Image provided by: Morrow County Museum; Heppner, OR
About The Ione independent. (Ione, Or.) 1916-19?? | View Entire Issue (Feb. 10, 1928)
GIRLS, GOOD HEALTH OUR COMIC SECTION MAKES YOU TT ATTIUCTIVE7 A TO MEN ''sffivf s Mismiaej Ere. 1: Preparing South SocMty. vuuaiw if. ci TUB Austral or Tubual group, la the Sooth Mas, the most fuscloatlng Island I Rapa, which Ilea detached from the others, well beyond the Tropic of Capricorn. , Itupa was discovered by Vancouver In 1T0L For the next 33 fears the na tive savages had tittle contact with the outside world, but about 1S3 the; began to be Christianised through the Drat Intercourse with Tahltlan mis sions. i In later years Rapa became fa rorlte port of call for whale ships, because the men of the Island were peerless boatmen, but with the decline of whaling, the curtain of Isolation once more descended. Now Rapa Is visited only two or three times year. Members of a scientific expedition which visited Rapa recently tramped off across taro fields and through coffee groves toward one of the an cient and mysterious forts that top the ridge of the island. Climbing through ferns knee deep, they soon reached the crest Four distinct levels on the ridge had been protected by built-up rockwork, and at the highest point massive wall bad been con structed as a last stronghold. On leveled terrace just below, was i small rainwater cistern. Four miles away In an air line, two other forts stood up sgalnst the sky. These were so built that a small force could defend Itself against host of besiegers as long aa food and water belli out. The only approach was by way of the ridge, for the adjacent Ides of the mountain were too steep to scale. Down to eastward the beautiful bar bor of Ahurel, with scattered taro beds about Its bead, showed clearly, while high above the village wild goats could be distinguished along the crag gy ridge. South of the fort the hill rose to nearly 2.0U0 feet, forming a backbone of oncliinable cliffs, while toward the west and north other ridges divided narrow valleys and cut the Island Into sharply defined districts. Rather Too Hospitable. The party discovered that one of the grave difficulties In visiting Rapa la standing np under the boepltallty extended by the natives. Tbey were Invited to Sunday feast by the na tive chiefs son. As they entered what was at first supposed to be the resi dence of the chiefs son, one member, who knew the customs of Rapa, warned all the strangers to eat lightly, as they would be expected to partake of food at reveral additional homes. Fresh banuna leaves had been laid In row across the mat-covered floor, and at each place was a plate contain ing one or two whole fish, another with several large pieces of Juicy pork, and beside the plates a taro root Seating themselves on the mats, the diners ate with their fingers. When the first few pieces of fish gave way to the pork, the serving maids brought In the polpol, the Poly nesian staff of life resembling sticky, yeasty dough, neatly wrapped In the broad leaves of the rautl plant. White they were still eating, the son of the chief appeared again and ad vised them to burry, as dinner wus waiting them at bis home. So leav ing the untasted residue of the Hrst banquet, they walked to the scene of similar repast. In addition to flub, however, they here found a whole lob ster at each place, and two taro roots .Instead of only one. Before this meal had proceeded fur, tbe ship captain leaned buck from his partly eaten lobster, which wus close to' two feet long, and In deference to bis example the other guests first Slackened their pace end then ceased. They next passed along a lune to a thatched cottage smaller than the others, and encountered a repetition of what had gone before, except Hint de liriously cooked chickens replaced the pork. They were again reminded to eat sparingly, as a hearty appetite should be reserved for the chiefs borne, to be visited next I When the party finally strolled over to the large dwelling of the chief, his wife and three or four girls welcomed them In the open yard before the door. The Chief's Banquet In this house, lobster, pork, and chicken were In readiness as a lust test of gurtutory capacity. The taro bad been Increased to three big roots, although a small bit from the end of le!!!? Pacific Feast. one root would easily have sufficed for a meal. Besides the staples, the chief bad supplied coconut milk In which to dip the meat sod roots, rare beverage In Rapa, aa coconuts can be obtained only from ships coming from more northerly Islands. They were served also with molasses made front the roots of the rautl. The sirup was placed on the plate with the polpol, enabling tbe latter to go down more easily than when It was lubricated with water only. At tbe conclusion of what, fortunate ly, proved to be the last meal, bananas were passed around. On another day, few of the bardy, energetic native fishermen made a trip to the lobster bids at the entrance of Ahurel bay, and brought back 100 lob sters for the visitors. Practically every bouse In the village entertained one or more of the schooner's crew during the entire stay. At the captain's suggestion a case of kerosene waa presented to the church, tbe light of which shows up brightly as vessels enter the harbor. That this courtesy was appreciated by tbe inhabitants waa shown by their gifts on