Among the Head-Hunters of Formosa

ed by a Chinese-Formosan-A Visit to a Chinese-Formosan Home-The S

Scottish missionaries, returning to their work among the Chinese-Formosan in the southern part of the island, were the only other foreigners[11] (white people) on board. The other passengers-certainly of first and second class-were, with one exception, Japanese; chiefly Japanese officials,[37] who, with their families, were going to take up their duties in the island colony of the empire; or to resume these duties after a summer vacation spent in Japan. The

THE OLD C

the city of Taihoku,

s are almost all things else in China, in the minds of the people, with the dragon. It seems that, according to popular legend-which the early Chinese geographers repeated in all seriousness-the particular dragon which was responsible for the origin of Formosa was one of more than usual ferocity. The home of this[38] prince among dragons was Woo-hoo-mun (Five Tiger Gate), which lies at the entrance of Foochow, a town on the South China coast. One day his dragonship, being in

efer to build this memorial of himself almost within sight of his permanent abiding-place. Indeed the Chinese-Formosan fishermen declare[39] that on a clear day the coast-line of China may be discerned from the west coast of Formosa. But this I, myself, have never seen-the curve of the earth, alone, would, I think, prevent its being actually seen-and I am inclined to think that the fishermen mistake the outline o

ty, which lasted from A.D. 581 to 618, according to Occidental reckoning. At that time Chinese historians and also geographers believed Formosa to be one of the Lu-chu (Chinese characters) group; that long chain of tiny islands which dot the sea from the south of Japan t

oast of the island and drove the surviving aboriginal inhabitants into the central mountains. A little later-in about the seventh century-the Chinese historian, Ma Tuan-hiu, says a Chinese expedition went to Formosa, with the intention of forcing the new inhabitants to pay tribute to China. This, however, these "new inhabitants"-of Malay origin presumably-refused to do. Consequently great numbers were killed by the Chinese, who also burned many native villages, and used the b

d their ground, and the Chinese were at last obliged to leave the island without tribute, and without having exacted the promise of

they valued above anything else in the world,[14] because they had learned that it could be made into spear-heads and arrow-heads, also into knives, more serviceable than those made of flint. They were not able, apparently, to smelt the crude ore, but they understood the building of forges, and were skilful[42] in "beating ploughshares into swords"-to paraphrase. Locks, bolts, nails, from the houses of the Chinese villagers, were grist to the mill of th

f the Yuan dynasty records that "a literate of Fokien Province advised attacking Japan through the Lu-chu Islands." This literate, believing Formosa to be one of the Lu-chu group, begged the Chinese admiral, Yangtsian, to set sail first for that island. It seems that it had been the in

4

hical knowledge; but the admiral lost the advantage which he probably would have gained had he sailed from North China, and his adviser,

tentional one-in about 1430, of the eunuch, Wan San-ho, an officer of the Chinese Court. Wan San-ho had been on a visit to Siam, and was on his way back to China, when the boat on which he was sailing was struck by a typhoon and blown so far out of its course that the captain was obliged to take refuge in the nearest port, which happened to be on the south-west coast of Formosa, near the present town of Tainan.[15] It is recorded that Wan San-ho remained for some t

panese Empire was torn by internal conflict, and was the scene of constant strife between contending political parties, the followers of the Great Daimyos. During this period of disorder Japanese pirates, under the banner of Hachiman (the Japa

they made raids not only on the towns of the China Coast, but made successful plundering expeditions even as far south as Siam.[45] The booty from these

en while their respective nations were at war with each other-outlaws presumably being absolved from the obligations of patriotism. This state of affairs lasted for over a hundred years. During the sixteenth century Formosa, which was then known to the Japanese as "Takasago," seems to have become a sort of "clearing-house" between China and Japan-a link between nations

