The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1897-09-03

where great quantities of the oil OF the
candlehsh are eaten. Neglect to return
such 4 feast in kind entails serious loss
of prestige. In this way rivalry is car
ried 20 high pitch. When a man gives
a grease feast" big fire is lighted in
the center of the house. Maybe the
flames leap by the roof and the guests
are scorched by the heat. Eetiquette.
however, demands that they do not stir,
lest they confess that the hosts fire has
conquered them. Even when the roof be-
gins to burn, and the fire attacks the
rafters, they must appear unconcerned.
While the feast is in progress the host
sings a song, ridiculing his rival, and
boastinS of his own feats and of the
deeds of his forefathers. The grease is
poured into large spoons and passed
around
Cannibalism Is very conspicuous In the
myths current among these people, who
have themselves been eaters of human
flesh up to a recent period. Indeed though
the whites are supposed to have put stop
TO such practices, 1t would seem that Sc
cret indulgence in them has not been Who'll
ly done away with. quite a number of
strange demons are worshipped as guar
dian spiritS-among them a cannibal de
mon that lives on the mountains and is
always engaged in the pursuit of human
beings for his table. The smoke of his
chimney is the color of blood. and he has
female slave who gets food for him by
catching men and collecting corpses. In
his house is a fabulous bird with an inn
mensely long beak which lives on the
brains of persons whose skulls II fractures
with its bill Anybody who is SO unfortu-
nate as to encounter the cannibal spirit
may be transformed into grizzly bear
On the other hand. If he can please the
demon he may obtain power to handle
fire without being burned
Another guardian spirit is a fearsome
warrior who lives in the far north. He
travels constantly and never leaves his
canoe BY obtaining his protection a man
may become invulnerable or he may ac-
quire power to catch the invisible disease
demon. This demon is at all times flying
about in the air in the form of a worm
The fortunate protege of the warrior spirit
catching the worm can throw ii into the
body of an enemy. who will die at once
The suggestion of the modern germ theory
of disease contained i'm this belief is quite
interesting. Not to be neglected among
the guardian spirits are certain ghosts
which bestow the power of returning to
life after death.
DR.. Boaz has secured for the National
Museum large number of masks such as
are worn by the Indians of the Alaskan
coast in their ceremonials. Some of them
are of enormous size and astonishly gro
tesque. These people are the most artistic
carVers of all saVdges. and they possess a
great faculty for the fanclful. The mask
worn by a performer who represents the
cannibal spirit, for example is a huge
crocodle-like head. Another representing
the bird servant of this spirit Is like a
| head of a bird, with bin four feet long.
BY means of strings, pulled by the wearer.
| the great beak is made to open and shut
| rapidly producing a loud cappering
In one of the Alaskan religious ceremo-
MES a big wooden wedge is driven, appar-
emily, through woman's head. from one
temple to the other. The effect is exceed
ingly realistic, the woman's eyes seem
ing to start out of the sockets and hang
down on her cheeks, while blood flows in
streams. As a matter of fact, the wedge
shown to the audience is secretly eXchang-
ed for one which consists of two parts at
tached 10 a wooden band covered with
hair that is slipped over the head. Thus
| il seems as If the butt end stuck out on one
side, the point having gone through the
skull. At the same time badders con-
tanning blood attached to the band are
punctured and the blood flows down the
woman's face. The wedge being remov-
ed she is all right again, and the
phenomenon passes for a quasi-religlous
miracle. The out-starting eyes are the
eyes of a seal, lowered over the forehead
In another ceremonial a woman per-
former is supposed to be burned alive. A
long box with a double bottom Is provided
for the purpose a skeleton being placed
between the two bottoms. The woman
conceals herself in a ditch behind the box
and sings through a KEEP speaking-tube
laid under the fireplace. The burned bones
of the skeleton are exhibited to the audi
ence. Afterward the woman reappears
alive and well, having undergone a seem
ing resurrection