Omaha daily bee., 1902-03-23

foreigners. The most of the inhabitants
are Amos, the hairy aborigines of Japan.
Formosa is smaller than Yezo, but Of far
more value from its wonderful natural re-
sources. The island is 26O miles long and
about seventy miles wide in its broadcast part.
1t is full OF minerals, but owing to its wild
nature has not been carefully prospected.
Coal mines are already worked and gold is
found in many Of the streams.
The island has a ridge of mountains run.
ping through 1t from one end to the other,
some OF the peaks being over two miles
in height. Along the west slope Of these
mountains there are many rich, fertile
valleys which lead to a large rolling plain
settled by the Chinese. On these lands Is
raised some OF the finest tea OF the world.
They produce more than 20, 900, 900 pounds
Of tea every year and the most of this goes
to the United States. Indeed, China and the
United States are the chief customers for
Formosan products. Japan itself takes but
little. Our tea is sent across the strait to
Annoy and shipped from there to San Fran
cisco and New York. The most of the tea
leaves are dried in the sun and the packing
is don by tramping them down with the
bare feet.
japanese I'm FOrmOsa.
The Japanese have not yet attempted to
do much with Formosa. They RENTED
taxes for one year after they took posses
sion, but are now attempting to make 1t
self-supporting. The population is largely
Chinese, there being about 5000, 900 on the
island. The chief towns are Tamsui and
Kelung in the north and Tainan and Takow
in the south. Taipeh is the capital.
The japanese are now building railroads
in the northern part Of Formosa and one is
to go from Kelung on the south to Tainanfu.
This will pass through the most thickly
populated portion of the island, including
the richest Of the sugar and rice regions.
II is at Tamsui that our consul lives. This
place has a club, several banks and a num-
Der Of merchants and exporters. One Of
the great products Of Formosa is camphor
made from the camphor tree. 1t is shipped
to all parts OF the world.
The Japanese have had considerable
trouble with the Formosan savages, who
live in villages scattered throughout the
mountains. These people are much like our
wild men Of the Philippines They live by
hunting and fishing aud a little %agricul-
ture. Some villages have small farms
about them. A few acres are enough for
100 people, each family having its own plot.
The men are head hunters not unlike those
OF Borneo, and it is said that a man cannot
marry until he has brought in at least one
head.
The Chinese are the game Of the head
hunter He sneaks up on them while they
are at work in the fields and spears them
TO death. After this he cuts off the head
ana goes home rejoicing. The tribes are
continually warning with one another and
the JdDAnpSR gOldfare boNa 70 aCportar thnm
tribe by tribe. So far no great progress has
oee1 made in ciyilizing the people.
am told that Formosa has rich minerals
Coal is found in different parts and there
are evidences of petroleum. Not long ago
some Chinese employed two Pennsylvanians
TO test certain oil fields. They sank a shaft,
but their drills broke at 300 feet from the
surface and so far the work has not been
resumed.
The Japanese are by no means a poverty
CONTINUED on Eleventh Page.)