Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1898-10-22

ward Off the suns rays and insect bites,
and, besides this, woe betide the wives If
corroboree time found them without an
ample supply of colored pigments for the
decoration of their masters bodies.
After a time the natives began point
eddy to suggest that 1 should stay with
them. They had probably heard from
Yamba, one of the blacks who, with her
husband, came to Australia with me about
the strange things possessed and the oc-
cult powers l was supposed 20 be gifted
with. A day or two after my landing
curious thing happened-nothing more or
less than the celebration of my marriagel
l was standing near my boat, still full of
thoughts of escape. when two magnificent
naked chiefs, decked with gaudy pigments
and feather headdresses, advanced toward
me, leading between them n young dusky
maiden of pleasing appearance.
The three were followed by an i'm
mense crowd of natives. The interesting
trio were within a few feet Sf me when
they halted suddenly, and one of the chiefs
stepped out and offered me n murderous
looking club with a big knob ut one end,
which ugly weapon was known as
"waddy." As he presented this weapon
the chief made signs that was to knock
the maiden on the head with ;t. Now, 1
confess, / was struck with horror and dis
may at my position, for, instantly recall
that cannibal feast was about to be Civ
en- in my honor and that-worst horror
of ALL might have to lead off with the
first mouthful of that smiling girl. OF
course they had brought the helpless vic
tim to me, the distinguished stranger, to
kill with my own hands. At that critical
moment, however, / resolved to be abso-
lutely firm, even If 1t cost me my life.
While I hesitated the one chief remain
cd absolutely motionless, holding out the
murderous looking club and looking at
me interrogatively, as though unable to
understand why did not avail myself of
his offer. Still more extraordinary s.the
crowd behind observed solemn and'dis
concerting silence / looked at the girl
TO my amazement she appeared delighted
with things generally-a poor, merry lit
tie creature, not more than Is or 16 years
Of age. decided to harangue the chiefs,
and as preliminary gave them the uni
versal sign TO sit down and parley. They
did so, but did not seem pleased.
Then, in hesitating signs, slaps, clicks
and cultural utterances l gave them to
understand that 1t was against my faith to
have anything whatever to do with the
horrid orgy they contemplated. The Great
Spirit they dreaded so much, yet so vague
ly, 1 went on, had revealed to me that it
was wrong to kill any one in cold blood
and still more loathsome and horrible to
eat the flesh of a murdered fellow creature.
was very much in earnest, and waited
with nervous trepidation to sec the effect
of my peroration. Under the circum-
stances you may judge of my astonishment
when not only the chiefs, but the whole
nation Assem- bled suddenly burst into roars
of eerie laughter.
"Then came Yamba to the rescue. All,
noble and devoted creaturei The bare
mention of her name stirs every fiber of
my being with love and wonder. Greater
love than hers no creature ever knew, and
not once, but thousand times did she |
save my wretched life at the risk of her
own.
"Yamba came up and whispered to me. |
She had been studying my face quietly |
and eagerly and had gradually come to see |
what was passing in my mind. She whis- |
pered that the chiefs, far from wishing me |
to kill the girl for a cannibal feast, were
offering her to me as a wife, and that |
was merely expected to tap her on the head
with the stick in token of her subsection
to her new spouse. In short, this blow on
the head was the legal marriage ceremony, /
tout simple
~ tapped the bright eyed girl on the
head, and she Immediately fell PROSTATE
at my feet in token of wifely submission.
Oddly enough, Yamba, far from manifest
Ing any jealousy, seemed to take as much
lhbSACSb as any one IN the pTOceeOlDRB-
The very next day / waited upon Mr..
famba and calmly made to him the prop
1sltion that we should exchange wives.
ihis suggestion he received with kind of
'ubdued satisfaction or holy Joy, and very
ew further negotiations were needed TO
make the transaction complete, and, be it
:aid, IL was an everyday transaction, per-
lectly legal and recognized by all the clans.
Everything did had to excel in. and
{ was absolutely necessary that 1 should
% perpetually astonishing the natives in
he most literal sense of the phrase. Ac-
for the next few weeks used To
the women In their root hunt
ng and rat catching expeditions, and from
hem picked up much valuable informa-
ion.
1.-The corroboree was perhaps the great
st institution known to the blacks. who
obliged to do no real work as We under
tand il, simply had to pass the time some
low, and there can be no doubt that were
{ not for the constant feuds and conse-
uent incesssnt wars the race would have
realty deteriorated. The corroboree after
successful battle commenced with can