The Cordova daily times., 1922-10-04

SPrepareu by the National G6OSrapnlC
 Society, Washington. D. O.
 What, in the New Pacific" that the Washington conference is believed to nave created, will be the future of Frances island possessions nearest to the United States-the Marquesas? In q few years these fertile, lovely is lands, now left practically alone, may be treated as geographical clean slate, for the natives are rapidly dying off.
 The Spanish navigator, Mendana, first discovered the islands with their towering black cliffs, and sailed through break into d wonderful bay, once the crater of huge volcano. What must have been his amazement is shared by the traveller today. With in the bay, what d contrast! Where once telluric fires burned, the luxuri- ant verdure of the tropics now over runs the immense ampitheater in riot GUS profusion. It is as if nature in repentant mood were pouring out her gifts with unstinted hand to cover the scars and desolation wrought by vol canic fury.
 Tree and vine, flower and shrub, of the huge basin and chamber high over ridge after ridge of the knife like hills choke the deep ravines and valleys with their prolific mass Of bloom and foliage, and, creeping in rich abundance almost to the waters edge, climb the black basalt cliffs tow ering over the bay, thus seeking to soften their harsh, broken outlines be meath q rank growth of vines and mOSSea.
 Great cascades, springing from the living rock high on the mountain side, leap over mighty preciplces, gleaming like strands of silver in the sunlight, to be lost in the mysterious depths of dark gorges far below. These waters wind through dark, tOrtuOuS ravines and form the racing stream that tum- bles swiftly between the twisting hills into the steep valley of Hanavave, where it rushes over it's rocky bed to pass into the blue waters of the quiet bay.
 Beyond the crescent of white sand that lies between the cliffs, banyan, mango, and breadfruit trees mingle their brilliant foliage and blossoms with the slender brown trunks and waving frond of the pandanus and COCO palm.
 Less than a century ago this forest was thickly dotted with the brown thatched huts of the Hanavavans, each upon it's paepae or platform of stone constructed without mortar or cement. Thousands of these paepae, no longer In use. cling to the vertical sides of val leys and ravines in a state of perfect preservation, the platform usually 2o by 30 or 40 feet, level and unbroken often walled up 10 or 15 feet on the lower side.
 Beautiful Women, Fierce Men. ', To describe the dainty, graceful Maruuesanne as she unquestonably was before Cooks advent may lay the describer open to the charge of eXag- yeration. But from Mendana to Ste yenson, with Melville for good meas ire her remarkable beauty was a source of surprise and admiration.
 When women possess beautiful, lux uriant hair, fine eyes, perfect teeth' q slender, graceful form, skin of vel vet texture and unblemished surface, and these physical attractions are combined with vivacity of spirit ana action. exaggeration becomes difficult and unless all chroniclers of the ls- lands have for several centuries agreed to deceive the world, such was the Marouesanne so she is today when aickness has not diminished her charm
 The men were fierce. cruel cannibAls whose chief occupation. aside from the indulgence of their amative prociiVi lies, was the killing of both men anc women of other tribes for gastronomit purposes. m,.
 The. .all.powersul -tapu was the "la" and the prophets" of the MarQuesan