Martinsburg independent. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1875-1900, 1898-02-19
No MANS LAND.
~ ISLAND THAT is PEorLED ONLY
WITH WOMEN.


thry Are Allie to Defend Their Own and
May Re Called As4azons Winning an
Interview by the Use of a Piece of Red
Cloth aAa g Few Beads.
My attention MS first drawn to the sub
iect Of modern anazcns by means of a
japanese Picture book, writes Edward
Iregoar in the Christchurch (New Zealand)
J ress, IT had been exposed for sale in a
l.stive shap at Tokyo and attracted the at
teEaeD u u visitor, who brought the curl
ositg olaesihply as a specimen of artistic
Mcik The nook consisted of series of
pictures t.oliaesting the adventures of the
eiew Of shipwrecked vessel. The boat
containing the survivors arrived on the
chores of an island tenanted only by wom-
ta Tho artist had depicted with barbaric
fidelity to nature and with grim humor
how the attentions Of the numerous fair
onos became embarrassing to the small
party of visitors, until at last the sailors
had to fly to their boat and escape to the
dangers of the deep rather than endure the
overwhelming attentions of the hostesses
too fair and kind. Tho book and it's sub
;cct would have passed from my memory
found what one may call the "letterpress'
of the illustrations, circulating as a legend
in the Friendly islands A circumstance
so remarkable as this coincidence of ideas
in peoples so far removed both in point Of
distance and of race MS the Tongans and
the japanese could not fail to strike one
deeply interested in the anthropology of
Ocoanica.
Tho Tongen legend was heard by Mari
ner at the beginning Of the century, long
before any white colonists resided in the
Friendly islands, and although / have not
been able TO get the story direct from Fiji
or Samoa, kayo not the slightest doubt
that yoyagers so hardy as japanese and
polynesians arc famous for having been in
past centuries must have had some foun-
dalton of fact en- which to build SO strange
d tale. Its confirmation we have in the
relation of tho celebrated missionary Dr.
James Chalmers of Now Guinea, Hero is
the modern account OF the woman S island:
"At Port Moresby l had heard of "a
woman's land, a land where only women
perfect aIaZons-liyed and ruled.
These ladies were reported to DO excellent
tillers Of tho 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 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
tlement. We heard that Mailiukolo (Tou-
lon) canoes with women were numerous
and some very large ones with women
alone. In the carly 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 the vessel, while
We pulled up to the large village on the
north side.
GAS the boat touched tho fine, hard
sandy beach a man, the only being in
sight, ran down and stood in front. l
went forward to spring ashore, but he said
1 must not. Finding he knew the Daunai
dialect, I said to him must land, that
was friend and gave him 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 l saw hundreds
of grass petticoats on women standing I'M
der tho houses could not see the upper
parts Of their bodies only the petticoats
and feet They were indeed quiet until
advanced nearer, when one wild scream
was given that would try stronger nerves
than mino and signs to keep away. 1t re-
CURED more inquisitiveness than l pcs
sessod to proceed. l retired O few PAGES,
warning the boats crew to keep good
lockout and especially from the bush end
of the village, where tho man ran to.
invited the dusky damsels to come to me
rr1,S ~.
no, must return whence l 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 hayo no
effect 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 noyCr do. threw on the
beach q piece Of red cloth and fow beads,
walked away quite carelessly and appar-
entity not noticing what was taking place.
A girl steals from out the crowd, stops,
crosses her hands, pressing her breast
Poor thing, not courage enough, so light
ninglike she speeds back. 1t is evident the
old ladies object to the younger ones at
tempting, and they are themselves toe
frightened. Another young damsel about
or 10 years old comes out, runs, halts,
walks catlike lest the touch of her feet on
the sand should waken me from nay rev
erie. Another halt, holds her chest, lest
the spirit should take its flight or the pat
tering heart jump right out fear it was
beyond the slight patter then and had
reached the Gtontorian thump of serious
times. On, q rush, we'll done She picks
cloth and beads up.
II have gained my point and will coon
have the croWds-no need to wait so long
to have the bats picked now, and after a
few more temptings it is DONE l am be-
sieged by the noisest crowd have ever
met, and am truly glad to escape on board
the boat. We went 10 the vessel and
brought her round to tho west side where
We anchored. Crowds met me on the
beach, but no men. gave my beads in
discriminatory, and soon there was a guar
rel between the old ladies and the young
ones. The latter were ordered off and be-
cause they would not go ! must CO. 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
ter to comply. Long after we left the
beach we heard those old cracked, grabbed
voices matchmaking the younger NOM
bers 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. "