The L'Anse sentinel., 1923-12-21

rOuHueu Dy uatureB DredkWater Ol
mangroves, tells the whole story Of
many Of the smallest. Nobody knows
how many or how large they are. One
careful estimate Is 1000 islands, with
total area of 97O square miles.
Sown In the form of an inverted T.
the islands stretch 2.462 miles east and
west, just north Of the equator, from
Lord North island, the westernmost OF
the Carolines, to Mile Atoll, the east.
ernmOst Of the Marshalls; and LILO
miles north and south from Pajaros
the most northern Of the Marianas, to
Greenwich. In the Carolines. Small al
they are, they stake out about 1,500, ,0O0
square miles In the North Pacific.
Resort Of Many Kinds Of People.
Men of many nations-Portuguese
Spanish, English, American, French,
Russian, German, and now japanese
have wandered through the islands
In the past centuries. They came aa
explorers seeking El Dorados, soldiers
to conquer new lands for their kings,
pirates to recuperate in the balmy
tropics, missionaries to teach and
trade, "blackbirders' gathering labor
ers for the plantations Of New Zea.
land and Australia, beach-c0mbers
drifting out their aimless existence,
and all the strange medley of human
ity that life's eddies cast into strange
corners Of, the world.
Each has left a mark, a mere fleet
ing touch--the name of an island, q
river, a mountain peak, or family.
But unconquerable nature Is ua.
changed and the tropical jungle has
covered the scars of their works, while
the white skins darken with each gen.
GRAFTON and the family name is but a
memory of an ancestor gone and for
gotten.
Ponape Is about the center of the
Japanese mandatory islands. It's life
and customs may be taken as a stand
ard for all the others. Those who have
passed their lives along this border of
the equator say II Is the cleanest.
-healthiest and happiest.
CThe extent of American missionary
activity can be gauged by the length
Of the women's skirts. In zap, which
missionary influence has hardly
touched, the fluffy fiber upholstering
clings precarlously on the fat hips. In
the Marianas and middle Carolines
skirts start above the waistline. In
Kusaic, the easternmost of the Caro-
lines, they reach to the shoulders in
one-piece wrappers. In the Marshalls.
where the missionary work has -four
ished without interruption, the long
trained wrappers. sweeping up the
dust, are further ornamented with high
ruffle collars and wrist-length sleeves.
Tattooino Dying Out.
Formerly the natives were walking
pictorial histories. After the mission
aries came. tattooing was discouraged.
and in recent years II has been pro
hibited. 1t was considered sign Of
courage. without which young man
or young woman was not worthy to
marry.
The young people still practice an
effete modification of all the old tests
Of courage by pricking cicatrices, or
little raised welts, on their flesh. Most
of the girls prefer the right shoulder
for the adornment, though some have
them on their breasts. The boys adorn
shoulders and chests.
Hospitable. good-natured and easy.
going. the Ponape natives have tenn
per which flames into Wild revolt when
pressed too hard. The first Fourth Of
July revolution against the Spaniards
in which the governor and four others
were killed, carpenter being the only
one able to escape to the warship
Maria Molina. was precipitated when
a road boss forced the natives to pick
up rubbish with their hands.
The next revolution, in 1891, started
over the rivalry between an American
mission church and new one estab-
lished by the Spaniards near Metala
MIN harbor. on the east side Of the
island. The natives disposed Of an Of
ficer and 20 soldiers who interfered In
the religious competition, and when Z
larger force Of two oflcers and nfty
soldiers was sent from the garrison al
Pcnape their worldly worries endet
with similar celerity.
A transporf with 5000 soldiers came
from. the Philippines II went aehorc
on the reef 0ufnido az Mot61on1r6. an<