Evening Republican, Volume 20, Number 133, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 3 June 1916 — LAND of CURIOUS CUSTOMS [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]

LAND of CURIOUS CUSTOMS

THE Fiji islanders are remarkable for many reasons, among others the fact that while they were cannibals 50 years ago and made it a practice to kill their captives and eat their flesh, now they are devout churchgoers. Having been Christianized, nominally at least, doubtless they are entitled to be called civilized also, but the fact remains that many of their old habits and customs are as strong as ever, although their general way of living has been completely changed and cannibal forks are no longer in use, writes Edward Farrington to Grit. These peculiar forks are still to be found, however, and it is whispered that modern reproductions are being made to sell to shuddering and unsuspicious tourists. They are made of wood, with round handles and long prongs. In the old days ordinary meat was eaten with the fingers, but there was a superstition that it was bad luck to touch human flesh with the hands after it had been roasted. The men of the Fiji islands take exceeding pride in their hair, which is allowed to grow very long and is usually "very thick. Although the enormous mops of hair worn by the warriors of cannibalistic days are no longer to be seen, being considered as a relic of heathenism, long hair is distinctly popular and it is regularly dipped in coral lime, which makes it as

white as though powdered for Several days, after which it takes on a shade varying from warm red to tawny yellow. There are two reasons for this custom; it is the fashion and it keeps the hair free from tiny creatures not to be mentioned in polite 1 society. Oil is also rubbed into the hair and when the bartering has been completed the heavy locks stick out from the head in all directions, looking like a great red or yellow aureole. How the Natives Dress. On ordinary occasions the Fijians of both sexes dress lightly, ©n certain ceremonial occasions, however, rolls of cloth many yards long are jvrapped around the body until walking is made difficult. Cloth obtained from the white people is made use of somewhat, but the natives make a durable cloth from the inner bark of trees, which is hammered thin and often dyed. Sometimes the only clothing consists of a fringe of leaves and the children wear nothing at all. The chief business of Fiji is sugar growing and there are thousands of acres in sugar plantations, but the work is under the supervision of white men and the actual labor is performed by coolies. It is difficult to get the Fijians to work hard or for more than a few days at a time. They live in a veyy simple fashion and have few wants. The houses are made of thatch, are rather high posted for the sake of coolness and contain a single room. There are no beds nor chairs, but great piles of mats on which the Fijians sit and sleep.

More than one sailor whose ship has touched at Suva, the principal seaport of Fiji, has had a very peculiar experience, On going ashore he has quite naturally Indulged in the beverage of the islands, a drink called yangona and sometimes kava. When he has endeavored to return to his ship a little later, he has found to his immeasurable surprise that he has no command of his legs. His brain Is as clear as it ever was. He is in a mental condition to talk rationally on any subject, but he cannot walk. That is the way yangona acts. It is said that one Englishman was found after nightfall with his head buried in a thick shrub by the side of the road and lustily calling for help. He was perfectly conscious of his unpleasant predicament but was unable to move. Immense quantities of yangona are consumed by the natives. Few white people like the taste at first, but it is considered refreshing on a hot day and it is so pleasantly stimulating that many Europeans in Fiji drink it habitually. Making Yangona. Yangona is brewed on all festal occasions as a matter of course. A greatwooden bowl with four legs is used for the purpose. Usually it is beautifully polished from long usage and has a purple bloom like that of the grape, the yangona root, which comes from a plant growing freely all over the is-

lands, is brought in when all is ready and publicly scraped and cleaned. Then it is cut into small pieceß and grated into the great bowl. In olden times it was customary to have the root prepared by chewing rather than by grating. Several youngs, men or pretty girls were given pieces of the root and bidden chew them until large, lumps of white fiber had been obtained. The operation required some time and the chewers frequently washed out ■their mouths with fresh water. It is contended even yet by many people in Fiji that yangona prepared by the chewing process is much preferable to that obtained by grating, so far as the flavor is concerned. The second process is adding the water, which is poured over the roots in the bowl, after which it is Wrung out through a piece of hybiscus fiber, which is like fine netting. The yellowish fluid which is thus produced tastes like rhubarb and magnesia. In spite of the fact that they follow the practices of the Christian church, some being Methodists, some Adventists and some Catholics, many of the old-time rites are still persisted in. Perhaps the most interesting aB well as the most remarkable is that found on the island of Beqa, one of the Fiji . group, where the natives walk barefooted on stones so hot that they glow. Although the statement was long questioned, the fact has been established that there is iio Jugglery about this rite, although nobody can explain why the feet of the flrewalkers, as they called, are not terribly burned.

DRESSED FOR NATIONAL DANCE

GROVE OF TRAVELER' TREES