Clearwater Republican. [volume] (Orofino, Idaho) 1912-1922, 1922-03-17
e,ronoe Rites Over Shark Which
Natives Bury Annually in
Their "Sing-Sing."
CHIEFS HoNoRED IN EFF'GY
.,L. Crude statue Of Clay and Fibre
and Hold Festivities Around II
Number of Skirts Indicates
Woman's Rank.

washington. D. Ca proposal OF
,.a French society Of the New He
..,as m sell to Australia their COLI
oessions in the islands which form
,oroe In the South Pacific, north OF
Now Zealand and west OF Fly, recalls
.ho grange rites over the shark, which
~ native men Of Ranno island bury
annually in their 'Sing-Sing' or cere-
..ony grounds" says a bulletin OF the
National Geographic Society from Its
washington I'd. CO. headquarters.
"The inhabitants of this interest
tho archipelago, composed OF II large
.rd 100 smaller Islands, believe In
vitchcraft and all sorts Of signs and
omens, particularly in the spirits OF
thoir departed ancestors and In gods
ub,ch are thought to be Incorporated
IL certain stones or animals. Every
village has its dancing ground. Here
tho natives meet ON moonlight nights
ond nerform wild and fantastic antics
IN the booming of their deep drums.
.o,ne of which, six feet or more IN
height and carved from the trunks OF
trees. are capable of making terrible
noises.
Honor Chiefs In Effioy.
zone fantastic rite among them ID
the memoralizing Of their chiefs In
eTiey. A crude statue of clay and
fibre. representing the flesh and hair OF
the chief as he looked In real life, Is
made. his actual skull being used for
tbe framework Of the head, and around
this the festivities take place.
"For years the natives of the is-
lands were the prey OF the Black
birders,' or labor pirates, because they
are generally considered more in.
dustrous and sturdicr Of build than
the average kanaka. They are reputed
to have cannibalistic tendencies, to be
treacherous and of uncertain temper
facts probably due in some measure tC
the treatment to which they were
subjected by these traders. They are
Of Melanesan stock, below the medium
In stature, and accentuate the ugii
ness In their broad, black faces anC
recedng foreheads by sticking coco
nut fiber In their hair and adjoining
their ears and fiat noses with rings
They pride themselves upon thei
weapons-spears, clubs. bows, ant
poisoned arrows-some Of which arr
beautiful In design and elaborate IL
pattern.
1.-THE women hold degraded posi-
ton among them, the wives Of tn
more important members of the rae
increasing the number of skirt
which they wear at one time as al
indication OF their rank, the pooh
bah's wife wearing as many as a
Of them. The better half Of ma
Is sometimes buried alive with he
husband upon his death.
"Quiros, the Portuguese navigator
in 1906 was the first white man t
see the rugged outline Of the coas
Of the islands, which rise abruptly GU
Of the deep sea in the hurricane zon
Of the tropics. Believing he had dIi
covered the great southern contineI
which was at that time the drear
Of navigators, Quiros may be compare
to Columbus, who thought he ha
found route to India when he sighte
the palm fringed shores Of the Wei
Indies.
He called his discovery Australi
del Espiritu Santo, which has bee
shortened by traders to Santo and
applied to the largest island Of tn
group.
Isle Of Monster Fruits.
Countless streams cut Santo, whiC
Is "a miles long pnd 32 miles wild
into broad, fertile valleys. From u
shores and those of the neighbour
Islands tons Of copra are sent to Sy'