The Wonder Island Boys: Treasures of the Islands Part 12

Harry mused a while, and then continued: "Probably not, when I think of it, but with us the ceremonies really mean something; at least, it seems to me that they are intended to."

"Yes, and that is generally so with the native rites. Sometimes the origin is rather obscure, but everything of this character comes from something in the past, of which it is symbolic. Spencer, in his work on 'Evolutions of Ceremonial Forms of Government,' recites a curious instance of this, where he shows that the habit of stroking the mustache is a survival of scalping."

The boys laughed. "That must be pretty well far-fetched," responded George.

"Do you think so?" answered John. "He reasons it in this way. It was, formerly the custom, among most savage tribes, to take the hair of victims, to be used as personal adornment, or to indicate the valor of the warrior. Among some tribes in the Philippines and also in the interior of Africa, the custom is to take the head of an enemy."

"Do you mean the Head hunters?"

"Yes; you have probably heard a great deal about them since we acquired the Philippines. When men began to get a little higher in the scale of civilization, the victor required some token of submission from the conquered, so the latter plucked a wisp of hair from his head and presented it to indicate defeat. During the seventeenth century it was the rule of the Spanish Court that all inferiors, in addressing superiors, must stroke the mustache, and this came from the old idea of the hair token."

"Do you suppose that the taking of the flower has any particular significance?"

"Most a.s.suredly! There must be a flower before there can be fruit. This is the beginning of the season or the beginning of the year, to these people, and the largest-flower, at the top of the greatest tree is the one taken while it is at full bloom, and incinerated."

[Ill.u.s.tration: _Fig. 7. The Mistletoe._]

"Is that what they did in that bowl-shaped vessel?"

"Yes, and I imagine they will use the ashes in some part of their rites."

"Did you ever know of other tribes that do anything like that?"

"Yes; very many; in fact most savage tribes have some sort of rites which they scrupulously follow out as a religious duty. Ancient history records many such practices in detail. Thus, the Druids, a peculiar cla.s.s, or order of priests, which existed among the Celtic races, attributed a sacred or mystic character to plants, and venerated the oak tree."

"I have read that they offered up human sacrifices," said Harry.

"Yes; I was coming to that. But do you know that they regarded the mistletoe as an antidote for all poisons and a cure for all diseases? At certain seasons in the year it would be gathered, and with the greatest ceremonies one of the priests would ascend the tree on which it was found, and cut it off with a golden knife."

"But is the mistletoe found on the Oak?"

"Yes; but it grows more frequently on the Apple tree. The seeds are distributed by birds, and owing to the fact that it is found so infrequently on the oak, the Druids considered it peculiarly sacred on that account."

The delicious odor of the roasted food, which met the people on their return, was a compensation for the lack of the morning breakfast. The Chief had invited John, Uraso, Muro, the two boys, and Stut, to accompany him to his home.

There in the open court, if it might so be called, were the viands in the greatest profusion. They were surprised to see that at each place was a couch, and before every visitor was laid a bountiful supply of food. In all their wanderings George and Harry never ate with a greater relish than on the present occasion.

The meal the previous day, was not at all comparable to this. It would have vied with many a meal set before our civilized gastronomies. The table implements, it is true, were not found in profusion, but the wooden forks, or p.r.o.ngs were good subst.i.tutes for the more refined articles, and for plates hollowed bark sections were found serviceable.

The Sarsaparilla drink was the most favored liquid. "I wish we had some ice for it," suggested Harry. "It will be a good thing to bring over some ice for the Chief. I think he would enjoy it."

"By the way, Harry, did you see what they did with the Korinos?"

"No."

"Shut them up in that dark hole back of the house."

"I wonder if they have given them anything to eat?"

"Oh, no!" said Muro. "They are to be sacrificed this afternoon, and it wouldn't do to feed them."

"Poor fellows!" remarked George, as he gazed vacantly before him, lost in contemplation.

"Well, they have been found out, and will now be dealt with in accordance with their law."

"Was that tall fellow one of them?"

"Yes; he is the princ.i.p.al chief of the Korinos. Do you know they tried to escape last night?" exclaimed Uraso.

"Is that so? Where could they go in safety on this island?"

"To their caves, of course," remarked Harry.

"Yes," added Uraso, "the Chief has no authority under ground."

The people gorged; so did the Chief. The meal was a course dinner, at least so far as the time it took to get through with all the dishes, and the boys smiled as they saw the Chief slowly sink down, and pa.s.s off into oblivion.

John sat there, gazing on him, and slowly nodding his head at the spectacle. He did not evince disgust, and when George spoke to him about this peculiar savage trait, he remarked: "Is he any worse than many people in our own country, who do the same thing? This is not gluttony with the savage; he knows no better. This is one of the great enjoyments of life which the savage knows. Teach him something better and he will respond."

"When you stop to think of it," replied George, "I really don't see why it is such an awful thing to eat until you are stuffed to sleepiness?"

"The real argument against it is on sanitary grounds," suggested John.

"We regard gluttony as bad because it is a selfish exhibition of taste and habits, and in this I quite agree; but among savages the custom of regularity in habits is not one of their understood laws. I have known North American Indians who could each devour from six to eight pounds of beef, and drink two quarts of coffee at one sitting. But those men would not eat another meal for three days."

During the meal hour there was a continual round of merriment, and every one was enjoying himself to the fullest extent. But now the hum of voices ended. The boys were surprised.

"They are taking their noon-day siestas," said John, laughing.

The boys arose and pa.s.sed out. It was true, indeed. The men, and women too, were taking naps everywhere, the grotesque figures lying where they had eaten their food.

[Ill.u.s.tration: _Fig. 8. The Jacchus._]

They made a tour. No one appeared to take any notice of them, as they pa.s.sed through the open places between the huts, because all of the food was eaten in the open, and not within the huts. The village looked like one immense picnic ground.

As they were returning toward the Chief's house they caught sight of the hut in which the Korinos were confined. To their astonishment two of them were crawling out the enclosure, and the leader was particularly noticeable, peering from the side of the hut.

"Shall we give the alarm?" asked Harry.

"No, no! See John; he will know what to do."

As they pa.s.sed the hut the guards lay in blissful sleep, and seeing this the boys rushed in and excitedly told John of the jail delivery and the advisability of giving the alarm.

He held up his hand, in caution, as he smiled at the announcement. "Do you want the poor fellows to be sacrificed?"

"By no means."