4

he existence of the island. It is sometimes said that the Portuguese had a fort in Keelung about 1590. Of this there seems to be no definite proof. Not only was this the opinion of the Chinese-Formosan who first gave me in outline the history of the island, but later investigation on my own part failed to find proof, or even trustworthy evidence, of the existence

in the China Sea-drove him to the Pescadores. While there he gained a knowledge of the near-by large island of Formosa, which knowledge, it is said, was responsible for the later-temporary-Dutch dominance of the isla

Nippon to allow him to build a dep?t "if this could be built on ground no larger than that which could be covered with an ox-hide." The "heaven-descended"[18] thought the Ketto-jin[48] (hairy barbarian) mad. They naturally were not familiar with the European classics. The Dutch captain a

t especially excited his risibility was the idea-to him ludicrous-that a man of any other nationality should be able to outwit a Japanese in a "sharp deal." He declared the story "t

ermission to establish a fort on one of the Pescadore islands. This was done under the command of Admiral Cornelius Reyersz, who wished to have a stronghold from which he could sally forth to attack the Portuguese at Macao. The next yea

5

however, the Dutch were not left in undisturbed control of the island. Another European nation cast covetous eyes upon the "Ilha Formosa." Spain organised an expedition under the command of Don Antonio de Care?o de Valdez, which in 1626 set forth from Manila, then a Spanish p

in an expedition against the Moors[20] in Mindanao, the southernmost island of the Philippine group. This gave the Dutch an opportunity of which they were not slow to take advantage. They renewed their[51] attacks upo

ted by the Spanish at Tamsui and Keelung. The old Dutch fort at Tamsui is still standing, and is in a good stat

The population of these villages, while recorded as being "native," evidently consisted of Chinese-Formosans. Finding that agriculture was not[52] progressing among these people, the Dutch minister, Gravius, is said to have sent to the East Indies for "water-buffaloes," the so

-BUFFALO, USED BY T

t of those introduced by the D

OMEN STANDING) OF THE TAIYAL TRIBE ON

ever been reconciled to Japanese. Later, when I myself went among the aborigines, I received interesting confirmation of the account given me by the Chinese-Formosan on the boat, as the reason, apparently, that I was a

strators allowed the natives much liberty regarding their own form of government; there was no interference in the choice of headmen or chieftains on the part of the various tribes; nor was there interference in the administration of tribal justice by these headmen. The chief of each of the most important tribes was invested with a silver-headed staff, bearing the Dutch commander's coat of arms. This was supposed to be used as an insignia of authority. Thus only indirectly, and in a manner app

irate Koksinga, before referred to, and his followers, who seem to have poured in hordes into the island. The Dutch made a brave resistance; but, in all, they numbered only a little over two thousand, and were unable t

ose who had composed the garrison and also the settlers with their families-the latter said to have numbered abou

sufferings of his own people-the Chinese on the island-under Japanese rule, and the injustice to which they had been subjected for twenty years. Of this he was still speaking when the little steamer, rounding the rocky islet, the last of the Lu-chu group, which[55] lies-or rather, rears upward-as a sort

any matters that made his casual reference to his plural household seem incongruous. He must have noticed this (indeed it was his remark that revealed my own na?veté to myself; I thought I had my features under better con

eat Wife" and the "Honourable One" by the others; but there was no trace of shame or of dishonour in the position of any of the women.[56] All seemed very proud, very happy, and curiously affectionate toward each other and-greater test

im some incomprehensible order-by humming, to the tune of a chant I had learned from an aboriginal tribe in the

-sixty ways of cons

gle one of th

I almost passed the missionary without speaking. Turning back, I apologized both for my seeming discourtesy in not sp

or brought them up from some depth of the subconscious; I was rather fond of quotin

rality?" She frowned and looked puzzled. Then added more gently, as if explaining to a child: "'Lays,' you know, means poetry

necessary in that climate. "If one does not," she explained, "something might happen to one-to one's

