Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1919-05-22
THE MARSHALL ISLANDS
Groups Of Natives still Preserve Rites
of TnttoO and Taboo


The Marshall islands which. along with
the Carolines, were seized by japan from
Germany soon after the outbreak Of the
world war are described in a bulletin
issued by the National Geographic So
ciety.
1.-THE two chains of curiously shaped
atolls. or coral islands consisting Of low
lying coral reefs encircling lagoons.
known as the Marshall group, lie lit
tie south of the center Of an imaginary
line between the Philippines and Ha-
wall" the bulletin says.
Guam, Samoa and Honolulu form
triangle Of trade routes with its sides
not penetrated by important steamship
lines. Near the center of this isolated
Pacific zone are the Marshall islands.
Before the war Sydney was reached
by steamer. a voyage of more than 300
miles. The only other egress is steam
or to Ponape which connects with the
French line to Singapore.
Like two loosely strung chains Of
Jewels. the islands stretch from north
west to southeast, each with its lagoon
setting encased by strangely shaped
circlet of coral, some like triangles, harps
and stirrups. and one outlining bulls
head with it's horns
Straight haired, dark brown natives,
still preserving the religious significance
Of tattoo and taboo, are to be found.
Once a sturdy, reliant, sea-faring peo-
pie, for they were the best mariners in
the Pacific, the white mans coming, as
| in the case of his advent among the Es-
leimo and the Indian. did not seem wholly
| beneficial. In teaching them ways to
live more easily civilization robbed them
10 anl nIxyan t,,rn xrt1,i lob,
made them the hardest of the Micro
neasian peoples. Many of the young died
of tuberculosis.
Native society was vigorously organ
, ized into at least three clans, called
septs. First were the mobiles, from whom
each community chose it's chief, then the
lesser mobiles and a third group, some
of whom might own property. but none
| of whom could have more than one wife.
woman was given a higher position
than among most savages because sue
| cession was through the female line.
But the chiefs power was absolute to
the point Of life and death. One ambi-
tious ruler learned an alphabet and Is
said to have beheaded all his subjects
who seemed likely to acquire more
knowledge than he had. In some islands
the mother was allowed to keep only the
| first three children. She had to bury the
fourth.
"Skilful and fearless navigators, the
| natives used bread-tree wood to make
sailing canoes in which they would voy-
! age for months. They devised charts,
made Of sticks showing the locations of
! islands and the directions of prevailing
winds.
| Ancestor worship was their predom-
inant religious sentiment. With petitions
and gifts they worshipped the departed
whose spirits were supposed to return
to earth in certain palm trees which they
set off in stone enclosures. Birds and
fishes sometimes embodied these spir
its. they believed. and thus certain spe-
cies became taboo.
| Examples of taboo abound. Some serv-
ed a useful purpose. Coconut fruit might
not be eaten until the bread fruit no
longer was available. thus giving the
former a chance to ripen. Fruit from
the trees of departed tribesman also
was taboo for time to those outside
his family. This assured his wife and
children a means Of sustenance. Chiefs
and others of the highest class also
were immune from injury.
"Tattooing of the young was a reli-
gious ceremonial and, like the Papuans
they inserted wooden discs in their cal
lobes to distend them.
Homes of the natives were not pre-.
tentious. Floors were raised above the
ground to escape the rats, and thatchet
roofs covered the combination house ant
storage room.
1.-THE two island groups are known a!
the Ratak and Ralik chains. Their en-
tire area Is not more than 100 square
miles; their native population 1900 will
fewer than 800 foreigners. The seat o
German government was on Jaluit ant
the most populous island. is Majeru
with but 1900 persons.
"Other explorers had touched at tn
islands but they, with the Gilbert group
took their names from Captains Marshal
and Gilbert who explored them in 17ss
The Germans annexed the islands IL
1885,"