The Jasper weekly courier. [volume] (Jasper, Ind.) 1858-1922, 1922-06-16

prepared by the National Geographic
Society, washington, -. c.
What, In "the New Pacific" that the
Washington conference is believed to
have created, will be the future of
Frances island possessions nearest 10
the United States-the MalQuesasi In
few years these fertile, lovely is-
lands, now left practically alone, may
be treated as a geographical clean
slate, for the natives are rapidly dying
OF.
The Spanish navigator, Mendana.
first discovered the islands with their
towering black cliffs, and sailed
through a break into a 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 a contrast. Where
once telluric fires burned, the iuxuri-
ant verdure of the tropics now over
runs the immense ampitheater IN riot
Gus profusion. Ii is as if nature in
repentant mood were pouring out her
gifts with unstfnted hand TO cover the
scars and desolatiOn wrought by vol
-.anic fury.
Tree and vine, flower and shrub,
cover the abrupt, almost vertical sides
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 rank growth of vines and
MOSES.
Great cascades, springing from the
living rock high on the mountain side,
leap over mighty precipices. cleaning
like strands of silveY in the sunlight,
to be lost In the mysterious depths Of
dark gorges far below. These waters
wind through dark, tortuous rayines
and form the racing stream that tum-
bles swiftly between the twisting hills
into the steep valley of Hanavave,
where II rushes over its 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
matched huts of the Hanavavans. each
upon its 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 I'm state OF perfect
preservation. the platform usually 20
by 30 or 40 feet, level and unbroken,
often walled up 10 or 10 feet on the
lower side.
Beautiful Women, Fierce Men.
To describe the danny. graceful
Narguesanne as she unquestionably
was before Cooks advent way lay the
describer open 10 the charge of exas-
spration. But from Mendana 10 Ste
y,nson. with Melville for good meas
ure. her remarkable beauty was a
source of surprise and admiration.
When women possess beautiful lux
priant hair, fine eyes. perfect teeth,
q slender, graceful form. "a skin OF vel
vet texture and unblemished surface.
and these physical attractions are
combined with vivacity of spirit and
action. exaggeratiOn becomes difficult {;
and unless all chroniclers of the is
lands have for several centuries agreed
10 deceive the world, such was the
Marauesanne; SO she is today when
sickness has not diminished her charm.
The men were fierce cruel cannihsls,
whose chief occupation, aside from the
Indulgence Of their amative proclivi-
ties. was the killing OF both men and
women Of other tribes for gastronomic
purposes.
The all-powerfHl tapu was tie law
and he prophets" of the Marquesan.