The daily tribune., 1907-12-03


cifc.
He had a mission station there, and
his native converts were no strangers
to Christmas observance: but they
invited a large number OF their heath
en- friends TO come to their Yuletide
feast. These heathens knew moth
iny about Christmas, and were quite
unaware that 1t 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 q
"blackbirdlng schooner" eager to get
Kanaka labor by fair means or foul
for the Queensland sugar plantations.
heard OF the gathering and dropped
anchor of the island on Christmas
morning. The captain, however. sse-
ing the number Of natives, hesitated
to molest them.
Telling the story, Mr.. Patton said:
my nrst anxiety was the labor
schooner. but soon 4 new peril threat
ened. Some OF the hsathsns had not
met since war had ragged between
them. At nrst they simply Elarsd At
each other. and then old hatreds broke
out and hot words were spoken.
Again and again l started some
contest that would scatter the excited
groups. but they soon came together
again. Thsn I went from group To
group and tried to spread . better
feeling. Our Christmas gathering was
nearly turned into . scene Of blood
shed in our very garden. but forts.
natsly all passed OF most happily"
Among the Head Hunters Of Forross.
Through the center OF the beautiful
island of Formosa there runs, like .
backbone, 4 great range OF forsstelAA
mountains. The original inha bitants
OF Formosa a wild. savage, fsrooious
race of men. live upon these noun
talns. Christmas was nrst carried
to these people by . brave missionary
named George Leslie MacKsy.
MacKay had spent several years on
the coast and In tho interior. but he
hesitated lorx before he took his NE
In his hand by seeking out the bar.
barians nj the mountains, to whom
no white man had ever ventured.
The favorite pastime Of these saw.
ages was to cut on the heads OF their
enemies and decorate their huts with
them. They had been indulging in
this sport when MscKay drifted into
one Of their villages and spent Christ.
mas day with one OF their chiefs.
Oh
large room 30 feet long" said MscKsy.
"A ire blazed at either end. The
men. dressed in coarse linen sacks
with holes cut for the arms. and Q
broad belt OF braided rattan. in which
was stuck long. crooked. sharp.polnt.
ed knife, stood around one fire: willis
the women. with much the same dress.
save that In addition they had many
rings OF brass around their arms and
limbs and Inlumerablc ornaments on
their bodies. squatted around tho
other fire.
so. on that Christmas night. sat
there with these rude people. tho
room lighted by the nres and by can.
dies made from the heart OF the fir
tree. The men smoked their bamboo
pipes. while the women were busy
threadmakins on curious little mn.
chimes OF their own. and all. men and
women. were laughing and talkins
merrily and making = great noise. II
was certainly = merry Christmas. and
. strange one TO me.
After time. with the help OF tho
native converts. who had accompanied
me on this dangerous trip. aang
some Christmas hymns to these saw.
age moun'aincers. who had never
seen = white man before. and ! spent
Christmas evening trying to explain to
them the old. old story that has been
told so often In 80 many lands siace
the nrst Christmas morning"
The savaEcs took great pleasure In
the singing OF the Christmas hymns.
and Macksy and his friends came to
no harm by nstr beld expedition.