GIRLS, GOOD HEALTH
OUR COMIC SECTION
MAKES YOU TT
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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
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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
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V y st I ' U . ' H r 'V HAM SAiO Tb tAXE
VSt yV. CO Western Newspaper Union TSfflMTtrk
Our Pet Peeve
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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
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