The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1898-10-09

4 give them great delight to gather il
/ crowds and watch me whenever | wen
IL bathing. The sight of a man bathing
, was not rev to them. but it was ap-
parently the first time they had eve
seen such a thing as cake Of soap, and
the lather produced by it was a marve
to all beholders. But it was impossible
TO get any of them to try its effects
The natives laughed at my custom OF
eating with knife and sork, and ex-
planned over and over again that it was
much easier to use the fingers. Another
object of great curiosity to them was
the camera, which they seemed to view
with sort of superstitious awe.
A BATTLE BETWEEN NATIVES.
by using the passport provided by
many gifts of cloth and beads to the
tribal chiefs, my progress was COM
DaratiVely easy, until we entered the
territory of one tribe which was at
war with its neighbors. These would
not permit our caravan to pass until
the impending battle was fought. This
gave me an excellent opportunity to
observe the native manner of carrying
on war. and 1 watched the battle in
company with the women and children
of the tribe, from the top of a neigh
boring hill. 1t was strange sight,
several thousand naked MaIayS ad-
Vancing in irregular lines, in Semi-cir-
Giles, to meet upon an open plain. Zach
party had guns bought from native
traders, who had introduced them from
the Dutch settlements, but they were
used almost as effectively Us the Span
iardS use theirs The savageS ad-
Vanced with terrific shouts, trying to
brighten their opponents. Each man
had loaded his gun with a tremendous
charge of powder, which he fired when
he was ready. AS his gun went off he
fell bowling to the ground from the
kick of the heavy load. This noisy
firing, harmful to the owners of the
guns alone. continued Ter about half
an hour. when a shower came up and
all of the combatants rushed back 10
their huts FOR shelter. The battle was
happened to be admitted itself beaten
by the greater noise of the enemy
(there was not soul killed or wound
ed), they returned as if they had been
victorious, and gave I'D the night to
singing and feasting. The battle VIZ 8
to be renewed next day, SO war dance
took place, but the women, not the
warriors, did the dancing. When the
whole tribe had gathered a middle aged
woman rose and began to stamp the
ground in time to the rude music Of
the drum and calabash. Her move
ments became quicker and quicker, she
looSened her hair, her eyes flashed, she
seemed to be a raging witch. The
chief Joined the dance for a few min
uteS, and as he resumed his seat three
other women dashed forward and
Joined the wild dance, shriel,ing and
jumping as if possessed. Suddenly the
music ceased. the dancers paused,
deathlike stiffness prevailed. The
1Qa civ ix-ff
of palm wine and camphor to refresh
her, she danced again still more wildly
until she fell exhausted to the ground,
where she lay repeating visions Of vic
tory on the morrow.
PRISONER AMONG MANEATERS.
"At the village of Lontong 1 was
made a prisoner, along with my car
riers. The chief had been very friendly
when we first appeared, and we had no
means of knowing why he had made us
captives, but the prospects were very
From where 1 was seat
ed in the native hut which served as
a prison. and which was guarded by
two stalwart blacks armed with jagged
war clubs. l could overhear an earnest
discussion going on among the war
riors who had gathered a short dis
lance away. The guide who was beside
me told me that they were discussing
the fate of their prisoners, and as the
babbie of conversation went on he in
terpreted such remarks as We must
overcome them while they sleep, stay
and eat them 1t is needless TO say
such prospect was sufficient to Danish
every thought of sleep. The guide in
formed me that there were two parties
to the discussion; one wished to kill
and eat us and the other to let us pass.
We had no means Of knowing which
would prevail, and we sat all night
with our seven guns loaded and ready
for instant use, and our pistols by our
sides. There was a tumult in the early
and we gripped the guns,
ready to sell our lives as dearly as pos
5ible. There were cries of The enemy
the enemy,' and soon it appeared that
4 neighboring tribe had attacked the
village, carrying off two of its women.
A little later the chief called to see
ne and said: What if we keep you to
work in our fields for a year or two?'
answered. You would not do such
L thing, and to prove that 1 did not
fear him, l gave the chief a handsome
pistol. which delighted his savage heart
and apparently restored him to the
greatest friendliness. Seeing that I had
made an impression, 1 added, If you
iare to touch a hair of our heads our
brothers will come and kill all of you
The chief Immediately declared that he
lad no intention of injuring me, that,
n fact, he took me under his protec-
ion.
Still did not trust him, and toward
evening, when he summoned another
counsel of his followers, l noticed that
lie was lingering the pistol VIII. IL 1 had
given him in a manner anything but
I at once approached him
md said, through the interpreter:
Prince of Lontong, we see, through
your dark designs and black plans We
ear you not. We are ready to die but
you will die with us. What is your an
;wer?"
'"The chief replied: I am sick; let me
20 home
II said: No; you must sit here until
rou decide TO let us go This he decided
o do early in the morning, and al
hough stripped of a great part of my
| was glad enough to get
way alive, and kept the guns ready
Until l had put a good distance be-
ween myself and the village
1.-THE next tribe that we fell in with
vas the one ] had come so far to study
They received me good naturally, be-
ause their chief had just overcome the
read of a rival tribe, and they had en-
Dyed a great feast.
These natives in the interior of SUI
natra are, 1 believe, as degraded can
libals as ever lived. A man will steal
lpon an enemy when he is asleep. and
With sharp, Scimiter-like sword
trike off his head at a single blow.
then he will strip the head of flesh
nd bury it on some trail, so that even
he friends of the dead man will step
Ipon him and lose his good will in the
ther world. Afterwards the skull is
lug up and kept as a trophy, the rank |