the day of leavetaklng. A count of the acquisitions on deck, after the departure of the pilot ahowed 5 aacka of taro, 18 packages of polpol wrapped In rautl leaves, 19 boxes of taro and polpol, IS bunches of bananas, 22 rabbits, and 14 gnats. Very few of these Items had been pur chased; the greater number were pres ents from the most hospitable people In the Pacific. The girls and younger women at Rapa do most of the labor In the taro fields, while the older women attend to the housekeeping. The exemption of the men from agricultural labor allows them more time for fishing. snl as a result of their sea experience they are much Bought by captains of sailing vessels at Papeete. Feat of the Oarsmen. The constant demand for Rapa men during a period of nearly a century baa led to considerable preponderance of women In the Island population. Tbe men are excellent physical speci mens On one occasion when the schooner .f tlie visiters waa three or four miles from shore, a boat came out The men bad made no allowance for the fact that an engine was aiding tbe vails, and within a 'minute they were left 100 yarda astern. But when the cahln boy, native of Ilapa, called out t them to catch np and be towed. they bent their oars and showed what they could do. The schooner wss progressing at rate of sbout six miles so hour, but the boat was going at twice that apeed when It n en red and overtook ber. On nni ther occasion a Raps crew rowed five miles to an Inlet on which ccrtuln aea birds were nesting. Two of the members of the crew were otily thirteen years of sge, but when a heavy storm arose these lads stood the test of pulling for hours agnlnst a hesd wind and a rising sea, even though the poorly balanced, home made oars weighed close to 5U pounds. The girls of Rapa are scarcely less skillful In u!ng their unstable looking outrigger canoes. At evening Miey would frequently pass the schooner n their way home from taro fields on the far side of the bay, with heavy loads of the roots weighing down their nar row dugouts almost to the swamping point From babyhood these people become familiar with the sea. At all hours the children can be aeen playing In the water or paddling tiny canoes along shore. The whole population of Rapa, ex' elusive of 'a few lepers confined In so other valley, now lives In or near the village on Ahurel bay. Five or six valleys that formerly supported vll tages (slid which may have wurred with one another In their oceanic microcosm from Immemorial time) are now deserted. Only the lofty stone forts, last refuge of the Inhabitants of these communities, still stand as monuments on t tie hilltops, and can be diecerned from fur at sea. Acted thi Part "That Madge Wilder Is as good as a circus, Think of her being engaged three times In a year!" "Well, she wouldn't bean up to-dne circus without three rings, you know.' D THE FEATHERHEADS -...l. ,11,, , mi J k 1 pWCHHrOS.M(?6GAi:pl- yZfafi WMAT VOO SAVB f wooOE boTTllS ARff Yyflh 0M'HUM J W BGIArtAGB AIQnS UMW-Vtrt 4 CWeA.UWTSB.MOQS L ( WOULD PAV THfi ffcRrfT SOtSS 90-J THcn vMr1 DO , V,f t KJL" W SOU-W-IAV). I iHai insist on nCA0.i ntl Wmfl ,. V using cuss J'UVV Vi J ffvrX. lsfc I C Wirt M.(r VmUm V K! V.' 1 I 1 1 t IMMMMW '.scnwu I FINNEY OF THE FORCE Kid Finesse PWKPy! V THOSE Mff ilfcADAfnsH'f k&' y V VEl TAKE A M$y yZP 6 J , ( Mi fa uT V y st I ' U . ' H r 'V HAM SAiO Tb tAXE VSt yV. CO Western Newspaper Union TSfflMTtrk Our Pet Peeve 0 ( " " Sales Arguments to the Winds CheeU IS J A-.-J Malta LT Woman I C V Tsli lolll m lira lh wll-tnww hMTiK Ur. Fierca a Go! JenMedical Discovery hhwM rir Hlth Cnamll AU Druultta FOll COLDS ASTHMA BRONCHITIS HAIX t RUCKIiL, tin Yfc Largttt Game Rtlug The largest game refuge In New Itrunswlck Is tlmt In Itestlgoucha county, which wss estnbllshrd In 11KU and courlnts of B'.D niuure miles. It baa natural boundurlva, F or Colii, Crip or Inftuinia n4 a Prntl. tike IjiisIIv IIKOMl) UUININN Tnlil.H. A Hr n(1 l'rovn lUmtitr. Th but br lhe slanstur ot K. W. Orovs. 10c. Adv. Squaih Him Ctntly "So you are using balloon tire now." "Yes, they are easier on the pedes trian." 8L liuls tllohe-Imcrat No mother In this enlightened age would give her baby something she did hot know wss perfectly hariuless, enpecloliy when a few drops of plaits Castorta will right baby's stomach and end almost any little II U Fretful ness and fever, too; It seenia no time urn II everything Is serene. That's the beauty of Castorla; It genlle Influence seems Just what ! needed. It dors all that castor oil might accomplish, without shock to the system. Without the evil taste. It's delirious I Itelng purely vegeta sble, you can give It aa often a there's a sign of colic; constipation; diarrhea; or need to aid sound, Bat umi sleep. Just one warning; It Is genuine Fletcher's Custorla that physicians recommend. Other preparations may be Just as free from all doubtful drugs, but no child of this writer's la going to test theinl Ilesldes, the book on rare and feeding of buhle that conic with Fletcher's Castorla la worth It weight In gold. ' Children Cry for Must Havt Bean Saturday "I this the weather bureau?" "lea. alr. "How about a shower tonight r It's all right with me. Take It If you need It." Iloston News Ilureau. Finest garden In the world Is a dull place If you have nobody agreeable to talk to there. IP mm sn mm Am The BABY 1 - .vyy y r , yfi yf ' t