The Lambertville record. [volume] (Lambertville, N.J.) 1872-1968, 1903-09-02
THE SOUL CATCHERS.
> SINGULAR CUSTOM OF THE SOUTH
SEA ISLANDERS.


The WAY the Natives In the Days be-
fore Civilization Hnd Fully Marked
Them For It's own Used 10 Get Eve"
with Their Enemies.
A little White ago while turning over
some Inementos of many years spent
In the Pacific islands | came across a
small circle Of fine cane about Two
inches in diameter. From the side to
ward the center delicate network Of
the fbcrs Of some plant was construct
ed, leaving IL small hole in the center
large enough for, say, bee to crawl
through. The article weighed less
than n quarter of an ounce; yet, small
and harmless as il appeared, II Is not
SO very many years ago that II and
others like 1t were objects of deadly
terror to the natives Of many OF the
Pacific islands, particularly those of
Manahlki Humphrey island), for the
simple looking thing was "A soul catch
er"- that Is, n destroyer Of human life.
Manahik Is one of Il group of low
lying atol islands to the north-north
west of Samoa, and its people today
are about the best educated of all the
Malayo POlynesian people They elect n
king and parliament, have one of the
most beautifully adorned churches In
the Pacific Islands, and nearly all the
younger members of the community
can now not only speak but read and
write English The island Is for an
atoll= unusually fertile and the people
a., OF, ..,,l
ored race. The main industries nre the
making of "copra" dried coconnuD and
diving for pearl she'll
Soul catching" In the heather days,
prior to 1868, could be and was prac-
ticed by any one who desired revenge
or the life of an enemy. Indeed, al
though the people We're nominally
Christians In 1873. il was still In
vogue The moduS operandl Is very
simple Say that two men, Rika and
Tetoro quarrel Riku accuses Tctoro
of going out into The lagoon ut night
time. lifting his UtikasD fish traps and
abstrncting the contents He therefore
demands compensation. Tetoro denies
the theft The relatives of both men
take Sides and the quarrel assumes nll
the elements of a feud with bloodshed
1t may be that Tetoro is n man Of
means or chiefly rank and influence
and treats his aecuscr with scorn
VERY well" the injured Rika cries.
If | cannot get Justice from you |
shnll snare your soul, and you will die
of II wasting sickness"
Tetoro, even If he is innocent begins
10 feel uneasy nj this threat md while
vigorously denying The theft offers
Rilta n present of II pig 10 end the INIT
ter. Kilias relatives mt once camor
not only for their original demands,
but for the pig as we'll Possibly free
fight cnsucs, and Rika's people get
badly used, and threats of "soul snar
ing" are heard Oh all sides.
Then Rika's wife makes the snare for
Tctoro's soul Taking her mat out into
the village square or upon II we'll FIRE
quchled road or path, she suspcnds the
snare from the branches of trees or
sticks placed In the ground In such II
position that she can closely watch the
orliiee In the center of the square
RIllas friends. male and female come
with her. They bring food and eat II
and throw fragments under the snare
To attract the flies. with which the Is
land Is infested If but one fly crnwls
through the hole Trtoro Is dead man,
unless he suddenly gives In aud allows
himself to bc blcd. for not only do
Rilsa's people watch the snare, but his
own ms we'll No one of them would
dare to attempt to destroy the snare.
The death of the lntcrfcrer hy occult
power would certainly follow.
And SO for hours and hours some
times for days many pairs of eyes
watch the little circle of cane, and Tes
toro and his friends are now ready to
yield but feel that still more cNtor-
tonntc demands may be made. Then
Mt last Il fly is seen 10 crawl through
and n shout goes through the village
TIA hopo to lago! Ia hopo to lago!
CA fly has passed through Tetoro
hears the cries and immediately lmag-
ines he feels Ill. His wife and relatives
crowd about him and try to cheer him
mp, but his face assumes II melancholy
look and Ms the time passes on he re
fuses his food Perhaps he may con
fcss thnt he did steal Rilla's fish and
tremhlingly offer TO make full rcstitu-
ton If Rika will catch fly and make
II 20 through the circle from the re
verse side through which the first one
entered voluntarily. Usually this Is
done, and what might have become
lasting family fcud had Tctoro died of
funk" through being bcwitchcd. ends
up by the payment of SO much property
10 Rika. and feast for which both
parties provide the viands. Pail Mall
Gazette