The Rathdrum tribune. (Rathdrum, Idaho) 1903-1963, 1907-12-20

the island of Tanna, in the South 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 heatheRs knew moth
ing about Christmas, and were quite
unaware that it is supposed to be a
period of peace on earth and good
will toward men,"
Over 1000 natives were gathered for
the great feast The crew of
"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, see
ing the number of natives, hesitated
to modest them.
Telling the story, Mr.. Patton said:
my first anxiety was the labor
schooner, but soon a 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 | went from group to,
group and tried to spread better
feeling. Our Christmas gathering was
nearly turned into a 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, great range of forest-clad
mountains. The original inhabitants
OF Formosa, wild, savage, ferocious
race OF men, live upon these noun
talns. 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
hesitated long before he took his life
In his hand by seeking out the bar.
barlans 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
tnem. They had been indulging in
this sport when MacKay drifted into
one or their villages and spent Christ.
mas day with one of their chiefs.
The chiefs home consisted of one
large room 80 feet long," said MacKay.
"A IRE 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 scuck long, crooked, sharp-point.
ed Knife, stood around one fire: while
ene women, with much the same dress,
save mat In addition they had many
rings OF brass around their arms and
nmbs, and innumerable ornaments on
tnelr bodies, squatted around the
other fire.
so, on that Christmas night. / sat
there with these rude people, the
room lighted by the fires and by can.
oies made from the heart of the fir
Tree. The men smoked their bamboo
pipes, while the women were busy
tnreadmaking on curious little ma.
chlnes of their own: and all, men and
women, We're laughing and talking
merrily and making great noise. It
was certainly merry Christmas, and
strange one to me.
After time, with the help of the
hatiVe 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 / spent
christmas evening trying to explain to
.nem the old. old story that has been
.oid SO often in so many lands since
the nrst Christmas morning"
Inc savages took great pleasure in
the singing of the Christmas hymns.
ana MacKay and his friends came to
no narm by their bold expedition.