A CURIOUS PEOPLE.

Kumara Times, Issue 1582, 22 October 1881, Page 2

A CURIOUS PEOPLE.

A curious people of an amphibious nature dwell on Cape Hattrras, N.d. They live mainly on fish* clams, oysters, crabs, terrapins, and wild fowl. When they leave home they go in a boat, and whether they go to court of go courting, or to trade, or to mill, or to a funeral, they go by saih Their corn mills are run by sails, and some of them pump their water with windmills. They do not go upstairs, but “go aloitand when they go to bed. they “ turn in when they are ill they “ are under the weather,” and when iti robust health they say they are “ bung up and bilge free.” They speak of d trim-built sweetheart as 41 clipper-built.” If she is a little stout they say she is “ broad in the beam/’ or she is “ wide across the transom.” Many of them have ship cabin doors in the houses that slide on grooves, and to their buildings they give a coating of tar instead of painting then). The “ old woman” blows conch shell when dinner is ready; and they measdre time by the “ bells.” Their babies are not rocked in cradles; but swung in hammocks. They chew black pig-tail tobacco, and drink a wild lea called “ yeopon.” They manure) their laud with sea-grass and bury their yam potatoes in the sand-hills. When they want the doctor they hang a red flag against the hill-side as a signal of distress. If he does not cdmei, because the “ wind ain’t fair,” they take a dram of whisky and copperas, soak their feet in sea-Water; “ turn in ” and trust to luck. If they die they will be buried on the top of a sand ridge; and when you see several boats on the water in procession; with a flag at half-mast, you are looking at a funeral. They ornament their houses with whales’ ribs and jaws| sharks’ teeth, swordfish snouts, devil fish-arms, sawfish sWOrds (six feet long), miniature ships, camphdrwood chests; Honduras gourds, spy-g Masses, South American lariats; war-clubs from the Mozambique Islands; Turkish pipes, West Indian shells, sandalwood boxes; Chinese chessmen, , Japanese faces; Madagascar idols, Australian boomerangs, and other outlandish things; Their hogs are raised on clams, mussels; offal of fish, and garbage, and their cattle wade out on the shoals for miles, where the water covers their backs, to feed on sea-grass, and if they are carried up-country, and fed on corn arid fodder, they will not live. Every man is captain of some kind of ’a boat, and “ she ” is always better than any other boat in some way.