THE SAVAGES AT FORMOSA.

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume XXV, Issue 123, 26 May 1891, Page 4

THE SAVAGE S AT FORMOSA.

. 4 A,««teßppß««^ ef », newspaper In OWnl, M &trJa6, r whVwas'»int oh an expditioji I 'agiinrtthi •torfgliiM>olVontooa, writes as j follows :-»" To the north of Taiehen >« K plaoe • culled) Pansien, oooupied by the aborigines. y The male and female savage^ delight in taking baths ; at sunset every da> the oreeks are lall of them— diving, tqnaing, sportiog, and .showing 'perfect content and pleasure for hours in the limpid water. Inert bodieß are tattooed in various colours. The women wear a ptaoe of oeveting naohing from the>aist down to the knees, ( Bioh anfl poor are distinguished by the radtsrial of wbioh the covering is made. It m uiaaJlV either of embroidered 'ailk or plain' coloured olotb. Besides this pieoe of olotbicg, % sort of enlargement upoa tiu prlK(Byal^t*kai, thj) ladies boast of..nqother\w|aiing upftel, ani a faihionible Chinese tailor bii b> obanoe to star* a 'tie Vita' among thenf. A stoat and sharp knife is worn by every}. one, an ornament bb well ai an iodto nasabU BMetßity. With it the IboHgneji hew wood, eot braaohes, and Mite their meal, iloreover, all quarreln are Mttled :by ait appeal to; ,t^e ({jittering blade. ,. Beautfr among the r»ale ; sex wnsists.of targe can, If cature bis beea^rtwgirjg in me, the^ appendsgei are enlargsd byi attifiolai meanji r*'TO^ s WWW; fß. ft« -A!*^, ol . tn * feet ol Ompwe, ladies. The savages', hair a allowfea'to grow to its' utmost' length with;out being attended to, It streams ia fuu lnxuriknoetover their shoulders and person, Oivilisatien has not taught them to borrow from or to trade with eaoh ofcher. Thus, even neighbours hate little intercourse, ana the poor lire net upon the obarity of the rioh.' Their sole ocoupatiom s^ems to bje hunting. They give ohase to, wijd animau whiqh they literally run down 1 fcinid kill with th^ir knives. To make themselves -fcettet adapted for running ■< swiftly !)tke» vi eftoiroie their waists very tjghtly wlth.p ttrbng.belt. They vigorously keep down all 'signs of rotundity, f n m6uhtain olimbibg and sp^Jd of foot, no race;oan equal them, When % deer h»e bees, oaptured. tiiei, make carcass a frapMt to their cmsftaln ni^d re**. tire to enjw^Me entrails/ After a' h'aif'TW t has been fyai^fe'rbd 1n autumn, Wine : ia brewed Dftt^Qfj^ice > iAd millet. Men ar/d wossen ftUgiW*? rout, dt ha f??,tiv? ba>rfl, drinkitiu Wind QOplomly, sing, danoe. and %iU4 prnffiVftHbr d^ys'andiignte 7 until the ««■*» ittlten this iettivitjilsoje?/ the Je can, HA » pttw. drUkinf beu^ . daring tke X^j^l*'« we r^nAlty to" anyone w) o offettoljlpaat this unwritten l»w. Tktx. to le mairW of?th«Ao^t anlAwfiir daughters. A soa»in-law,ondnot a son, is the legal heir ofitheXf^mily Uto whion he ia aiargied. Both.aexw jure f ond, of piejrqfng fjsk^i h sharp.: feeds and;, singing quaint ditties, sometimes all ajgh^lQpg, ( 'Tjiere are other manners, and oastoms whtyh are entirely obt of oonoora witn reason aad sense. V . \