The daily telegram. [volume] (Clarksburg, W. Va.) 1901-1926, 1907-06-12
PECULIAR PEOPLE
The Strange Mixture Of Raess Found IN
New Hsbridss.


In Southwest Bay alone / have seer
writes Beatrice Grimschaw in thu
Windsor Magazine, describing the peo
pie of the New Hebrides, distinctly
Jewish types of face. types suggesting
the west African negro, types IKE al
extremely deprayed monkey and type.
Ike nothing else on earth but them,
selves. There are in the bay three
distinct languages, no one Of which
can be understood by the speakers Of
another, and in the rest Of the island
there are at least seven or eight othe,
languages.
The houses are Of a very low and
degraded type, being merely roofs Sc;
on bamboo stockade couple of feet
high, but the hamals, or sacred houses
Of which each village owns one, arc
high, pointed. gabled buildings with
tiers Of windows in the gable and
lofty. narrow doors. apparently meant
FOR the admission of very high proved
canoes, which the New Hebrideans do
not possess. There are certain Jewish
rites In use among them. They have
caste regulations suggestive Of India.
and they make mummles not very In.
ferior to those Of Egypt; also, they are
cannibals, and they sing Gregorian
chant or its first cousin in their devil
dances. They worship the man-of-war
hawk. which holds an extraordinarily
nigh place in their regillous beliefs.
They set an almost sacred value on
pigs, and the real object OF their idols
or images. which are hldeous, no man
knows.
The existence of mummies has. be.
lieve, been questioned. This is small
wonder, since they are always kept In
the hamals or temples of the heather
cannibal villages and strangers are not
encouraged to meddle. | had much
difficulty in seeing one myself, as the
temples are most strictly barred TO
women. A native woman would be
instantly killed If she so much as nut
her head inside. and l do not think 1t
probable that a white woman would
escape either If she were caught doing
IT. ! was, however, lucky enough in
another part of Malekula to find tenn
pie unguarded save by few old won
en- squatting outside, and, selling the
opportunity, ] entered.
1t was not a very good specimen, be.
ing little better than shed, and It was
very dark inside. Further, thought 1t
well not to stay very long. However,
l saw a number of mummles, mounted
on carved stretchers and painted red
and blue, hanging up around the sup
porting parts of the roof: also a good
many skulls placed on rough shelves,
their faces covered by a mask OF
fibrous stun painted red, and some
curiously curved spears, AIDES and kill
Ing mallets hung around the walls. I
got awaT again without being seen
and left that afternoon by the monthly
steamer, 1t being the last day Of my
stay in Malekula. l heard afterward,
however, that Ill feeling had been
caused among the natives by my VIC
latlon of their Bluebeard chamber.
On another occasion succeeded In
seeing place into which no white
person had cTcr ventured before, for
est cannibal fortress, six miles up in
the untravcled interior. My host told
me that if went with him quite un.
armed and with only couple Of boys
10 guide us and carry our dinners our
would probably bring us
through all right. Within the bamboo
that surrounded the houses
lancing had begun.
have not space to relate the tale of
that strange sight-of the wild, weird
dance, performed by a band of howl.
ng black demons, carrying cooked and
loaded rides, around a group OF skull
faced drum idols in the center of the
square: of the deafening boom made
Oy the hollow idols themselves as they
were loudly beaten by the musicians;
IF the strange solo dance performed
BY famous cannibal chief, wherein he
enacted with unpleasant realism
hawk bouncing down on Its prey; OF
the still stranger dance performed by
another, who capered lightly about
with large squeallng live pig on his
shoulder; Of the extraordinary charac-
ter Of the dancing chant, as like Gre
gorian, pointing and all, as a small pea |
Is like a big one.