moment to the d

d in going from Keelung to Taihoku; the Formosa of scenery surpassing that of Japan proper, both in natural beauty and in the picturesqueness of the tiny peasant-villages, each village protected from tornadoes by a clump of marvellously tall bamboos, whose feathery tops of delicate green seemed to cut into the deep blue of the tropical sky; each house protected from evil spirits by cryptic signs-said to be quotations from Confucius-written, or painted, in black on red paper,[26] and pasted above and at both sides of each doorway. Every village was further protected by a temple of brilliant and varied colouring, on the

o always in ricksha or sedan-chair. But all the women of the Chinese-Formosans-except those of the despised Hakkas-bind their feet; rather, have them bound i

both Chinese and Japanese women; in other cases, of heavy bundles of food or of faggots. Unattractive as were the figures of the women-the entire leg being undeveloped, as the result of the cramping of the feet from infancy-their faces were generally attractive; sweet, with a wistful, rather pathetic expression. Only the lips and teeth of the older women were often hideously disfigured from the habit of beetle-nut chewing. The women out of doors who were not burden-bearing were kneeling at the side of the streams and canals, used for irrigating the rice-paddies, busily engaged in wash

6

. The greyness of the "water-buffaloes" made a pleasing contrast to the vivid green of the rice-paddies and to the blue smocks and high-peaked, yellow, dried-bamboo-leaf helmets of the men. There are few things more pleasing to the eye than a carefully terraced Chinese rice-paddy in full verdure, with its graceful slopes and intricate curves of shimmering green. If o

e and the few words of Chinese-Formosan dialect that I had learned from my servants-with the peasants, and taking "snapshots" of their houses[62] and temples, and of their children. Attr

emptation to photograph its ugliness, or the flaunting evidences of its vice-vice of the mean, sordid type of Oriental, sailor-haunted port-towns. I was hurrying through this hideous town as quickly as possible, in order to reach a stretch of open country, which I knew lay beyond, and which commanded a beautiful view of the sea and of fantastically rearing rocky islets, when I felt my arm roughly grasped. Turning around, I beheld a Japanese policeman. Clanking his sword

; "you may be looking--" Then he s

ed. "I did not know that the

Only there might be some, one day, and--" Suddenly his brow cleared, as if under the inspiration of an idea that would elu

be able to distinguish one to whom English was the mother-tongue (I was speaking with my secretary as I walked) from a German, even though the latter were speaking English.[28] But in those days of war-hysteria

dent, I learned how strongly fortified that port is at the present time, and with what ing

was recorded against me in the police records of Taihoku, and

that not engaged in teaching-to the study of the aboriginal tribes of the island. There were reports-reports confirmed and denied-of a pigmy race among the aborigines. These reports still fu

ts among the young men of the school. My predecessor (who had resigned the school-post in order to take up avowed missionary work) had, it seemed, so devoted her leisure, and to the mind of Japanese officialdom it was incomprehensible that what one seiyō-jin woman had done all others should not, as a matter of course, wish to do. When it was learned that my inclination lay in another direction-that of tramping the island, especially the mountains, and getting into as close touch as possible with the a

as a lady, and that if the distinction between coolie-woman[66] and lady lay in the fact tha

ed to dawn upon him. "Ah," he exclaimed exultantly, the recollection of some missionary speech or sermon evidently being

being amusing-fo

d who is likely to

anyhow, you must do in Rome as the Romans do," he added triumphantly, evidently thinking he had convicted me out of the mouth of one of the sages of my own Western world. Ever after

KSHA IN THE C

OF TORO (

he side of Japanese policeman

did not wish the [67]Director to know that I saw through his ruse-and that of certain other of the Japanese officials-a ruse directed towards keeping me from coming

rried man; his wife happened to be a Japanese lady who "of course did not walk." I tried to explain that if he really thought there was dange

y you with questions as to the object of my excursions into the mountains, or if they are inquisitive as to whether I go there for the purpose of

rector. Both hands w

that will set their minds at rest[68] and prevent their annoy

r happened to be fat, and happened not to be accustomed to sitting in a chair.[29] Also his sword had become entangled in the wicker-work arm of the chair, so that, when he rose, the chair rose with him. This slightly spoiled the effect of the dignified

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