The Prince George's enquirer and southern Maryland advertiser. (Upper Marlborough, Md.) 1882-1925, 1899-09-22
DEATH FOR ELOPING.

ners and customs stranger still, lives
near the coast at San Bias, Columbia
South America. To the few traders
who visit the spot for cocoannts and
vegetable ivory they are known as the
San Bias Indians. Oftheir origin and
history but little can be discovered
One thing is certain, that although
friendly to the government of the
United States and TO foreigners who
may enter or find themselves weather
bound in the harbor OF San Bias there
is no record Of their having ever been
conquered or suhjugated by any other
tribe or power.
1t is quite probable that they have
descended fron the ancient Toltees.
but what vicissitudes of tribal life they
may have passed through will proba-
| bly, never be known.
Although inclined to be friendly,
they look with most jealous eyes upon
| any effort to cultivate a closer &C
quaintance than the necessities of trade
require. No matter how many vessels
| may lie at anchor in the harbor or how
much trading may have been carried
on during the day every white man at
sundown must go on board his ship or
at least quit the territory of the tribe
until the following morning. This is
q tribe law, against which protest is
useless.
The maidens of this peculiar tribe
are quite attractive, and many jack
tar has risked his life in the effort to
win or capture dusky bride. Love,
as in other lands, occasionally over
comes all obstacles, but if the unfortu-
nate girl is caught or returns to her
people the punishment is death.
The young mate Of an English bark
lying in the harbor became enamored
of a girl whose home was near the
beach. The mates attentions were
persistent, and his love was secretly
returned.
One night, just before the ship was
to sail, the Indian maiden secreted her
sailor boy in the thickets until after
dark, when they stole canoe and
started to paddle out to the vessel.
But an awful tropical storm came up,
which caused the eloping couple to
lose their bearings, and only with diff
ficulty did they manage to keep afioat.
When morning dawned, they were
washed ashore, almost exhausted. The
enraged Indians seized both and made
them captives, condemning the girl to
immediate death.
The captain of the bark, anticipating
trouble, sent boats crew ashore with
a rescue party. A demand was made
for the prisoner, whereupon the mate
was released, but the girl was held for
the death sentence.
Finding argument useless, the des-
perate youth, with few sailors at his
back, made a rush to secure his sweet
heart and had almost accomplished it
when he was struck down by spear
thrust from the hand of the girls
father. She broke from her captors,
crazed with grief, and, seizing the
spear, drove the head of it into her
own breast. The sailors managed to
carry away their wounded mate, but
were driven into their boat and away
from the shore.
The territory held by the tribe is
quite extensive, although its bounda-
ries are not very accurately defined.
1t extends from Cape San Bias far in
to the mountains.
Cocoanuts are the source of the ma
tion's wealth. which is considerable.
Probably the largest groves are
Just back of San Bias and belong to
these Indians.
A kind of commonwealth or coop
erative system seems to exist among
them, and each member Of the tribe
collects and carries each day his share
of the cocoanuts and adds it to the
enormous pyramid of them near the
shore, which is the tribes treasury.
Millions of nuts are thus stored and in
waiting for profitable market. The
average price for them is from 50 to
$40 per 900 in Colombian silver, or
about 50 per cent. OF the amount in
gold. Onc-half of the pay is taken in
cash and the other half in merchan-
disc.
The nuts are carried from the ''great |
pile" to the beach in palmetto bags.
The natives, with their loads, each
weighing 80 pounds, travel at brisk
trot all day long and seemingly with
out fatigue. Although slender, wiry |
race, they will accomplish with ease
task that would kill or PROSTATE An
gIo- Saxons.
The Indians are excellent sailors,
and even in the rough weather make
the trip from Cape San Bias to Aspin-
wall in boats followed out of logs.
A cocoanut grove is a source OF
never failing revenue to its owners, as
the tree from the fourth year of its ex-
istence bears indefinitely and has few
if any enemies. The nuts intended for
commerce are allowed to ripen and