New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1897-10-31

Religious services are held on Sundays and
feast days. Two masses were said every Sab
bath during my stay the island and one on
st. Johns Day and one on st. Peters Day Peo-
pie called TO services by the sound of the
bugle, which is also used to assemble them for
attendance at court. or in the case Of wreck
murder any unusual circumstan,e The
Church Is very particular as to the degree Of
consanguinity within which the natives may
marry When children are adopted they become
the brothers or sisters Of the children Of the
family they enter quite as much as if they were
born Of the same father and mother, that II
Is quite difficult for young kanaka to find
a girl who is not too nearly related to him 20
be his wife. First cousins may not marry.
This island, which belongs to Chill. is situated
between n degrees and % degrees south latitude
and 100 degrees and 40 degrees west longitude
The Chians call il Isla de Pascua which is
Spanish for Easter Island. 1t contains about
80 square miles OF territory. or ! 520 cuadras
Each square mile contains IA cuadras
1T is Of volcanic origin, and there four ex-
tinct cratcrs the island At the bottom Of
| each is a lake OF fresh water. which in the case
! OF three Of them does not dry In the summer.
The crater Of Rangarua is 30 metres deep and
the sides are very precipitous. IL is nearly
round, and think at least mile in diameter
across the top Bananas grow the steep
sides and these the natives succeed in reach
ing There is no tradition among the natives Of
! time when these craters were active and dis
indignation has been going on for countless
cons.
1.-The soil is very fertile. susar-cane grows
very high even when choked by grass and
land. The island would make one of the finest
sugar estates in the world Irrigation would be
necessary during December, January, February.
March and April, anc sometimes in May, but
sufficient water could be obtained from the
lakes for irrigation During the winter ii rains
very hard, and water is saved in cis'erns for
domestic use.
"A missionary Of the French Mission de
rOceanic having its seat at Tahiti established
himself at Angaroa in 1851 Torromero was
king at the time. About half the natives re-
al l1rr hut lIff
the leadership of one Roma raised the standard
OF revolt They met in a very sanguinaly battle
and nearly exterminated each other. To-day the
ground is strewn with stone arrowheads They
fought with bows and arrows and spears The
missionary did not remain long lie sold out
TO the Government of Chilli in 1888 the church
and all the property Of the mis- sion FOR about
s, 900 OF our money. The stand al some re-
mote time must have been very dcnsely popu-
lated. ard one may see In the north'r IN end
SCULPTURES of colossal size showing fair d'gree
OF artistic ability.
The Government Of Chill paid 10 Mcssrs.
Brander Brothers $4,000 for their and. cattle
and sheep. and to Mr.. Solomon for MS land
cattle and sheep $4,000. and. as before stated.
to the mission represented by the Bishop II
Tahiti through Intervention OF the lbiSnop 81
Santiago say $1,000. or S3l 600 in all. Ten years
ago they rented this island to h. Merlrt 20,
Of Valpa raise including at least -".O'o sheep,
1890 head of horned cattle and S'r horses, al
a nominal rent Of 500 per month. 'hillan
money Mcrlet must leave at the expiration 81
his lpaS" JtV S'l'tp, W l'db VI '''''' INV
100 horses. During my stay II forty-three days
on Pascua POI head of mares were Killed Tor
their hides alone. and many old bulls ana COWS
were killed for their hides only the tongues ana
loins being used food
'As late as 1850 the inhabitants oi IN" lSldnd
were cannibas and several Of the old hanakas
now living confess to having eaten human nesh
No one can question that the teacnlng al me
missionary has been Of benefit To tn" ISLANDERS.
and To me it is mysterious how tn" hostile
half was converted To the faith Practically all
adults are now members % the Church
The authority Of Chilli is represented by
Subd,leyado Maritime, Don Benjamin Donoso'
who with Dona Filomena, his wife. was very
kind To me during my stay the island. The
native king OF the island has quite oyetruled
the authority Of Don Benjamin and Of his preie-
cessor Don Alberto Sanchez, and the Govern
ment is going to send a small garrison To protect
the free Chilians and Will Danish the hnS ana
his Ministry. The steamer Casino, govern
ment transport is going to Pascua 10 carry over
Don Alberto Sanchez. who was practically
driven away by the King and his party. lie Is
TO resume his post Delegado Maritime, ana
will probably bring some nine hundred mead or
cattle to be pastureG In Chill and sold IN the
Valparaiso market
"Mr Merlet will devote the island To sheep
raising There no trees growing IN fascua
which are indigenous. Some four thousand hg
trees have been planted and many acacia trees
Mr. Merlet told me he intended To send down
several hundred Rambouillette bucks every
wear and that he expected by this means TO IN
crease the average weight Of the fleece OF ms
sheen from one kio the present average. to four
kilos which is near the average in southern
Chilli"