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THE POPULAR SCIENCE MONTHLY, 



ance only. It belongs to the natives of Sisieta ; they will not sell it, 

 as they use it for their cannibal feasts. I was told that six bodies 

 were eaten here a fortnight before my visit. From here we went 

 to a town called Oneavesi, and thence crossed to the small island 

 of Rubiana proper, where we found nearly all the men away on a 

 head-hunting expedition to the island of Isabel. I here photo- 

 graphed the interior of a tambu house, the post of which was 

 carved to represent a crocodile. Along the rafters was a row of 

 heads. I also took a photograph of a collection of sacred images, 

 near to which was a heap of skulls, upon every one of which I 



Fig. 1.— Sacred Image at Robiana. 



noticed the mark of the tomahawk. These collections of images 

 are to be found in nearly every town throughout the lagoon, and 

 are strictly tambu (Fig. 1). I found out afterward that the natives 

 strongly objected to my photographing them, or indeed approach- 

 ing them at all. At another village close by on the same island 

 we again found nearly all the male population absent on the same 

 expedition. The women and those left at home were preparing a 

 feast for them on their return. At the principal canoe -house 



