The weekly Thibodaux sentinel and journal of the 8th Senatorial District. [volume] (Thibodaux, Lna. [i.e. La.]) 1875-1898, 1897-04-03
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CARVED FACES.
South Sea Inhabitants and Their Peculiar
Ideas of Beauty.

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| Ideas of Beauty.
TattoOing must be counted among the
most remarkable customs arising from
the instinct of personal adornment.
Major General Robley has devoted q
good sized volume to the practice as
pertaining to the New Zealanders. The
Maori t%attooing, known to them as
"moko, = is g kind of face carving. The
process is very painful and the patient
is generally i'll for some time, suffering
terribly from fever md swelling in the
wounds, but he is consoled in the midst
OF his worst agony by rejecting upon
the probable effect of the new adoru-
ment in terrorizing his enemies and fas-
clnating the fair sex. During his retire
ment his relatives and friends come in
large parties to see him and chant verses
set aside for such occasions, praising
the beauty that will be his when the
moko is complete.
This custom seems to have insinuated
itself into the songs of the people to 4
large extent. The following verse is
taken from Sir George Gray's collection
OF Maori legends. The brother OF the
celebrated TIE Henhen laments his death
In these words:
Turn yet this once thy bold, athletic frame,
And let me SEQ thy skin carved DER with lines
OF blue, and let me see thy face,
30 beautifully chiseled into various forms.
In addition to the moko on their faces.
the New Zealanders have their thighs
stained entirely black. with the excep-
ton of a few narrow lines. This. ac-
cordlng to Captain Cook, gave them the.
appearance OF wearing striped breeches.
The women are tattooed only about
the mouth and chin, and sometimes
across the lips, which the Maori stand
ard OF beauty demands shall be yery
full and painted blue.
The instrument used by the moko art
list is very much like a small chisel.
about a quarter of an inch in width.
The blade was driven into the flesh bv
means OF a sharp tap with a little NAL
let. it often penetrated quite through
the cheek, so that smoke from a nine
would Issue forth. Flax dipped in pig
ment was applied to the incisions. and
the work was finished and left TO heal
without medical or any other attention.
This Maori ~tattecing gave rise M tho
remarkable traffic il dried heads that
became such q scandal that it was stop-
ped BY legi7latica il 1881.
MoEcnicE2i il the name given bv New
AeG1anders 20 dried heads. When n man
DIES, his head is cut of aud dried. II Is
highly priced as q memcnto by his
friends. Ia time collectors como ~ otrer
tempting prices for the heads. yaluipp
TIC specimens according 10 the mol,o
upon them. This created such 8 de-
mand, i IS sad, taat many Il battle and
predatory expedition have been under-
taken expressly to obtain choice tattoocd
heads. Finally il became d very danger
GUS thlng Tor = nan to be the proud
possessor Of well done r1oko. Onlv the
great chiefs We're exempt from momen-
tary risk Of death, and even thew often
feli victims to a combination Of private
grudge and cupidity.
Major General Robley tells Of a GER
tam captain who wished to purchase a
head The chief and a number of his