Waterbury evening Democrat., 1904-02-19
DYING POLYNESIANs.
Desaneracy of South Sea Islanders
 Gives Concern to France.

France has become so alarmed at the high death rate among the native eolonists 1n the South Seas that she has taken steps to prevent their total extinction. Reports from these far away people tell of the eyer-increas- ing prevalence among them of lepfosy, elephantiasis and other diseases born of ignorance and evil customs. Fields that once produced cotton and cof- fee are returning to the jungle from the lack of hands to till them. The revenues of these island possessions which have long been only fraction of the sums expended upon them, have now decreased still further.
 Three medical experts have been sent by the French government to French Polynesia to study the chief causes of disease among the natives and to check it's ravages. The men selected for this mission are Drs H. Louvan, Dr. F. Cassiau and pr. Gras- fe1lez. They are now on their way from San Francisco to Tahiti, the chief island of the Society group, and the government headquarters of all French esta blishments in the south Pacific. From Tahiti the three doc tors have planned to go to other groups. including the MaTquesas, the Tuamatu and the Tibual islands. Ger tain Judicial powers will be given the physicians to enable them to enforce whatever sanitary laws they may adopt
 When one considers the character istics of the South Sea islands one soon realizes how tremendous are the difficulties of such a task. Tn spite of the Christian missionary who has labored with him for nearly a century he still seems unable to tell right from wrong. He has abandoned cannibal- ism only to revive the secret and still more destructive crime of infanticide. His nature revolts at labor, and his toll is prompted only by hunger and other physical wants. It is impossible for him to regard the marriage bond seriously. Impetuous and of weak will, he is prone to excesses which render him a ready prey to pestilenee.
 1ae degeneraey of the modern South Sea islander appears to have begun when his knowledge of deep sea navigation ended. There was a time when the natives of these widely scattered bits of land sailed boldly from one to another. and carried on war or commerce with distant peo- ples. They had learned that they could trust the stars to guide them. and they built strong ships, almost as large as Mississippi steamers.
 In the heyday of his civilization the Polynesian erected great temples, many of which contained stones al most as large as the stones of the temples of Baaibec. In the Marque- sas islands to-day the traveller will find great stone platforms and ter. races. which show a knowledge Of < mathematical 1awso, ,tohhra etaOinm mechanical laws of which the present natives are wholly ignorant. Some or these stones are from ten to nffeen feet long and five or six feet thick. Their sides are smooth although they show no print of the chisel On these s sGycIopean platforms. or ''paepae, as they are called, the natives now erect their bamboo huts and those who still refuse Christianity say the gods put those great stones in place.
 That the Polynesian of to-day has degenerated from lack of communica- ton with the outside world is shown by the similar fate of domestieated animals. The horses and cattle that have been introduced sickenskand die E after a few generations. -s~Dogs are plentiful. but they are of a low mon- q grel type. The legion of pigs are said to be indigenous, but according to sonle writers they were taken thither by early navigators. The Pol ynesian pig, however, is pitiful specimen when compared with the mighty porkers of the American prai- Tie. Although he is treated by his native master as a pet, accompanies his mistress on her walks through the village and sleeps with the rest of the family on bed of cocoa leaves. yet he shows no outward signs of a progsd disposition.--New York Fri bune.