The Prince George's enquirer and southern Maryland advertiser. (Upper Marlborough, Md.) 1882-1925, 1896-05-08

v pean influence that the
G. most interteresting of the
ancient native customs are fast dying
OUT" said traveller to writer for
The Star. Enough of them remain,
however, to furnish a very curious
study to the anthropologist. Most
important is the system OF 'tabu, con-
corning which much has been written.
It is spread all over Polynesia, where
it has held control for many centuries,
dominating the people with the awe
of religious dread.
81 can best explain the system by
describing its operation. In New
Zealand formerly chief was always a
parsonage greatly revered. All his
goods, the place where he stayed, and
anything he handled became tabu-
that is to say, sacred. When at home,
he was surrounded by a charmed cir
Gle, into which only his most intimate
friends we're permitted to enter by ex-
press invitation. No one could eat in
his house or take light from his fire.
No woman was allowed to enter his
dwelling until ceremony had been
gone through. The great man could not
carry food, lest to do SO should cause
his death by destroying his tabu. The
chief could not blow fire with his mouth.
The sacred breath would communicate
his sanctity to the flames and brand
might possibly be taken by slave or
man of another tribe, which would
cause the death of the great man. His
food was always served separately, and
once set apart it became tabu. No one
would think of eating with him or of
touching anything left by him. Such
leavings were always thrown away into
bne of the sacred places, and woe be
to the pig which broke into one OF
these forbidden garbage repositories.
The animal was at once killed and
thrown away for its impiety. This
custom has become SO far modified that
nowadays only the snout and feet are
thrown away, those being the parts
which have come into contact with the
holy ground. The carcass is eaten-a
much more economical plan.
ssTo show how strong belief in the
tabu used to be in New Zealand, there
were instances where natives ate the
food of chief by accident, and, on
being informed as to what they had
done, they became suddenly i'll and
died in a few hours as if from poison.
To such a point will Imagination go.
Very little Of this notion now remains.
The New Zealand chief is still great
man, particularly in time of war, but
he is approachable by the common
people, and his friends and followers
do not hesitate to take food with him.
As things used to be, powerful chief
&c break through the tabu, of a
MINOR one. The system afforded a
convenient means of appropriating
any article coveted: The chief had
only to call it his backbone, or to give
it his own name, and it was at once
taken possession of for him by his
people. If he wished to prevent q
person from going to a certain place,
or by a certain road, he had only to
make one or the other tabu. If q
drop of his blood fell upon anything,
the latter at once became tabu.
"The system was sometimes use
full one. Places were made tabu for
certain periods-for example, rivers
until the fishing was ended, districts
until the hunting of rats and the
catching of birds were done, woods
until the berries were gathered, and
cultivated fields until the harvest was
finished. All the laborers employed
in planting became tabu, so that they
could not leave the fields until their
work was finished. They we're not
allowed to mix with society until the
tabu was removed from them by suit
able and elaborate ceremonies. The
tabu sometimes served a good purpose
by preserving life. Prisoners of war
we're often saved from death, as was
Mr.. Cotterill in the famous Wairan
massacre of 1913. A bloodth1rsty
chief had one hand on his shoulder
and with the other was raising a
Ratchet to brain him, when another
man of influence jumped forward and
threw his mat over the captive. This
action rendered the latter tabu, SO
that he could not be touched. A
fruitful source Of tabu was death.
Every utensil employed by person
defunct, all the clothes he wore, and
even-the house he died in were tabu.
eff a prominent man died his house
was never used again. 1t was shut up
and everything in it left to rot. This
custom remains in force to-day in
New Zealand to considerable extent.
Some of the natives of the interior
build small structure over the grave,
n which they hang up the clothing
and other portable property of the
deceased, leaving them to be destroyed
by time. Sometimes when a chief
dies all of his property is burned. A
very peculiar practice is the disinter-
ment Of the bones of the dead for re-
burial in a final resting place. This
used to be one of the most important
ceremonies among the natives, but it
is now disappearing.
''Some time before the ceremony
notice is sent around stating that on
certain day there will be 'hahunga'
of so-and-so's remains. When the
relatives and friends are gather ed to-
gether the bones of the defunct are
dug up and tied in a bundle. If de-
cay has not made them clean they are
scraped. An elaborate performance
follows, and finally one of the family
takes the bones and deposits them
secretly i'll some place Known only to
himself, such as cave or the top of
tree, the object being that they may
never be found. 1t is of the utmost
importance that they shall not fall into
the hands of enemies, who would desc
crate and iil-use them with jeers and