The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1907-06-30
WIPING OUT THE F0RMOSANS.

WIPING OUT THE FORMOSANS.
JapanS Wal OF B~ubJugAtion on Their
Newly Taken Island.
The wild natives Of eastern Formosa
are fighting for their ives and the Japanese
intend to subjugate or annihilate them.
Some years ago the new owners OF the big
island estimated the number of savage
natives at about 0 5000. They are war
riors by trade, inveterate head hunters,
and their hand is turned against the whole
world.
A society was formed at the Formosan
port of Tamsui in 1898 for the study of
the aborigines Of the island and their habitat
by means Of journeys into the interior Int
the publication OF memoirs on the subject.
One of the printed reports Of this society
maintains that the natives have made
considerable progress In an intellectual
and moral sense and also in their religious
ideas, and It concludes that the aborigines
are by no means at the lowest stage OF Gull
ture.
The report adds that the civilization of
the aborigines will depend IN the care
that is taken to avoid arbitrary measures
and to educate them gradually to receive
new ideas. With such a policy there is no
reason why they should share the fate Of
the Tasmanians and other primitive tribes
whose contact with civilization has been
fatal TO them.
II was Japanese scholars who prepared
this report. but their practical Government
believes that the strong hand is more power
ful than moral suasion. The army is
fighting the natives inch by inch. As 1t
drives them back effective possession OF
the conquered territory is established by
the building Of roads and the policing OF
the district. and Japan intends TO move on
from one mountain and valley to others
until there are no more aborigines or the
remnant Of them is thoroughly cowed and
submissive.
There are three kinds Of people in For
mosa-the Japanese, who took the island as
one OF the fruits Of victory over China; the
Chinese, who for the most part are peace
full tillers Of the soil in the fertile western
part, and the many tribes OF wild natives
who occupy the mountainous eastern four
seventies of Formosa 1t is among their
stamping grounds that the camphor tree
grows. and Formosa is the source Of most
Of the worlds supply of camphor. The
present difficulty is due to the fact that in
spite Of the many hundreds OF armed guards
around the camphor camps the natives
still kill many Of the workers, and not a
square mile Of the region where camphor
is obtained has been made safe.
Ii has always been almost certain death
for sailors to be shipwreoked on the east
coast Of the island. II theJ escaped the sea
they were murdered by the savages. Ex-
plorers did not dare to venture into most
parts Of these mountains, which until some
wears after the Japanese occupancy were
still among the least known parts Of the
world.
The Japanese, however, nave carried on
military exploration that has given us some
idea Of this forest region. They AVE sent
out scientific explorers with strong escorts
of soldiers who have forced their way
through the mountains from the plain TO
the eastern sea, mapping the country in
many directions. getting the names Of the
tribes and fixing as far as possible the
territorial possessions OF each tribe They
have been learning all they can about the
habits, customs and int llectual position
of the natives aud have made the first map
ever seen OF the distribution Of these tribes
and the topography Of the country they
inhabit.
mosa. was permitted to use all this ma
terial in the book he wrote on the island.
tically the only account OF them in any
detail in the English language.
The savages are full OF cunning and
treachery. They are armed with bows
and arrows. knives and swords. They
are very dark and muscular and go about
quite naked except for a scanty strip of
blue cloth about the waist. In recent
years many OF them have acquired match
locks and learned to use them.
English naval officers tell a good. story
about these savagee. A few years before
the Japanese occupancy a party. of
British from a man-of-war went up into
the mountains and met some natives who
we're armed with matohlocks. They chal-
lenged the natives to a trial OF skill at shoot
ing. A target was, affixed to a tree about
900 feet distant and the Englishmen made
what they considered pretty fair practice.
The natives observed the skill OF their
rivals without any apparent astonishment.
When it came their turn 10 fire every man
Of them disappeared in the jungle. They
crawled on their stomachs 20 within about
nine feet of the target and then blazed
away. OF course they all hit the target in
the centre.
this was hardly a fair method, but the
natives answered them:
@We don't know what you mean by fair,
but, anyhow. that Is the way we shoe
Cinnamon"
In spite Of their savage history there is an
element OF pathos In these bloody days OF
their fiery trial. Their love Of freedom is
Unborn, as In many other mountaineers.
and their qualities are those OF n stern and
hardy manhood. The numerous photo
graphs which the Japanese have taken
show them as physically well Developed
specimens Of the human race, Perhaps
many OF them are destined 10 wear the
harness OF Japanese civilization. but
their present attitude 10 that OF the buffalo
that wouldn't get out OF the way OF the
locomotive.
4 Monster Bakery.
From Figaro,
The monster bakery at Essen is a vast build
Ing in which seventy workmen, divided into
-. -. ~. .IuA. n.I IH- EY.-I--