The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1899-05-28

during the day, every white man at sun
down must go on board his ship or at
least quit the territory of the tribe until
the following morning. This is a tribe
IaW' against which protest is useless. The
maidens of this peculiar tribe are quite
attractive, and many a Jack-tar has risk
ed his life in the effort to win or capture
q dusky bride. Love, as in other lands.
occasionally overcomes all obstacles, but
II the unfortunate girl is caught or re-
turns to her people, the punishment is
DEATH
quite romantic incident occurred
some four years ago, which for a while
seriously disturbed the usually peaceful
relations existing between the Indians and
the white traders who come to the coast
after cocoanuts. The young mate of an
English bark lying in the harbor became
enamored Of girl whose home was near
the beach. The mates attentions were
persistent and his love was secretly re-
turned. Daily visits were made to the
village, but the lovers could only meet by
stealth.
One night, just before the ship was to
san, the Indian maiden secreted her sail
| or BOY in the thickets until after dark.
| When they stole a canoe and started 10
paddle out to the vessel But the course
| OF true love never ran smoothly, and in
TINS case an awful tropical, storm came
up which caused the clipping couple TO lose
| their bearings, and only with difficulty did
they manage to keep af1oat. When morn
| ing dawned they were washed ashore al
most exhausted. The enraged Indians
seized both and made them captives, con-
demning the girl to immediate death.
! The captain of the bark, anticipa ting
| trouble, sent boats crew ashore with a
rescue party. A demand was made for
the prisoner, whereupon the mate was re-
leased, but the girl was held for the death
sentence. Finding argument useless. the
desperate youth with a few sailors al his
back, made rush to rescue his sweet
| heart, and had almost ACCOMPLISHED If
when he was struck down BY s4Oear
thrust from the girls father. She broke
from her captors, crazed with grief and
seizing a spear drove the head of it into
her own breast. The sailors managed IN
carry away their wounded mate, but
were driven into their boat and away from
the shore.
The power of the caciuue or ruler is all
solute and the crown descends from father
to son. The territory held by the tribe is
quite extensive, although its boundaries
are not very accurately defined. 1t ex-
tends from Cape San Bias far back into
the mountains, and seems to be the nat
ural home of the cocoanuts or vegetable
ivory. These two products are almost
the sole articles of export. Cocoanuts are
the source of the nations wealth. which
is considerable. Probabi the largest
groves in the world are just back Of San
Bias and belong 10 these Indians
KIND OF commonwealth or co-opera tive
system seems to exist among them, and
each member of the tribe collects and
carries each day his share of the cocoa
nuts and adds it to the enormous pyramid
OF them near the shore, which is the
tribes treasury. Millions of nuts are Tins
stored and in waiting for profitable mar
ket. The average price obtained for tben
Is from IS 10 $40 per thousand in Column
ban silver, or about SO per cent. of thar
amount in gold. One-haif of the nav IL
taken IN cash and the other half in ner-
chaudise. The nuts are carried from tba
great pile" TO the beach in palmetto baps
The natives with these loads. each wei%b-
ing fifty pounds, travel at a brisk trot au
day long and seemingly without fatisre
Although slender, wiry race, they will,
accomplish with ease tasks that would
XII OF prostrate Anglo-Saxons. The In
dams are excellent sailors, and even in
rough weather make the trim from Co.
San Bias TO Aspinwail in boats hollows1
out of logs gu
A cocoanut grove is a source of naver-
taliing revenue to its owners. as the trao
from the fourth year of its existence hs,rs
indefinitely and has but few. If anv ~,
mics. The nuts Intended for conmeroo.
are allowed 10 ripen and drop to the
ground. Every one that falls is rvortS
about half a cent where it lies. All Az,
ana all night the owner of the estate MAJ,
listen to his wealth dropping to the eartS
around nun. In fact it is necessary -
exercise care in walking among the trees
70 70 avoid having ones skull fractured bv