Pike County press. (Milford, Pa.) 1895-1925, 1899-05-26
A GIANT RACE.
RomSntis story Of One Fsund In the Sell
onon Islands.

Romantio story OF One Tcund In the Sell
oInon Islands.
When Captain Freeman, of the Brit
ish man-of-war Mohawk, returned
from six months tripamoug the Solo
mon Islands, on the occasion OF annex
ing IA of these islands to Great Brit
ain. he told of his strange experience
at one of the new patches of territory
that he took from the natives in the
name of Queen Victoria. 1t was the
island of TOcupa, 800 miles from the
next nearest island of the Solomon
group. 1t is land without history.
and Capt. Freeman says he thought of
Darwin's theory of the submerged
continent and believed that theory
when he looked upon the 800 tribes
men of the mountainous island of To-
cupa. When the company of 20 blue.
jackets landed on tire shore and Capt.
Freeman began TO read the Queens
proclamation. the islanders began to
come down from the hills in hundreds,
expecting an attack. SO huge were
they in size. and fearless the Gatling
guns were wheeled into line, but the
ceremony went on just the same Soon
the Union Jack was unfurled, the
proclamation buried in the sand and a
salute OF 81 guns fired, but at ihe first
noise of the guns the natives again
fed to the hills, and ii was only with
the greatest persuasion that they
could be induced to appear again.
BY and bye they became less shy,
and were induced to talk by signs, and
submit to being measured. examined
and felt. Who were these people?
Who but the interesting remnant of
glorious ancient race. probably in
their prime superior to the races that
at present dominate the world. The
men were not the least like any of the
tribes inhabiting the SolomOns or any
OF the South Sea groups. They were
all giants. The average among a com
pany Of 100 being measured. he moved
the stick placed on level with his
head against an upright tree at six
feet ten. and was massive in propor-
ton, measuring 43 inches around his
bare chest. His muscles, however,
were soft and as round as 4 woman's.
But this giant was as handsome as an
Adonis and wore his faxen hair long
in curls over his copper-cOlore1 shou-
ders, like the rest Of the meD in his
tribe. Strange to say, the women
wore their hair short, close to their
heads. The soft muscles of the men
was explained by the fact that these
500 men, women and children are not
a fighting race, having never been to
war, and do not possess a single fight
ing implement. They live by snaring
wild animals in their mountain home.
in fishing and cultivating delicious
fruit by grating and domesticating
the wild products OF the island. An
interpreter was found on the Mohawk.
A man who had before seen the tribe
made some headway with one of the
strange race, who had been taught a
| Solomon Island trade iargon by his
| father, who had visited one OF the isl.
ands % years before.
He learned that the Tocupians were
sentimental, peetical race. conform
/ ing strictly to the rules of their relig
ion, strangely resembling Christianity
They studied monOgamy rigidly, be
cause they argued that when a hus
band or wife died he or she went tc
the spirit land and waited for the part
ner left behind on the island. which
meant to them all the earth. II the
surviving mate lived one hundred
years, the other was still waiting tC
be united in the spirit land lf IA seconC
wife was taken home, or "A second hus
9and, the better half gone before
would make it hot for the other part
ner when they were united In thu
great beyond. This was their hell.
The women were five feet ten inches
and six feet tall. appeared in public as
their sister Eve In the Garden OF Eden
It her first home, and were formed like
Nenuses.