The mirror., 1916-11-02
THE HEEL OF YOUR SHOE'
Or: An Interesting Sketch of Japan's Cam
phor Monopoly in Forrnosa
Paper the Chautauqua Esprita

representatives of other govern
ments to investigate the interior
of the island.
What the world knows of For
mosa, then, is what it learned
prior to 1912, and from the state
ments given out from time to time
by Japan to the effect that the i'm
pediments to the continued pro-
duction of natural camphor are
being ''gradualIy overcome"
In view of this condition of
affairs it is interesting to look into
what these impediments are, and
the steps, so far as known, that
have been taken and are being
taken to overcome them.
1t has been known for many
years that the FormOsan natives
were head-hunters. The island
has twice been the nominal pos
session of European nations. In
1926 Spain claimed possession of
the island and for over a hundred
years had trading posts along the
coast, which, however. were not
permanently settled owing to the
savage nature of the natives. In1642
Dutch ships happened upon these
temporary posts, drove out the
Spaniards, and claimed the island.
The Dutch had no greater success
than their predecessors in main
tanning permanent settlements. and
were wholly driven from the is
land in 1861 by Koxinea, a Chinese
pirate, who proceeded to set up
an independent kingdom of his
own.
Whether Koxinga died the
natural death of all good pirates,
or whether he contributed a crani-
al ornament to the habitatiOna,
necklace of one of his subjects is
not definitely known, though a
Dutch historian of the eighteenth
century has recorded his pious
hope that it was the latter.
The next historical event in this
savage land was the de- thronement
of Koxinga's successor by the
Chinese in 1882, and from thst
date to 1895 FormOsa remained a
province of China. China's rel
atively long possession of the is
land seems to have been due to
the fact that she left it very strict
ly alone. In 1912 and again in
1850 British ships were wrecked
off the rough and dangerous south
ern and western coasts of the is
land, and subsequent traders learn
ed that in the first instance 81, and
in the sec ond. 80, of the respect
/ i've crews managed to reach shore,
where they were either slaughter
ed on the spot, or carried captive
in.o the interior. In 1867 an
American vessel was wrecked off
the Formosan coast, and the Cap
tain, his wife, and the crew were
all slain by the natives and behead
ed. In none of these cases was
China able to give any accounting
for the action of her savage sub
jects further than a disavowal, nor
is it apparent that any attempt at
punishment was made.
When Japan took over the is
land in 1895 the first step taken
toward the subjugation of the saw
age inhabitants was the erection
of armored lighthouses along the
dangerous coast. These light
houses we're supplied with small
garrisons, to rescue the victims of
such ships as might be wrecked in
their neighborhood.
Then about the territory in
habited by the head hunting tribes,
guard line was established. This
guard line consists of a six-foot
path cleared of trees aud under
growth, along which guardhouses
are stationed at distances of $50
feet apart. Each guardhouse is