Decorah public opinion. (Decorah, Winneshiek County [Iowa]) 1895-1928, 1908-11-11
MORE ABOUT TAHITI
DR. EDwORDS WRITES OF HONESTY OF
ISLANDERS.
Interesting Description OF Characteristics Of
South Sea Islands Written By Our
Special Correspondent Who is
Touring the Pacific.
Papeete, Tahiti, Nov. 3.

| L Wdub W lutTOuuC6 lO your UOblc6
Alexander Earl, my mentor and guide
for my visit to Tahiti. I am sure
that what Alexander does not know
about the Island is hardly worth
knowing Alexander is Barbadoon
Negro who has lived here FIVE years.
He speaks the language and has a ma
tive wife. 1t is his second since his
arrival. Much that l shall tell you
about conditions here have obtained
from Alexander and should any of
my readers ever make visit to Ta-
hiti, and l am sure you all want to,
do not fail to get Alexander as your
driver. He will add fully hundred
per cent to your enjoyment.
By the way, speaking about visit
ing Tahiti. the first question usually
arising about such trip is that of
expense. and an estimate of cost. One
person can make the trip to the island
and remain on the same ship for $3.50,
of course spending very little for ex-
tras The round trip ticket costs $125.
and your board at Lovina's will cost
you S3 day, for the four or six days.
as the case may be. You will want
more because there are certain rides
and trinkets and photographs that
will cost money, but if you really
want to go just to make the trip il can
be done on $3.50
There Is quite difference of opin-
ion regarding the honesty of hese Is
landers. have been told that they
will steal anything they can lay their
hands on. and again / have it from
good authority that they will not mo-
lest anything belonging to a stranger.
and that you can leave your valuables
lying around anywhere with no fear
of loosing them. Alexander explained
this seeming discrepancy very clearly
to me. Those of my readers who live
in the South know we'll the Negro
characteristics. Negroes are accused
by those who do not understand them
of being great thieves. We all know
that when Negro takes anything
from family where she or he is
working they do not consider it steal
ing they just takes what belongs TO
the family and they are part of the
family. This is much the case in Ta-
hiti. and / had several instances which
went far to prove the inane honesty
of this people. One of these was so
remarkable that think it will be of
| interest. A few days after my arrival
I had occasion to return to Lovina's
unexpectedly one afternoon. On en-
tering my room | saw dark form
crouched behind the bed. I spoke and
| Lovena rose up. with laugh, saying,
II was just hiding my money. There
are too many strangers in town." At
ter she left the room l looked behind
the bed. and there, lying openly on
the floor, was q sack containing prob
ably $500. There was no attempt at
concealment. and she trusted the bed
makers more than she would the first
i
from the United States The natives
are eager to gain a few cents or dol
lars. as the case NAV be. from those
who come to visit the island. but L
have not heard of single instance
where anvone has been wronged, or
where anyone has lost anything
through theft.
One OF the priests who has been
here for many wears, shrugged his
shoulders, in the expressive French
manner, when asked if the natives
were honest. and declined to answer.
On being pressed his sole reply was
"too much starvism." 1 discovered
that this meant, according to his idea,
| that the natives preferred Protestant
ism to Catholicism.
| It is so queer that these people
so fond of pomp and ceremony and
are attracted by gaudy colorings and
vestments, are nearly all Protestants,
| and will not accept the CahQlic relig-
| ion. christianity predominates but
| it runs entirely to Professionalism.
Mormonism has strong hold, not
the polygamous kind, but was told
by Mormon missionary that Spirit
ualism is rapidly making headway,
aud crowding out other forms of re-
ligious belief. The inclination of
these natives to Spiritualism is the
natural sequence OF their primstive re-
ligion, and a peculiar phase of it is
that it has taken on form of Diabel-
ism. The study of this is of such in
terest that shall have to take another
letter to tell of some of the queer rites
practiced by the natives in their cere-
monies attendant upon their religious
services.
There are many churches on the is
land. and all of them have been built
by the natives. They are we'll at
| tended, and the natives seem to be
strict in their observances of all the
forms and regulations.
| Clarence e. EdwOrds