October 2, 1885.] 



SCIENCE. 



289 



nesian race, having straight hair. They are 

 tall, well formed, and vigorous, much addicted 

 to war, 3'et not characteristically savage. Rev. 

 Mr. Doane of Ponape describes the Rukite 

 as of "a soft saffron tinge, his form S3'mmet- 

 rical, limbs round, and of good length be- 

 tween joints, step eas}^ eye round, black, and 

 lustrous, not dimmed bj the use of ava or 

 todd}' from the cocoanut-blossom, lips rather 

 thin for a Micronesian, hair wavy and long. 

 I thought him a fine-looking native. Some of 

 the women are quite beautiful. ' ' The islanders 

 are skilful in navigating their proas, which are 

 fitted with outriggers ; and they often make 

 long vo^'ages without compass, though not in- 

 frequenth' a boat-load is drifted away, and is 

 lost. The people throughout the islands for- 

 merly tattooed themselves, a custom which is 

 rapidly passing ixw^j. Their houses are simply 

 roofs on posts about four feet from the ground. 

 In these attics the}^ sleep with a wooden pillow 

 and a mat covering. Until recently, there was 

 little clothing seen on men or women. There 

 was no marriage-rite known, though the pair- 

 ing of men and women was respected. Each 

 of the Micronesian groups has a distinct lan- 

 guage, and within the Caroline islands the 

 variations are more than dialectic. There are 

 at least six or eight distinct languages within 

 the group. 



The Caroline islander as found, was not an 

 idolater, though full of superstition. He had 

 neither images nor temples, though certain 

 places were avoided because he believed that 

 they were inhabited b}' spirits. In a few places 

 priests were found whose aid was sought in 

 curing the sick. As to the government of the 

 islands, there has been hitherto no attempt on 

 the part of foreign powers to exercise control 

 over them. Each island has its chief, who is 

 absolutely independent, though sometimes con- 

 trolled by a council of the people. His author- 

 ity is hereditary, and is derived in the line of 

 the mother. On a few of the islands, there is 

 more than one tribe, in which case each divis- 

 ion is ruled by its own chief. There is no 

 confederation known throughout the group. 



A remarkable change has been effected in 

 the islands within the last generation. In 1852 

 American missionaries, under the care of the 

 American board of foreign missions, were 

 located on Ponape, and have since occupied 

 Kusaie, Puk, and the Mortlocks. From these 

 points the}' have extended their labors through 

 the agency of native helpers to several islands 

 of the group, as well as into the Marshall and 

 Gilbert Groups. There are at present twelve 

 American missionaries, men and women, to be 



found on the islands, who are aided in their work 

 by the Morning star, a barkentine with auxiliary 

 steam-power, which enables them to visit the 

 islands, and locate the native helpers. On its 

 present voyage this vessel is expected to land 

 teachers on the island of Yap. Since the land- 

 ing of these missionaries, the whole condition 

 of society on many of the islands has been en- 

 tirely changed. In some places the whole pop- 

 ulation is found in schools ; and on most of 

 the islands occupied by Christian teachers 

 the people are respectably clad, and are ac- 

 cepting the civilization and religious truth 

 offered them. Within Micronesia the mis- 

 sionaries have under their care more than 

 forty churches, with over four thousand church- 

 members. 



As to the question of the sovereigntj- of the 

 Carolines, which is now in dispute between 

 Spain and Germany, it may be said that, though 

 Spain may claim possession on the ground of 

 prior discovery, she has not for three centuries 

 enforced that claim, or occupied an}- of the 

 islands, unless it may be a single one nearest 

 her Philippine possessions. Germany has no 

 claim save on the ground that a dozen traders, 

 more or less, have taken advantage of the im- 

 proved condition of affairs, due to the labors of 

 American missionaries, and have carried on a 

 small trade in the dried fruit of the cocoanut. 

 The interests of civilization and humanity do 

 not require that either of these nations should 

 assume control. E. E. Strong. 



SCIENCE IN COMMON SCHOOLS. 



Bones.i 



Bones are the framework of the human body. 

 If I had no more bones in me, I should not have so 

 much shape as I have now. If I had no bones in me, 

 I should not have so much motion, and grandma 

 would be glad; but I like motion. Bones give me 

 motion, because they are something hard for motion 

 to cling to. If I had no bones, my brains, heart, 

 lungs, and larger blood-vessels would be lying round 

 in me sort of loose-like, and might get hurted ; but 

 not much, lest it is hard hit. 



If my bones were burned, I should be all brittle, 

 and you could crumble me up, because all the animal 

 would be out of me. If I was soaked in a kind of 

 acid, I should be limber. Teacher showed some bones 

 that had been soaked. I could tie a knot in one. I 

 had rather be soaked than burned. 



Some of my bones don't grow snug, and close to 

 my other bones, like the branches to the trunk of a 

 tree do; and I am glad they don't; for if they did, I 

 could not play leap-frog, and other good games I know. 



1 Composition by a boy in one of the lower grades of a New- 

 England grammar school. 



