The Columbia herald. [volume] (Columbia, Tenn.) 18??-1935, 1898-11-18
REAL NO MANS LAND.
AN ISLAND THAT is PEoPLED ONLY
WITH WOMEN.

My attention was first drawn to the sub
ject of modern amazons by means Of
japanese picture book, writes Edward
Tregear in the Christchurch New Zealand)
Press. 1t had been exposed for sale in
native shop at Tokyo and attracted the at
tention of visitor. who brought the curl
osity to me simply as a specimen of artistic
work. The book consisted of series Of
| pictures delineating the adventures of the
crew of shipwrecked vessel. The boat
containing the survivors arrived on the
shores of an island tenanted only ny wom-
en-. The artist had depicted with barbnric
fidelity to nature and with grim hUmor
how the attentions of the numerous fair
ones became embarrassing 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 tie
! overwhelming attentions of the hoste7scs
too fair and kind. The book and its sub
jcct would have passed from my memory
rs mere pleasantly had not soon after
| found what one may call the "letterpress"
of the illustrations, circulating as u legend
in the Friendly islands. A 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 interested in the antbropology Of
| OCeanica.
The Tongan legend was heard by Mari
ner at the beginning Of the century, long
before any white coloniSts resided in the
Friendly islands, and although have not
been able to get the story direct from Fiji
or Samoa, have not the slightest doubt
that voyagers SO hardy as japanese and
Polynesians are famous for having been in
past centuries must have had some four
dation of fact on which to build so strange
a tale. Its confirmation we have in the
relation of the celebrated missionary DR..
James Chalmers Of New Guinea Here is
the modern account Of the woman's island:
AT Port Moresby / had heard of
woman's land, land where only women
perfect amazons-lved and ruled.
These ladies were reported to be excellent
filters of the soil, splendid canoeists in
sailing or padding and quite able to hold
their own against attacks of the sterner
sex, who sometimes tried to invade their
country
ITO find so interesting a community
| was VI kTtdb IllOIltub AS UO Oh bOb
coast from the East cape to Port Moresby
would be left unvisited by US, we were
certain to come across the anazonian set
Element We heard that Mailiukolo (Tou-
lon) canoes with women were numerous,
and some very large ones with women
alone. In the early morning we we-o off
the island and soon ready TO land On
crossing the reef we met two canoes, ono
with men and one with women. We
signed to them to go to the vessel, while
we pulled up to the large village Oh the
north side.
"As the boat touched the fine, hard
sandy beach a man, the only being in
sight, ran down and stood in front
went forward to spring ashore, but be said
l must not. Finding he knew the Daunai
dialect, said to him must land, that
was d friend and gave him strip Of red
cloth and 81 pped ashore, when be ran
away into the BUSH
"At our first approach could only see
this one man, but now ! saw hundreds
of grass petticoets on women standing un-
J der the houses ] could not see the upper
parts of their bodies, only the petticoats
and feet. They were indeed quiet until
|
was given that would try stronger nerves
than mine and signs to keep away. 1t re-.
CURED moro inquisitiveness than / pos
sessed to proceed. retired few PAGES
warning the boats crew to keep q good
lookout and especially from the bush end
of the village, where tho man ran to. I
invited the dusky dnnsels TO como to me
If they objected to my visiting them; but
no, must return whence l came. They
, had seen me, that was enough NO, my
, friends; we must meet, and you will have
, some presents.
~ held up my beads and red cloth; but,
strange TO say, they seemed To have no
effect on that strange crowd. never saw
} so many women together. How were we
to meet9 was the question. To be baked
by them would never do. threw on the
beach piece Of red cloth and a few beads,
walked away quite carelessly and appar-
, emily not noticing what was taking place.
A girl steals from out the crowd, stops,
crosses her hands, pressing her breast.
| Poor thing, not courage enough, so light
} ninglike she speeds back. 1t is evident the
J old ladies object to the younger ones at
tempting, and they are themselves too
frightened. Another young damsel about
2 or 10 years oil comes out, runs, halts,
walks catlike lesi the touch of her feet on
the sand. should waken me from my rev.
erie. Another halt, holds hcr chest, lest
] the spirit should take its flight or the pat
: toring heart Jump right out. fear it was
beyond the slight patter then and had
reached the stentOrian thump Of serious
times. On, rush, well donel She picks
cloth and beads up.
IL have gained my point and will SCOT
have the crowds no need to wait so long
to have the bats picked now, and after q
few more temptinSs it is done. am be
sieeed by the noisest crowd have evel
met, and am truly glad to escape on boarC
the boat. We won't to the vessel anC
brought her round TO the west side, whert
we anchored. Crowds met me on thu
beach, but no men. gave my beads in
discriminatory, and soon there was a quar-
rel between the old ladies and the younl
ones. The latter were ordered off and be
cause they would not go must go Tn
old ladies insisted on my getting intJ tn
boat, and, being now assisted by the few
men we met in the,canoe thought it bet
ter to comply. Bcng after we left tn
beach we heard those old cracked, crabbet
voices anathematizing the younger MON
bers Of that community.
II am fully convinced that this is tn