SIGNIFICANCE OF NATIVE RITES
As heretofore stated, there had been no morning meal, and the dancing
must have been a trying task, under those conditions.
"It would have been much better if we had something to eat before this
part of the ceremony. I am so hungry I could eat anything," remarked
George, as they neared the village.
"The natives do not think so. That is part of the ceremony. It must be
carried out before a meal is taken," answered John, "or it will not have
the proper effect."
Uraso overheard the remark, and he added: "The Chief said they had never
known such a scene as took place to-day, and that it was not a part of
the regular ceremony to have the dancing at that time, but that the
wonderful music seemed to win every one."
"I heard him say it was the first time in years that he had danced. How
he enjoyed it," remarked Muro. "I admit that it was the best dance I had
since the boys got back. That was a big time at Unity when you
returned."
"I think," said Harry, "that was the queerest performance I ever heard
of. What a foolish thing to cut a flower from the top of a tree, and go
through all that ceremony, using Old Fantastic with his flourishing
spear to conduct the ridiculous rites."
"Do you think it is any more foolish than many things which civilized
people do?" asked John.
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 assuredly! 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."
[Illustration: _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
class, 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 prongs were good substitutes 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 principal 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 pass 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 passed out. It was true, indeed. The men, and women
too, were taking naps everywhere, the grotesque figures lying where they
had eaten their food.
[Illustration: _Fig. 8. The Jacchus._]
They made a tour. No one appeared to take any notice of them, as they
passed 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 passed 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."
"Then let them go. Possibly the Chief may find some way to get them
back."
Two hours later the village took on another aspect. It was now about
five o'clock in the afternoon, but in the meantime boy-like they had
investigated every part of the surrounding scenery, being particularly
interested in the monkeys which were seen in the trees everywhere.
The most amusing to the boys was a small animal that had a "beard all
around his face," as George expressed it. It was small, hardly exceeding
a foot in height, a sort of olive-gray color, and a round tail twice the
length of the body.
"I think I know what you have reference to," suggested John, when
appealed to. "It is the Jacchus, and is related to the Marmozets and the
Tamarins. They are very active, like squirrels, and live on nuts, seeds,
roots and fruit."
The Chief awakened as the boys entered, and within the next half hour
was ready for the continuance of the festival.
"I should like to know what the next thing is on the programme? This is
a little inconvenient, not knowing just what is going to take place,"
was George's observation.
"John will know if any one does, but I suppose he is too busy now with
his Royal Highness," answered Harry with a laugh.
But the boys were not kept long in suspense. The natives understood, as
it appeared, for they were soon congregated around the Palace, and now
for the first time the boys noticed a large, imposing-looking native,
who carried an immense knotted club. To satisfy the reader's curiosity,
it may be well to describe him. He wore a loin cloth, made of the skins
of the small animals which were found all over the island, and, to all
appearances, at least a half dozen different kinds of pelts were used to
make up the garment, the ends, or corners of which hung down in points
to form a fringe.
At his ankles were two huge bands, made of cloth, and plentifully
decorated with spangles of shells, and rows of nuts, strung on cords,
like beads. Around his neck and trailing down the back was a collar of
interwoven leaves, very artistically arranged, if judged from the
viewpoint of savage decorations.
The head dress was unique, being made up of a band of coarsely-woven
cloth, literally covered with large fish scales, and a pyramidal
structure was fastened to this band, and extended up beyond the crown
for a foot, or more. At its apex was a mass of streamers, which
fluttered around as the breeze floated by.
The weapon was fully five feet long, the head of the club, for such it
was, terminated in a gnarled knot, bristling with small points. This
the boys recognized to be somewhat similar to the wicked thing that was
carried by the Korino when he sought to slay Tarra.
The Chief was also differently attired. He was literally covered with
clothing, the different parts being dyed with various colors without any
regard to harmony, or design. Like all the others he wore no foot
covering, but had bare feet.
The crown was also a cloth band, but this was surrounded by
vertically-arranged thorns, huge things that showed their bristling
points, and wound, or rather braided around them, were garlands of human
hair, of different hues.
The Royal wand was an immense black staff, fully two inches thick, and
six feet long, one end of which was pointed, the other end terminating
within a large calabash. This wand he held with the pointed end upward.
When he appeared at the doorway the people fell down on their faces, and
after a few words all arose, and the man with the club turned toward the
hut where the Korinos were confined. Four of the largest warriors
accompanied him, while the people looked on in expectancy.
"The fun will now begin," whispered Harry, and it surely did. The club
bearer returned with a troubled look, and addressed the Chief.
The people soon learned of what had taken place, and the commotion was
evident. They speedily lost all semblance of order, and began to run to
and fro. The scowl on the face of the Chief was terrible, nor did he in
the least attempt to conceal his anger.
With a vehemence that caused the crowd to shiver, he gave a command, and
in a moment three men were brought forward, almost in a state of
collapse with terror written in their countenances. They were the
unfortunate guards, as the boys quickly saw.
They were unable to answer the indictment of the Chief, because the
escape had been as much of a surprise to them as to the Chief. Uraso and
Muro were quick to recognize the situation, and they informed John of
the progress of the conversation.
The negligent guards had been condemned to take the places of the
Korinos, as sacrifices. The rites demanded some victims, and the boys
now saw that the escape of the Korinos would not avoid the carrying out
of the bloody rites.
The new, victims-to-be were firmly bound, and placed in the center of
the crowd, and, strangely enough, it was now noticed that the people
expressed the same degree of hatred to the poor unfortunates that they
had manifested toward the Korinos an hour before.
The Chief was now at the head of the procession, which, instead of going
to the north, passed alongside the slight elevation that led north of
the grove, and toward the high elevation which the boys had noticed the
day before.
The march was but a short one, and when the upper level was reached the
boys were astounded to see that beyond, and next to the hill, on the
north, was an open space, the floor of which was of solid rock. This
space covered nearly an acre, and near the center was a flat rocky
table, fully ten feet in diameter and about four feet high, with a huge
boulder in the center of the table.
The Chief and the victims marched directly to the stone table, the
executioner tramping with a measured tread immediately ahead of the
victims. The people did not go near the rocky shelf, but circled about
at a respectful distance.