Clarke courier. [volume] (Berryville, Va.) 1869-1997, 1903-09-30

Enem for It's own sea III Get ksveu
with Their Enemies.
A little while ago while turning over
some mementos OF many years spent
I'm the Pacific islands l came across a
small circle OF fine cane about two
inches in diameter. From the side to-
ward the center a delicate network OF
the fibers OF some plant was construct
ell. leaving a small hole I'm the center
large enough for. say, bee to crawl
through. The article weighed less
than a quarter OF an ounce; yet, small
and harmless as il appeared, II is not
so very many years ago that IL and
others like Il were objects Of deadly
terror TO the natives of many OF the
Pacific islands. particularly those of
Manahiki Humphrey island). for the
simple looking thing was a ''soul catch
er''-that is, destroyer ef human life.
Manahiki is one OF a group of low
lying atoll 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 a
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 fine. stalwart. handsome copper col
ored race. The main industries are the
making OF ''copra" dried cocoanuO and
diving for pearl shell.
soul catching i'm the heather days
prior to 1863. could be and was prac-
ticed 10y any one who desired revenge
or the life OF an enemy. Indeed. al
though the people were nOminally
Christians I'm 1873. It was still in
vogue. The modus operandi Is very
simple Say that two men, Rika and
Tetoro, quarrel. Rixa accuses Tetoro
OF going out into the lagoon at night
time, lifting his (Rika's) fish traps and
abstracting the contents. He therefore
demands compensation. Tetoro denies
the theft. The relatives OF both men
take sides. and the quarrel assumes all
the elements OF feud with bloodshed
II may be that Tetoro is man OF
means or chiefly rank and influence
and treats his accuser with scorn.
VERY WELL" the injured Rika cries.
IF | cannot get justice from you
shall snare your soul, and you will die
OF wasting sickness"
Tetoro, even IL he is innocent, begins
TO feel uneasy at this threat and, while
vigorously denying the theft, offers
Rika present OF n pig TO end the mat
ter. Rika's relatives at once clamor
not only for their original demands,
but for the pig as well. Possibly n free
fight ensues, and Rika's people get
badly used, and threats OF "soul snar-
ing are heard on all sides.
Then Rika's wife makes the snare for
Tetoro's soul. Taking her mat out into
the village square or upon well fire.
quented road or path, she suspends the
snare from the branches OF trees or
sticks placed in the ground in such a
position that she can closely watch the
orifice in the center OF the square.
Rilka's 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. II but one fly crawlS
through the hole Tetoro Is n dead man,
unless he suddenly gives in and allows
himself TO he bled, for not only do
Rika's people watch the snare. but his
own as well. No one of them would
dare TO attempt to destroy the snare
The death of the interferer by 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 TIE
toro and his friends are now ready "a
yield, but feel that still more extor.
tionate demands may be made. Then
at last q fly is seen to crawl through
and a shout goes through the village.
"Ua hopo te lagol Ua hopo &c lagor
GA fly has passed through.'D TetorC
hears the cries and Immediately imag
ines he feels III. His wife and relatives
crowd about him and try to cheer him
up, but his face assumes melancholy
look, and as the time passes on he re
fuses his food Perhaps he may con
fess that he did steal Rikas fish an(
tremblingly offer TO make full restitu
ton II Rika will catch n fly and make
It go through the circle from the lie
verse side through which the first one
entered voluntarily. Usually this II
done, and what might have become 9
lasting family feud had Tetoro died OF
sunk" through being bewitched, end:
mp by the payment of 80 much property
70 Rika, and a feast for which botf
parties provide the viands.-Pall Nal
Gazette.