The Forest Republican. [volume] (Tionesta, Pa.) 1869-1952, 1898-11-16

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of my wife and the tribes with whom
1 lived. They pointed out to me that
L he | everything a man could want,
and that l could be King among them.
1t was, moreover, quite evident to
them that my fellow white men did
not want me. Thus for something
like twenty years 1 made my home
with them in the mountainous region
near the centre of the continent, where
ultimately became King or ruler
over a number of large tribes. From
this mountain home [ made frequent
long journeys and traversed at one
time or another a great part of the in
terror of the continent.
Once 1 followed on the camel track
of white party with the tribe for the
purpose of picking up empty tins and
for other things useful to us, and 1
came upon an Australian newspaper.
1 remember it was the Sydney Town
and Country Journal, bearing date
somewhere between 1874 and 1876.
1t was surprise indeed. 1 read il
over and over, until had learned it
by heart, and l preserved it in an
opossum skin cover until it was liter
ally worn to pieces.
Much of the information this news
paper contained puzzled me greatly,
and I nearly worried myself into in
sanity over statement that "the
deputies of Alsace and Lorraine had
refused to vote in the German Parlia-
ment and had walked out" Turn it
over how l might, 1 could not under
stand how the representatives of two
great departments in my own country
could possibly be in the German Par
liament-knowing absolutely nothing,
of course, of the war OF 1870.
The tribe over which L reigned was
composed of beings wto were certain
ly low down in the human scale, but
at the same time they have elaborate
laws which govern their daily life pre-.
cisely as in the case OF civilized peo-
pie. They are savages, repulsive in
appearance, who have not even risen
to such a point of civilization as to
have permanent houses, addicted to
cannibalism, and altogether of a very
degraded type.
While my natives did not, as o rule,
paint the body on great occasions, such
as corroborees, imitation ceremonies
and other festivities, they paint and
decorate themselves elaborately, each
tribe having its own design of decora-
ton, and even geometrical design
for each ceremony. The pigments
used in decoration are of many colors,
but chiefly yellow, red, white and
black. Ordinarily the only clothing
known consists of coating of greasy
clay, mixed with charcoal. This serves
many purposes. 1t keeps off the cold
during the winter, and is also pro-
lection against the attacks of insects.
In summer a special kind of pigment
is used to keep off insects, and this
material is scented with kind of
pennyroyal.
Cannibalism prevails to very great
extent. but is governed by many rules.
Usually it is the slain victims in battle
that are eaten by the victorious side,
and as the object seems to be to ac-
quire the valor and virtues of the per-
son eaten I endeavored to wean the
tribes from cannibalism by assuring
them that. if they made bracelets,
anklets and necklaces out of the dead
mans hair, they would achieve their
end equally well. When a family
grows too large, and the mother-be-
ing the beast of burden-is unable to
carry one of the children, the father
orders it to be dubbed and eaten.
This, however, is entirely actuated by
love, as the natives have a horror of
natural decay. Manned and deformed
children are also killed and eaten.
Women and people who die O natural
death are never eaten. When a man
has to be eaten there is always grand
corroboree. The natives are not
ashamed to confessed cannibalism, nor
is an individual considered unclean
after joining in feast.
From this account it may appear
that my natives were not pleasant
people to live among. But found the
reverse to be the case. They were al
ways cheerful, obedient and defer
ential in their manner, and many
times did owe my life to the care ex-
ercised by my faithful native wife. 1t
was possible to devise many occupa-
tions, which were at least sufficient to
pass the time. For amusement used
to search the beds of the watercourses
for curious stones. In a great many
of these watercourses 1 found both
coarse and find gold, and in some in
stances the creeks were extremely rich
in alluvial gold.
found great quantities Of gem
stones of every shape and color,
which could be distinguished by look
ing through them when wet. In some
cases the prevailing color of the stones
would be various shades of red, in
others blue, and in rarer cases green.
This L took respectively to be ruby,
sapphire and emerald. On occasion
came across range of granite hills
extending several miles, and the ad-
iacent creeks contained large quanti-
ties of pieces of broken reefs aud
lodes and water-worn pebbles, also
immense quantities of heavy black
sand, which 1 supposed to be iron,
but which now know to be tin. In
another district found large quanti-
ties of native copper lying about in
pieces.