Kansas City journal., 1898-02-08
The REAL NO MANS LAND.
WOMAN'S ISLAND PEOPLED ONLY
WITH AMAZONS.
Are Able to Defend Their Lnnd-They
TILL the Soil and Sail Their
Canoes - Susceptible
to BEADS.

z. Tregear, in Christchurch New Zealand, Press.
My attention was first drawn to the SUBJ
ject of modern AmaZons by means of a
Japanese picture book. 1t had been ex-
posed for sale in a native shop at Toxic
and attracted the attention of visitor,
who brought the curiosity to me simply as
a specimen of artistic work. The book
consisted of series of pictures delneating
the adventures of the crew of a ship
wrecked vessel. The boat containing the
survivors arrived on the shores of an isl
and tenanted only by women. The artist
had depicted. with barbaric fidelity to ma
ture and with grim humor, how the atten-
tionS of the numerous fair ones became
embarra ssing to the small party of visitors
until at last the sailors had to fly to their
boat and escape to the dangers of the deep
rather than endure the overwhelming at
tentions of the hostesses too fair and kind.
The book and its subject would have
passed from my memory as a mere pleas
antry had not soon after found what one
may ca II the ''letterpress' of the illustra-
tions, circulating as legend in the Friend
ly islands. circumstance so remarkable
as this coincidence of ideas in peoples so
far removed both in point of distance and
of race as the Tongans and the Japanese
could not fail to strike one deeply interest
ed In the anthropology of Oceania-
The Tongan legend was heard by Mariner
at the beginnng of the century, long be
lore any white colonies resided in the
Friendly islands, and although l have not
been able to get the story direct from Fiji
OF SdUlca, L nave not the SllgnteSt doubt
that voyagers, so hardy as Japanese and
Polynesians are famous for having been in
past centuries, must have had some foun-
dation Of fact on which to build SO strange
a tale. Its confirmation we have in the re-
lation Of the celebrated missionary. DR..
James Chalmers, of New Guinea. Here is
AT Port Moresby had heard of wom-
ans land, a land where only women
perfect Amazons-lived and ruled. These
ladies were reported to be excellent tillers
in nr
padding, and quite able to hold their own
against attacks of the sterner sex. who
some times tried to invade their country.
ITO find SO interesting community was
OF great moment AS no part of the coast
from the East Cape to Port Moresby would
be left unvisited by US, we were certain to
come across the ANA zon,an settlement We
heard that Mailiukolo (Toulon) canoes with
women We're more numerous, and some
early morning we were off the island and
soon ready to land. On crossing the reef
we met two CANOES, one with men and one
the vessel, while we pulled up to the large
village on the north side.
AS the boat touched the fine, hard sandy
down and stood in front. l went forward
to spring ashore. but he said I must not
Finding he knew the Daunai dialect, I said
to him. l must land: that was friend
and gave him my name which he already
R1 knew W. from rom, the East l gave him strip
AT our first. approach could only see
this one man. but now saw hundreds of
thc houses could not see the ee upper parts parts
OF their bodies; only the petticoats and the
feet They were, indeed quiet until 1 ad-
given that would try stronger nerves than
mine. and signs to keep away. 1t required
nnncsoh mere hinauisitiysness than possessed to
and especially from the bush end Of the
GGe GR dsmses the to 10 m they he ob
jected to my visiting them but. no. must
return whence l came; they, had seen me.
meet. and you will have some presents
held up my beads and red cloth, but.
stTsn,g strange to s,,s say they seemed to have no
SO many women together. How were we
to, to meet? vas was the question; to be balksd
beach piece Of red cloth and "a few be BEADS. t
ly not noticing what was taking place.
turns, eyes fixed on me: advances. stops.
crosses her hands, pressing her, breast
rng spaed h Back ho E eySna s9Sgg tbe oa M
dies object to the younger ones attempt
ing, and they are themselves too fright,
catlike lest the touch of her feet on the
sand should waken me from my reverie:
should take its flight, or the pattering
heart jump right out. fear 1t was beyond
the slight patter then. and had reached
the stentorian thump Of serious times. On
rush: we'll done! She picks cloth and
beads up.
'I have gained my point and will soon
have the crowds-no need to wait SO long
TO have the bats picked UP now. and after
am besieged by the noisiest crowd I have
ever met, and am truly glad to escape on
beard the boat. We went to the vessel
and brought her around to the west side
where we anchored. and I again landed.
Crowds met me on the beach. but no men.
gave my beads indiscriminately, and soon
there was a quarrel between the old ladies
and the young ones. The latter were or
dered off. Because they would not go.
must go. The old ladies insisted on my
getting into the boat, and being now as
sisted by the few men we met In the canoe.
thought it better to comply: Long after
we left the beach we heard those old
cracked, Grabbed voices anathematizing the
younger members Of that community.
II am fully convinced that this is the
Woman's Island. and can easily account
for its being called so by stray canoes from