WILD BUSHMEN

Rotorua Morning Post, Volume 2, Issue 418, 30 December 1932, Page 3

WILD BUSHMEN

IN NEW HEBRIDES PRIMITIVE TRIBESMEN OF ISLAND OF SANTO PIGS BETTER THAN WIVVES Tammarina lives in the dense bush of inland Santo, the large island in the north of the New Hebrides. The old self-reliant tribes which lived on the coast have been almost elimin- ' ated. The members of them have be-"j come plantation "boys," with civilis- ! ■ed tastes for such things as rice, tin- j ned fi'uits and trade cotton goods But the white man has not disturbed the rugged interior regions, and the "man-bush" or hushman still stalks cautiously along the dark bush paths alert for * trouble from unfriendly ' neighbours. The only innovation is that in plaee of the spears and clubs o ftradition, the most modern "menbnsh" carry long-brightiy-scoured muskets, always fully cocked and loaded (writes R. L. Crivelli in the Melbourne Argus.) / Assorted Ammunition Tammarina bestows great care on tbs outside of his cherished musket, which is a' relic of the bad old days when traders sold gin and weapons without hindrance, but the interior of the barrel is a mass of rust. Tammarina's ideas of using it, too, are somewhat sketehy, and his enemy is usually fairly safe at any range of more than 15 yards. To make sure of hitting the mark, the bullet is sometimes removed from the .577 calibre cartridge and replaced by pieces of flint, small screws stolen from a planter, or the like. One man found the small roll of tin which results from, opening a sardine tin with a key to be an admirable missle. Tammarina is prepared for trouble in the course of his strolls from the village to the yam gardens, hut his policy is "safety first," so that he usually sends his wife about 12 yards in fro.nt. This plan is convenient, too, since she can carry any fence posts, coconuts, or other baggage. He has not a very high' opinion of women, although lie recognises that they are very useful when properly trained; but the plg he holds in the highest esteem. Promotion by Purchase In Santo, promotion in tribal rank is by purchase, the price being the number of pigs necessary for the initiation ceremonies. If he has sufficient pigs, any man may become chief. Until July this year there was a paramount chief named Zingaru, who had exercised great influence 'over all the "men-bush" of Santo. His policy was one of isolation. He resented any interference by white men with the affair s of his people, and, in return, he was p'nepared to leave the white men alone, But recently some of the subordinate chiefs grew jealous. of his power, and two of them, one of whom was his brother, waylaid him in the bush and shot him. The idea of tribal r,esponsib:lity is carried to extreme limits. If Tammarina kills a man of another tribe, the friends of the victim seelc to have the account squared by the death of any member of Tammarinas tribe. It does not matter who does the deed. Therefore when Tammarina commits a murder, he guards himself against retaliation by promptly coming home and killing one of his own people, preferably his own younger brother. Then the matter is honourably settled to the satisfaetion of all parties. In some of the villages there are bamboo towers about 25ft in height. If a murder in the tribe calls for vengeance, the body is hoisted to the top of the tower and there left as an ever-present reminder until vengeance is accomplished. J Balancing the Accounts Although the "men-bush" resant interference from white men, those who are nearer the coast are learning the advantages of trading with the store and of submitting their disputes voluntarily to the Government agent for arbitration. But Tammarina is somewhat handicapp'ed by his complete inability to strike a balance in his accounts. In his mind every transaction is separate and distinct. If he comes to the store to buy a number of articles, he will buy one thing, pay for it, and receive the change before making his next purchase. Tammarina and Toa, with most of their friends and relations, may-appear, before the Government agent and request him to sottle a dispute. Tammarina accuses Toa of refusing to pay a debt of five pigs, which has been outstanding for some months. Toa admits the debt, but it is only after prolonged crossquestioning that his reason for not paying* is that Tammarina has owed him eight pigs for much longer; Tammarina readily acknowledges that this is so, though he fails to see its bearing on the present case. They cannot gfasp the idea of settlxng all claims with three pigs; and the upshot is that they all go honre and return at a later date. Tammarina with eight pigs and Toa with five. They solemnly exchange them before the agent and take them home. As th'ere is a 000ft cliff to scale on the way, the pork standard is not without its disadvantages.