The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1898-03-08
IN NO MANS LAND.
A Veritable Island of AmazOns in
the South Seas.


My attention was first drawn to the sub
ject of modern Amazons by means of a
Japanese picture book. It had been ex-
posed for sale in a native shop at Toxic
and attracted the attention of a visitor
who brought the curiosity to me simply
as a specimen of artistic work. The book
consisted of a series of pictures delineat-
ing the adventures of the crew of a ship
wrecked vessel The boat containing the
survivors arrived on the shores of an is
land tenanted only by women, The artist
had depicted with barbaric fidelity to ma
ture and with grim humor how the atten-
lions of the numerous fair ones became
embarrassing to the small party of visi-
tors, until at last the sailors had to fly to
their boat and escape to the dangers of
the deep rather than endure the over
whelming attentions of the hostesses too
fair and kind. The book and its subject
would have passed from my memory as a
mere pleasantly had l not soon after
| found what one may call the letter
press of the illustrations, circulating as
| a legend in the Friendly Islands. A cir
| cumstance so remarkable as this coinci-
| dence of ideas in peoples so far removed
| both in point of distance and of race as
| the Tongans and the japanese could not
| anthropology of Oceanica.
The Tongan legend was heard by Maj
| iner at the beginning of the century, lons
| 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
| FONDA fiOn v1b To nttilJ
| strange tale. Its confirmation we have
| in the relation of the celebrated mission
airy, DR.. James Chalmers of New Guinea
Here Is the modern account of the wom>
ans Island:
| "At Port Moresby had heard of a wom
ans island, land where only women per
feet Amazons-lived and ruled. These
ladies were reported to be excellent tillers
of the soil, splendid canoists 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 interes ting a 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 Amazonian set
| Element. We heard that Malfukolo (Tou-
| lon) canoes with women were numerous,
and some very large ones with women
alone. In the early morning we were Oft
| the island, and soon ready to land On
| crossing the reef we met two canoes one
| with men and one with women. We
signed to them to go to the vessel, while
we pulled up TO the large village on the
| north side.
CAS- the boat touched the fine hare
| sandy beach, a man, the only being in
| sight, ran down and stood in front
went forward to spring ashore, but he
| said must NOT. Finding he knew the
Daunai dialect, said to him 1 must Land,
| that l was a friend, and gave him a
strip of red cloth. and stepped ashore,
when he ran away into the bush.
"At our first approach l could only see
this one man, but now 1 saw hundreds Of
| grass petticoats on women standing under
the houses. 1 could not see the upper
parts of their bodies, only the petticoats
and feet They were indeed, quiet untn
l advanced nearer. when one wild scream
was given thai would try stronger nerves
than mine, and signs to keep away. It
required more inquisitiveness than l pos
sessed to proceed. retired a few PAGES,
warning the boats crew to keep a good
lookout, and especially from the bush
end OF the village, where the man ran
to- | invited the duslSy damsels to come
to me If they objected to my visiting
them, but, no. / must return whence 1
camel they had seen me, that was
enough. No, my friends; we must meet
and you will have some presents.
Il held up my beads and red cloth, but,
strange to say they seemed to have no
effect on that strange crowd. l never
saw so many women together. How were
we to meet? was the question. To be
baked by them would never do I threw
on the beach a piece of red cloth and a
few beads walked away quite carelessly,
and apparently not noticing what was
taking place. A girl steals from out Inc
crowd stops, crosses her hands, pressing
her breast. Poor thing, not courage
enough; so, lightning speed back 1t Is
evident the Old ladies object to the younger
ones attempting, and they are themselves
TOO frightened.
Another young damsel, about or 10
years old comes out runs, halts walks
cat-like, lest the touch of her feet on the
sand should waken me from my reverie;
another halt holds her chest, lest the
spirit should take its flight or the patter-
ing 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 soon
have the crowds--no need to wait so long
to have the bats picked now, and after a
few more temptings It is done. / am be-
sieged by the nolsest crowd / have ever
met, and am truly glad to escape on board
the boat. We went to the vessel and
brought her round to the west side, where
we anchored. Crowds met me on the
beach, bur no men. / gave my beads in
discriminatory, and soon there was a quar-
rel between the old ladies and the young
ones. The latter were ordered off, and be-
cause they would not go must 60 The
old ladies insisted on my getting into the
boat, and, being now assisted by the few
men we met in the canoe, thought it bet
eteF to comply. Long after we left the