Freeland tribune. (Freeland, Pa.) 1888-1921, 1898-03-14
| A REAL NO MANS LAND.
WOMAk'S ISLAND, PEoPLED ONLY
WITH AMAZONS.


Their Ti;nidity Overcome by Presents
of Beads-A Missionary's Narrative.
DIR. james Chalmers, a missionary,
Of New Guinea, gives this account of
an island among the Friendly Islands,
inhabited solely by women. The doc
tors narrative IS published by the
Christ Church New Zealand) Press:
SAT Port Moresby had heard of a
woman's land, u land where only
women-perfect Amazons-lived and
ruled. These ladies were reported to
be excellent tillers of the soil, splen.
did canoeists in sailing or padding,
and quite able to hold their own
against attacks of the sterner sex, who
sometimes tried to invade their coun.
try.
ITO find so interesting a commun.
OF the coast from East Cape to Port
Moresby would be left unvisited by
us, we were certain to come across
the Amazonian settlement. We heard
that Mailiukolo (Touion) canoes with
women were more pumerous, and
some very large ones with women
alone. In the early morning we were
off 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
lhe vessel, while we pulled up to the
large village on the north side.
Gas the boat touched the fine, hard
sandy beach, q man, tie only being
in sight, ran down and stood in
front. L went forward to spring
ashore, but he said L must not.
Finding he knew the Daunai dialect,
l said to him, must land; that L was
q friend, and gave him my name,
which he already knew from the east.
gave him q strip of red cloth and
stepped ashore, when he ran away
into the bush.
''At our first approach I could only
see this one man, but now L saw hun.
dreds of grass petticoats on women
standing under the houses. I could
not see the upper parts of their bodies,
only the petticoats and feet They
were indeed quiet until L advanced
nearer, when one wild scream was
given that would try stronger nerves
than mine, and signs to keep away. It
required more inquisitiveness than ]
possessed 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. L invited the dusky damsels
to come to me, If they objected to my
visiting them; but no, ] must return
whence [ came; they had seen me-
that was enough. No, my friends, we
must meet, and you will have some
presents.
81 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 meet? was the ques.
ton; to be baked by them would never
do threw on the beach piece of
red cloth and afeN beads; walked away
quite carelessly and apparently not
noticing what was taking place. A
girl steals from out of crowd, stops,
turns, eyes fixed on me; advances,
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 nine or ten years
Did comes out, runs, halts, walks cat
like, lest to touch of her feet on the
sand should waken me from my re-
verie; another halt, hold her chest,
lest the spirit should take its fight, or
the pattering heart jump right out l
lear it was beyond the slight patter
then, and had reached the stentorian
thump of serious times. On; rush /;
we'll done! She picks cloth and beads
up.
81 have gained my point and will
wait so long to have the bats picked
up now, and after q few more such
temptings it is done. / am besieged
by the noisiest crowd I have ever met,
and am turly glad to escape on board
the boat. We went to the vessel, and
brought her round to the west side,
where we anchored, and again landed.
Crowds met me on the beach, but no
men. 1 gave my beads indiscrimin.
ately, and soon there was quarrel
between the old ladies and the young
ones. The latter were ordered off,
and because they would not go, / must
go. The old ladies insisted on my
getting into the boat, and, being now
assisted by the few men we met in the
canoe, L thought it better to comply.
Long after we left the beach we heard
those old cracked, grabbed voices
anathematising the younger members
of that community.
81 am fully convinced that this is
the Woman's Island, and can easily
account for its being called so by stray
canoes from the westward"
Praise For the Duke.
The Duke of Wellington once said