Highland recorder. (Monterey, Highland County, Va.) 1877-1972, 1908-12-25
TRIP TO THE ORIENT
Clarence F.. Edwords Touring the
Eastern Countries.
he is OUR SPECIAL CORRESPONDENT.
INTERESTINGLY WRITTEN IN WEEK
LY LETTERS, WHICH WILL Ap.
PEAR IN THE RECORDER.

Papeete, Tahiti, July 80, 1908:
The natural curiosities of this is
land are so many that | could con-
tinue writing about them indef-
nitely, but as | have to go to the
other islands, and then on to the
Borneo and Sumatra country, l
shall have to draw my Tahitian
experiences to close without enter
ing into all the details which pre-
sent themselves to me.
The natives, of course, are asuper-
stitious lot, and they see and hear
of many things that will not bear
investigation. Some of their stor-
les are so strange, however, that |
shall have to tell of a few of the
things | have heard about. Up in
in the mountains is one of the most
beautiful little lakes that can be
imagined, surrounded by such
scenes as one can scarcely conceive
OF. without seeing it. All of the
surroundings of this lake are Of a
nature to bring out any fear of the
uncanny that may be in man,
and the natives tell of a strange. eel
that lives in the waters. | did not
have the good luck to see one of
these cells, but Alexander tells me
that he has seen them. The eel is
a vicious creature, and bites people
who 60 into the lake. According
to the stories of the people the eel
cannot be killed by anything except
the twig of a certain plant that
grows near the lake. One may
pound the eel with aheavy iron bar
without making an impression on it
but if it but be touched with a'twig
of the plant mentioned the eel will
die. / did not see the eel, nor did
ever see a dead one, but | saw the
lake and the plant and that ought
to satisfy me of the truth of the
story.
On the road from Papeete to Pa
para is wonderful grotto, where
water constantly drips from the
ceiling to the beautiful pool which
forms the floor of the grotto.
The water appears clear, and
the walls of the grotto are of a blush
gray granite. When the drops of
water hit the water in the pool,
they look like so many amethysts,
or blue diamonds, of a most bril-
liant hue. The natives say this
pool was formerly the home of one
of the gods of the island, and that
these drops are the tears that are
being shed because he was driven
out.
Hiding away in the dense growth
, of forest in the mountains, is shy
bird, seldom seen, which is said to
/ be of great beauty. 1t is said to
be possessed of supernatural powers
and has the power of casting spells
upon those who attempt to Kill or
capture it. Quite number of peo-
pie were pointed out to me as hav-
ing incurred the ill-will Of this bird,
with the result that they now have
elephantaisis. Elephantaisis is a
loathsome disease which enlarges
the skin of the limbs, and is quite
common on the island, but / be-
lieve that mosquitoes are more re-
sponsible for it than are the inno-
cent little birds of the forest.
Speaking of elephantaisis leads
me to short depression about the
health of the island. There is little
sickness of serious character that
may be attributed to the country
There is some leprosy, but almost
invariably it has been brought from
contact with other islands. Ele-
phantaisis is more prevalent OH the
island of Moorea, and is supposed
: to be the result of certain soil quail
ity there the effect of which is
conveyed by mosquitoes.
So far as noxious insects or rep
tiles are concerned they are like the
snakes of Ireland : there are none.
The worst thing to be found on the
island is little centipede which
never harmed any one There is not
snake or poisonous bug to be
found. And as the place is sur
rounded by reefs sharks are not to
LIE feared One may sleen in nar-