NATIVE SUPERSTITION.

Wairarapa Age, Volume XXVIII, Issue 8102, 23 March 1906, Page 3

NATIVE SUPERSTITION.

DUTCH OFFICER'S HAIRBREADTH ESCAPE. A moonstone which is held in reverence by the natives of Sumatra ana used as the eyes of their .gods, saved Lieutenant A. E., Drankers, of the Dutch army, from a horrible death at the hands of the warring natives of that island, a few weeks ago. He had been on a punitive expedition with Lieutenant J. J. Uoaaer and twenty-one .soldiers, and when in the jungles remote from the garrison the natives in great numbers attacked the camp at night, and KILLED EVERY MAN except Dronkers, who was taken prisoner. He was brought to the camp, and there, in the presence of hundreds of natives, was threatened with death. On his finger there was a ring with a moonstone, and as soon as it was shown to them they spared his life. Dronkers had volunteered to stand watch and give the men, who were exhausted with the march into the jungle an opportunity to sleep. He ,was making the j rounds when suddenly he HEARD FEARFUL YELLS and, running to the camp saw his men being hacked to pieces. The natives fairly swarmeel, and Donkers tried to escape but was cap - tared. In exultation the natives bore him to their oamp, and then made preparations for his death. He stood faoing them, and one of them who spoke a little of the Dutchlanguage, informed the soldier that, HE WAS TO BE This native had asked for thehand of the chief's daughter, and as a aa-

tive must be the possessor of two heads of the white race, or eight of theblaok raoe, before he oan marry, Dronkers was told that his head woald be taken as a prize. The Dutch soldier remembered the moonstone which had been given him by a native who WAS SHOT IN A FIGHT and taken to the Dutch camp by Dronkers and given medioal treatment whioh resulted in his recovery. Plashing the ring before their eyes he dared them to kill him, and at the sight of the moonstone the natives fell on their knees. The leader, enraged at the probable loss of the head, sprang at the officer and slashed at him with a long knife. Dronkers caught it in his hand, and though it saved his lif9 he received an ugly gash, the soar of which is still visible. For six weeks Dronkers lived and travelled with the natives, and was then resoued by a detachment of Dutch soldiers.