The Vinita daily chieftain. [volume] (Vinita, Indian Territory [Okla.]) 1902-1913, 1907-12-14

the island Of Tanna, in the Soutl. Pa
cific.
He had a mission station there, and
his native converts were no strangers
to Christmas observance; but they
invited large number Of their heath
en- friends to come to their Yuletide
feast. These heathens knew moth
ing about Christmas, and were quite
unaware that it is supposed to be
period of peace on earth and good
will toward men"
Over 1000 natives were gathered for
the great feast The crew Of a
"blackbirding schooner" eager to get
Kanaka labor by fair means or foul
for the Queensland sugar plantations,
heard of the gathering and dropped
anchor off the island on Christmas
morning The captain, however seer
ing the number of natives, hesitated
to molest them.
Telling the story, Mr.. Patton said:
MY first anxiety was the labor
schooner, but soon new peril threat
ened. Some Of the heathens had not
met since war had ragged between
them. At first they simply glared at
each other, and then old hatreds broke
out and hot words were spoken.
Again and again started some
contest that would scatter the excited
groups, but they soon came together
again. Then I went from group to
group and tried to spread q better
feeling. Our Christmas gathering was
nearly turned into scene Of blood
shed In our very garden, but fortu-
nately all passed off most happily"
Among the Head Hunters Of Formosa.
Through the center Of the beautiful
island of Formosa there runs, like .
backbone, a great range OF forest-clad
mountains. The original inhabitants
OF Formosa, a wild, savage, ferocious
race of men, live upon these noun
tains Christmas was first carried
to these people by brave missionary
named George Leslie MacKay.
MacKay had spent several years ON
the coast and in the interior, but he
hestated long before he took his life
in his hand by seeking out the bar
barians OF the mountains, to whom
no white man had ever ventured.
The favorite pastime Of these saw
ages was to cut off the heads Of their
enemies and decorate their huts with
them. They had been indulging in
this sport when MacKay drifted into
one Of their villages and spent Christ
mas day with one Of their chiefs.
"The chiefs home consisted Of ono
large room 80 feet long, said MacKay.
"A fire blazed at either end The
men, dressed in coarse linen sacks
with holes cut for the arms. and a
broad belt Of braided rattan, in which
was stuck a long, crooked, sharp-point-
ed knife, stood around one fire; while
the women, with much the same dress,
save that in addition they had many
rings Of brass around their arms and
limbs, and Innumerable ornaments ON
their bcdies. squatted around the
other fire.
$50, on that Christmas night, sat
there with these rude people, the
room lighted by the fires and by can
dies made from the heart Of the fir
tree. The men smoked their bamboo
pipes, while The women were busy
threadmaking on curious little ma
chimes of their own; and all, men and
women, were laughing and talking
merrily and making a great noise Il
was certainly a merry Christmas, and
a strange one to me-
"After time, with the help OF the
native converts. who had accompanied
me on this dangerous trip, sang
some Christmas hymns to these saw
age mountaineers. who had never
seen a white man before; and I soent
Christmas evening trying to explain to-
them the old. old story that has been.
told so often in SO many lands since
the first Christmas morning
The sayages took great pleasure IN.
the singing Of the Christmas hymns.
and MscKay and his friends came 70
no harm by their bold expedition.