Decorah public opinion. (Decorah, Winneshiek County [Iowa]) 1895-1928, 1909-04-07
THE SOLOMON ISLANDS.
DIR. EDWORDS DESCRIBES ISL
ANDS AND INHABITANTS.
One of the Most Interesting of Long
Series of Letters From South
Sea Islands.

cific ocean they are -.
of any. Fo~ sHiRp
reason T. wuIle
has faileu % ma an impression on
these people, and they held their
own against every Establishment and
every use of force. They form
long double chain of seven large and
innumerable small islands, extend
ing for six hundred miles. They are
volcanic and several active craters
may be seen from the ship as we
pass along.
That we are in an entirely new
sort of country was evidenced this
morning when we saw number of
aligatOrs here, but they are some
what smaller than those l saw in the
waters of the Philippines. Like all
tropical islands most peculiar fish
abound in the waters, both of the
sea and the streams that come
through the islands.
They have a strange animal that
is called the cuscus. 1t is a marsu-
pial and looks very much like a
miniature kangaroo. 1t is not much
larger than rat. Just what kind of
animals may be found in the in
terror of the larger ISLANDS no one
knows. The natives do not wear
skins, nor anything else for that
matter, consequently there is no way
of telling whether they have large
animals or not
The natives seem to be constants
ly at war between the various tribes.
and from the ship we were able to-
see battle in which bows and ar
rows. spears and clubs were used.
One OF the hill tribes took advantage
of the fact that most of the men of
the coast tribe near where We had
cast anchor, had come to the boat.
and the hill men attacked their viii
lage. There was hurrying ashore
and for while the battlers were in
plain view so We had good oppor-
tunity to see their mode of warfare,
i suppose several were killed and un-
doubtedly eaten.
One of the chiefs came abroad and
he was most magnificent specimen
or manhood. He was fully six feet
tall, very straight and with heavy,
bushy head of hair. Around his
neck he wore necklace of human
teeth, and through the septum of the
nose was a polished finger bone.
hanging from his ears were numer-
GUS rings, also made of bone. He
carried a heavy spear with a barbed
point made of the lego bone OF a
man. AS an extra decoration he
wore from his neck a human face.
painted and inlaid with mother of
pearl. He also carried heavy club.
It's knob covered with finely plated
colored grass. His bow was of bam-
boo, and was fully six feet long.
while the arrows were also tipped
with bone. His shield was painted
in red and yellow stripes, and was
slung on his back. He had so many
weapons. 1t was beneath his dig
nifty to do any trading, and what
ever he saw that he wanted he made
one of his tribe buy and present it
to him.
None of the women came to the
ship but they could be seen close to
the water waiting for their lords to
return, and then they carried what
ever they brought from the shin.
back to the village in the woods.
The women are very ugly, and from
what we could see through our
glasses were bent over from hard
work. Around the village could be
seen cultivated ground, and Judging
from what we saw on the ship the
women undoubtedly do all of the
field work, too. These islands are
very beautiful and show evidence of
having been raised from the sea by
some upheaval On top of one of
the peaks is bed of coral, and the
top OF another is perfect rim of
coral, showing that at one time it
was an atell in the ocean.
1t is regrettable that | am COM
PEELED to tell all about the place
without being able to set foot on the
shore, but while the natives appear
so very friendly the captain. who
says he has traded with them for
ten years. and who knows a number
OF the chiefs intimately, says that it
would be as much as his life is worth
for him to go ashore. The Yacht
Wanderer came here on az cruise
several years ago and it's owner
thought he was well enough known
to warrant him in going ashore. but
ne was kidnapped and has never
been heard of since.
We leave here this evening for
Java, where l shall have more
pleasant visit.
CLARENCE e. EDWORDS.