate.
Every island offers some contra
with its neighbor in point OF popul
ton. Even in one island the trib
Ia 5;Ra,nocoa ara mora ar loss impOrtau