Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1898-01-01
REAL NO MANS LAND
Woman's Island, Peopled Only With
Amazcns.
ABLE TO DEFEND THEIR LAND
They Till the Soil and Sail Their
Canoes.
SU-SCE PTIBLE TO BEADS

Edward Tregear in Christchurch, New Zealand,
Press
My attention was first drawn to the sub
let 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 series of pictures delineating
the adventures of the crew of a shipwreck-
Ell vessel The boat containing the sur
vivors arrived on the shores of an island
+.nantcd only by women. The artist had
C.J,ictcd with barbarc fidelity to nature
aud with grim humor. how the attentions
of the numerous fair ones became embar-
RAISING to the small party of visitors, until
81 last the sailors had to fly to their boat
and csc ape to the dangers of the deep rtth-
or than endure the overwhelming atten-
tons of hostesSes too fair and kind. The
hook and its subject would have passed
from my memory as a mere pleasantly
had not soon after found what one may
call the "letterpresS'' of the Illustrations.
circulating a legend in the Friendly
Islands. A circumstance 50 remarkable
as this coincidence of ideas in peoples so
far rem wed 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 or Oceanla.
TiIIer. of the Soil.
The Tongan legend was heard by Mar
liner at the beginning of the century, long
Iefcre any white colonists resided in the
Friendly Islands. and although / have not
been able to get the story direct from FIJI
or Samoa. l have not the slightest doubt
that voyagers So hardy as Japanese and
PolvneSlans are famous for having been in
St certrrriAS had some fOun-
datior IF fact which to build so strange
IL tale. Its confirmation we have in the re-
IdtiOn Of the celebrated missionary. Dr
James Chalmers of New Guinea Here Is
the modern account of the Woman's Is
land:
AT PORT Moresby / had heard of wo-
mans land. q land where only women
perfect Amazons-lived and ruled These
ladies' were reported to be excellent tillers
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.
To find so interesting community was
Of great moment. As no part of the coast
from tn" East Cape to Port Noresby would
he LETT unviSited by US. We were certain to
come across the Ammonium settlement.
We heard that Mailiukolo CToulonD canoes
with women were more numerous. ard
SOm. very large ones with women alone.
In the early m )rning We were off the isl
and. and soon ready to land. On crossing
che 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
tn, large village on The north side.
Warned Away.
As the boat touched the fine. hard sandy
beach. a man. the only being in sight ran
down and stood in front 1 went forward
10 spring ashore, but he said 1 must not.
Finding he knew the Daunai dialect / said
10 him. l must land; that / was a friend.
and gave him my nsrrc. which he already
knew from the east. 1 gave him a strip
ii red cloth and stepped ashore. when he
ran away into the bush.
Az our first approach / could only see
this on man, but row | saw hundreds of
grass petticoats On women standing under
the houses. | could not see the upper parts
az their p" lies. only the petticoats and feet.
They We're indeed quiet until l advanced
nearer. when ore wild scream was given
ta.tt would try stronger nerves than mine,
and signs to keep away 1t required more
iuqUiSitiveneSs than / possessed to proceed.
l retired a few PAGES warning the boats
crew to keep good lookout, and especially
from TIE bush end of the village. where the
man ran to. / invited the dusky amsels
10 come 10 me. if they objected to my visit
ing them. but no, | must return whence l
came. tho had seen me, that was enough.
No, my friends, We must meet. and you
VIII have some presents.
Effect of Heads
Il held up my beads and red cloth. but,
strange to say. they seemed to have no eff
feet on that strange crowd i never saw so
many women together. How were we to
meet? was the question; to be baked by
Them would never do. l 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
turns, eyes fixed on me; advances stops
CROSSES her hands. pressing her breast.
Poor Thing. not courage enough: So light
ming speed. back 1t is evident the old la
dies object to the younger ones attempt
ing. and they are themselves too fright
encd- Another young damsel about nine or
ten years old comes out, runs. halts. walks
catlike. lest the touch of her feet on the
sand should waken me from nv reyerie.
another halt holds her chest, lest the spirit
should take its flight, the patterng
heart jump right out. 1 fear it was beyond
The slight patter then. and had reached the
stentoriar thump of serious times. On; a
rush. well donei She picks cloth and
beads up.
Left Quarrel Behind.
Il have gained my point and will soon
have the Crowds-no need to wait so long
10 have the bats picked up now, and after
e. few more such temptings II is done I
am besieged by the noisiest 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. and 1 again landed
Crowds met me on the beach, but no men
gave my beads indiscriminatey and soon
there was quarrel between the old ladies
ana the young ones The latter were or
6ered of. and because they would not go. i
must go TIE old ladies insisted on my
getting into the boat. and. being now as
sisted by the few men We met In the canoe
Il thought il better to comply. Long after
We left the beach we heard those old
cracked, grabbed voices anathematising
the younger members of that community
4 am fully convincted that this is the
Womans Island and can easily account
for its being called SO by stray canoes from
the Westward