The Atlanta constitution., 1896-07-27

chief of the lawmakers. IL either one was
elevated to the kingship civil strife was
bound to follow.
"Rahokouma turned to his fellow states
men and said: Since the Great White Splr-
IL has sent this white man to us and he mas
helped us In battle. let US make him our
Oumalea.'
There was great applause at this. and 1
well. was too good a democrat TO re1use
the nomination. l was elected by acciama-
tion.
II left the Ilikan islands few months
after that. but | have spent three OF ioui
months among my adopted people nearly
every year since then. The goverhneii. Is
really carried on by Rahokouma ana Ana
| am the king but they practically RUE the
people. About all / have done Is TO Keep
out all foreigners from the lhkans. Ihey
are fine. honest. manly race, with hahS
virtues
"SeIfishness they consider the most he'll
nous sin In times of need even the KING
must share with the poorest man. lie may
keep enough for himself. but to withnolu
more than that would be selfish. NO man
may have more than one wife, because
polygamy would give a great supply OF
wives to n few selfish men and leave the
others wlfeless.
"They used to be cannibals. They ate
none of their own nation. but their enc
mics were cooked and devoured. After the
first battle l spoke of Rahokouma noticed
that l had failed to eat the hearts of my
enemies.
"'White man. he said you no eat fell
lows?
No replied. mo like eat 'em.'
'Ah" he said, If white man ever eat
yellow man with long tail on top (China-
mani he never eat any more four-legs that
digs food out of the ground with its nose
pig))
Is white man good to eat 1 asked him.
NO. he replied. white man too much
like wave that breaks on the shore. Yollow
man plenty good
You know the Chinese don't use salt In
their food. Rahokouma objected to the salt
(Sea- -waterish) taste of white men.
Yet they have given up cannibalism.
Rahokouma thoughtfully told me one day
that he would eat no more hearts of his
enemies. 1T is selfish he said. to eat the
heart. The Great White Spirit wants mems
hearts This was after l had explained the
Christian religion to him best ] could.
At the next hodakai he told the other chiefs
of his resolution, and they all agreed to
give up cannibalism. They used to think
they absorbed their enemies courage by
eating their hearts.
Eyetooth Neckless.
"Rahomouma has a necklace made OF one
eye-tooth from each man he has killed
The Ilikans take enemies eyeteeth as our
American Indians take scalps. Rahokouma
has given up wearing the necklace and
wears one of porpoise teeth instead.
There are 900 of the Ilikans. of whom
1000 are warriors constantly in training
They have wrestling matches. war dances
and all that kind of thing daily. The war
riors are strong, vigorous fellows. l have
seen one of them split man from the
top if the head down through the shoul-
ders with a big wooden. two-handed sword
What made the old ambush trick so easy
was that among all these islanders it has
been the custom for ages for two armies
to rush up and fight en- masse-king against
king, chief against chief and man against
man. No mere man would think of fight
ing with u chief much less OF attacking
king
The religion of the Ilikans is very sim
pie. Good is white. Bad is black. God is
the Great White Spirit Father He lives
up in the sky over the water hill-that is
beyond the horizon. The sun is his fire
The moon is his eye as he goes round the
world. The stars are the fires of their
friends who have died and gone over the
water hill. The color of the sun rising
over the sea (brght red is sacred in their
estimation. They try to make their hair
red by daubing it with yellow ochre.
Miss Collin. whom / shall marry. has
red hair. They VIII certainly REVERB hcr
as a goddess We hope to De married in
me early fall and go 70 llila for visit Of
II few months. ! forgot to tell you that
my title. OumaIea. means literally the SUI
pre-ne ruler forever of all the land My
wife they will call Mlalie. which means.
his sweet soothing spirit.