THE PEOPLES OF FORMOSA^ 



By JULEAN H. ARNOLD 

 American Consul to Formosa 



With Four Plates 



The Island of Formosa was discovered by the Chinese about one 

 thousand years ago. Since then it has been occupied by Japanese, 

 Dutch, and Spanish respectively ; then it passed into the control of 

 the Koxinga family, and susequently back to the Chinese, in whose 

 possession it remained for about 200 years. It has now been more 

 than ten years in the possession of Japan. During these periods the 

 savage tribes have been continuously pressed by foreign peoples. 

 In accordance with their varying contacts with foreigners, there has 

 been more or less difference in the character of the civilizing influ- 

 ences upon the various tribes. With some tribes, the original cus- 

 toms have remained intact during the whole time. 



Area and Population 



The total area of the Island of Formosa is 2,333 square ri (13,893 

 square miles), of which the savage district occupies 1,248 square ri 

 (7,407 square miles). In the savage territory live nine groups of 

 tribes, mutually hostile and differing from one another in customs 

 and languages. These groups comprise in all 723 tribes, whose 

 villages number from three to upwards of three hundred houses 

 each. According to investigations made up to the present time the 

 savage population is as follows: Atayal group, 25,932; Vonuum 

 group, 13,889; Tsou group, 2,267; Tsarisen group, 13,760; Paiwan 

 group, 20,609 ; Amis group, 27,867 ; Puyuma group, 6,675 ! Yaami 

 group, 1,427; Saiset group, 737; total population, 113,163. 



Comparative Civilization 



The degree of civilization to which these tribes may have attained 

 depends greatly upon the nature of the country in which they dwell 



^This paper is extracted from a report to the State Department, made by 

 Mr. Julean H. Arnold, American Consul to Formosa, the main portion of 

 which is a translation of the Formosan Government report — submitted by Mr. 

 Oshima, Superintendent of Police of the Japanese Government in Formosa — 

 on the management of savage affairs during the fiscal year 1907. 



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