Vilas County news. [volume] (Eagle River, Vilas County, Wis.) 1896-1927, 1922-06-07

ance OF the women would probably in
cite n sufragette 10 spectacular wrath.
Without exception on any island, wom-
en- might not eat "long pig" nor brown
pig. a dellcacy much enjoyed by the
men folks In the absence OF the longer
variety.
Nor daily with bonita or squid, the
two fishes most In favor with the
Marquesan palate.
Nor, except on special occasions, eat
fresh breadfruit, bananas. or coconut.
Nor could they go I'm canoes. pro-
vision 20 keep them from being cap
tured by enemies lurking outside the
bay.
And. a tapu savoring Of Solomon In
its wisdom, women could not weepl
II would be a grave error to con-
clude from the taboos mentioned that
the life Of the Marquesan woman was
a hard one.
They Had No Agriculture.
Agriculture In any form was I'M
known. The natives took the bounti-
ful variety OF dora the islands provid-
ed. but TO assist nature in any way
by filling or replanting never occurred
10 them. Content with their gratifca-
ton of the desires Of the day, the
Afarquesans took literally no thought
Tor the morrow.
The most favored intOxicant In the
Marquesas is namu-ehi, or, as u IS
more commonly known, koko. Eli Is
AIaruuesan FOR coconut. and IL Is from
the COCO palm that this most insidious
and delectable OF drinks Is made. A
tail COCO palm that has been wind
blown 50 that its plumy top leans far
out Of the perpendicular, is chosen.
The buds. from which eventually fifty
or sixty nuts would be produced, grow
In a compact, oblong cluster near the
top Of the palm. The native climbs
the tree and. using long strips OF
bark or fiber, binds the cluster OF
blossoms tightly round and round, until
the result resembles a huge. fat cigar
protruding from the fronds. Under
meath the point Of this a bowl is sus-
pended and the tip end Of the wrap
ping sliced OF.
After the second day II begins to
drip freely, but the end must be sliced
fresh every twenty-four hours TO slim
Mate the flow. In this manner a tree
will furnish one or more gallons day
for several weeks.
When fresh from the tree the bev-
erare resembles a delicious lemonade
with n flavor which would make the
fortune OF a soft-drInk manufactures
who could reproduce IL. Fermentation
takes place speedily. however, and IN
n few hours your soft drink has hard
eneG" into a vicious man-kilier that
only a savage can go against with
impunity.
Captain Cooks report placed the
Nfarouesas literally and figuraively
Ion the map" That was l4o years
AGO and since then the history OF the
islands Is the tragic story OF a losing
fight by a race Of savages against
civilization represented In this instance
by the whaler, the missionary, the
trader. the 'blackbirder." and finally
their conquest and subjugation by
foreign power.
In 1872 Admiral Du Petit-Ihouars
took possession Of the entire group IN
the name OF France. ostensibly 10 pro-
tect the missionaries in their labors Tor
Christianity. Forts were built on sew
eral OF the islands and troops installed
70 enforce French authority.
The ensuing fifty years is record
81 desultory warfare between the
French soldiers and the Marquesan
warriors. in which the latter. always
NJ war with each other and poorly
armed. were constantly defeated; OF
..blackhlrders" from North and South
America. who raided the weakened
villages and sold the men and women
into slavery in far-off lands, and 81
the frlghtful ravages Of smallpox,
tuberculosis. leprosy. and other con-
tagious-