Among the Head-Hunters of Formosa

by Janet B. Montgomery McGovern

Again their intelligence failed to grasp my attempts at a logical explanation. But a priestess pressed for further knowledge on the subject of the white man’s—and especially the white woman’s—tabus. Was it tabu for a husband to be either brutal to his wife—— “Yes, among the better——” I began. But the priestess hurried on: “or indelicate in his attentions to her; was she, his wife—as regards marital relations—to be tabu to him altogether before the birth of her children, and for some time afterwards? Was a disloyal husband himself so tabu that, even in the tribes where he was not beheaded or stoned to death, no self-respecting member of the community—either man or woman—would speak to him or supply him with food; so that he had to flee to the woods and live as an outcast?”

I tried to explain that it was difficult to know; one could not be sure, for there were some points on which neither men nor women always told the exact truth.

“But not to tell the truth!” my friends cried in chorus. “Surely the curses of their ancestors are on those who do not speak the truth!”

And I thought, or tried to think, of a civilization—white or yellow—in which men and women spoke always the truth, with nothing added, nothing suppressed; where “yea” meant always yea, and “nay,” nay; where the realization that anything more “cometh of evil” was put into practice; consequently the anything more left unsaid. And still I am trying to think what civilization under these conditions would mean. Civilization—I am wondering.

Since my sojourn among the men and women who live in the mountains of Formosa that word—civilization—has had a new meaning; been a new source of wonder to me.

INDEX

Aborigines:
characteristics, [95] et seq., [105]
future of, [198] et seq.
population, [87], [88]
social organisation of, [109] et seq., [125]-[126]
Aetas, [64], [106]
Agricultural implements, [183], [184]
Ainu of Hokkaido, [177]
Saghalien, [177]
Aiyu-sen, [100]
American Indians, [103]
Ami tribe, the, [75], [87], [99], [101], [103], [104]
arts and crafts of, [174], [181], [182]
characteristics of, [76], [211]
customs of, [74], [114], [117], [122], [124], [128], [169], [187]
marriage of, [154]-[156], [160]-[162]
religion, [131]-[133], [151]
traditions of, [96]
transport, [193]-[195]
Amoy dialect, [87], [103]
Andaman islanders, [107], [126]
Anping, [43], [49], [51]
Arapani, [134]
Archery, [120]
Arizona, [28]
Arts and crafts, [173] et seq.
Ashikaga dynasty, [44]
“Bachelor-house” system, [122], [123]
Bartsing, [131]
Basketry, [181]
Berri berri, [89]
Botel Tobago, [97], [104], [114], [148], [149], [150], [176], [182]
“Bradyaga,” 55
British trade, [51]
Bunun tribe, the, [70]
arts and crafts of, [99], [174], [177]
characteristics of, [102], [103]
customs of, [111], [169], [170] et seq.
marriage, [159]
Bunun religion, [137], [139], [140]
Bureau of Aboriginal Affairs, [101]
Camphor, [31], [70]
factories, [70], [90]
wood, [69]
Candidius, Father, [52], [91], [150], [196]
Caps, [181]
Chastity, [109]
Children, [121], [122]
China, [31], [37], [38], [39], [43], [44], [46], [49], [89]
China grass, [120], [187]
China Review, the, [103], [104]
China Sea, [29]
Chinese:
classification of tribes, [104]
coolies, [79]
customs, [169]
dominance of Formosan, [49], [54] et seq.
expedition to Formosa, [42]
influence in Formosa, [174]
pirates, [45]
population, [86], [87]
records of Formosa, [37] et seq.
treatment of Aborigines, [88]
under Japanese rule, [54]
Chinese-Formosans, [37], [38], [51], [52], [58] et seq., [69], [88], [101]
dialect, [78]
villages, [74]
Chin-Huan, [103], [104], [111], [127], [128], [154]
Circumcision, [192]
Clothing, [113]
Cogett, Governor, [54]
Communal system, [109]
Confucian ethics, [81]
Confucius, sayings of, [58]
Dancing, [113]
“Dead houses,” 168
Death, [163] et seq.
Deniker’s The Races of Man, [110]
de Valdez, Don Antonio de Careño, [50]
Dgagha, [131]
Divorce, [107]
Dominican Friars, [51]
Dutch, the:
dominance of, [47] et seq., [90]
education, [91]
exit from Formosa, [54]
first landing of, [47]
influences of, [52], [53], [104], [194], [199]
missionaries, [52], [53], [166]
records, [166]
Dutch East Indies, [54]
Dwelling-houses, [173]
Dyaks of Borneo, [110], [111]
Dyes, [179]
Ear-rings, [178], [186], [187]
Evil omens, [113]
Exogamy, [141], [161]
Filipinos, [95]
Fokien Province, [41], [42], [87]
Foochow, [38]
dialect, [87]
Fort Zelandia, [49], [50]
Game hunting, [119]
Gan Shi-sai, [45]
Garanbi, Cape, [38], [116]
Geisha system, [129]
Giran, [71]
Go-ju-sen, [211]
Granaries, [124]
Gravius (Dutch Minister), [52]
Great Daimyos, [44]
Guam, [126]
Gynarchic rule, [204]
Hachiman, [44]
Hakkas, [46], [59], [86]
Hamay, [95]
Hawaii, [28]
Head-hunting, [109] et seq.
“Hoe-culture,” 125
Holland, [49]
Hong-Kong, [37]
Houi, Mr., [70]
Igorotes, [95], [96]
Illness, customs in, [163] et seq.
Implements, [183], [184]
Inari temples, [209]
Indonesian origins, [97]
Indoneso-Malay stock, [95]
Iron, [41], [42]
Ishii, Mr., [100], [101], [105]
Japanese Chronicle, the, [32]
Japanese classification of tribes, [102] et seq.
domination of Taruko, [106]
education, [35], [89]
first associations with Formosa, [44], [47]
laws, [118]
officialdom, [36], [58], [62] et seq.
pirates, [44], [45]
population in Formosa, [87]
tradition, [134]
treatment of Chinese, [89]
treatment of foreigners, [33]
treatment of Formosans, [31], [32], [58], [89], [100], [198]
Jitsugetsutan, [196]
Kagoshima, [35], [36]
Kakring, [130] et seq.
Kalapiat, [130] et seq.
Karenko, [71], [72]
Keelung, [35], [44], [45], [50], [51], [55], [57], [58], [59], [62], [63], [64], [71], [72]
Kipling, [56]
Kobe, [32]
Koksinga, [45], [54], [88]
Korea, [33], [199]
Kwantung, Province of, [86]
Kyoto, [34]
Ladrone Islands, [126]
Linguistic affinity of tribes, [98]
Linschotten, [46]
Little Lu-chu, [43]
Looms, [179]
Lowie, [125]
Lu-chu Islands, [39], [42], [43], [176], [192]
Luzon (Philippines), [95], [96]
Macao, [49]
Mahayana Buddhism, [34]
Malay language, [99]
Malay origins, [40]
Manila, [29]
Maori skulls, [96]
Marianne Islands, [126]
Marin, Mr., [70]
Marital fidelity, [128]
Marriage, [110], [128], [152] et seq., [190], [191]
Masculine vanity, [186]
Matriarchate, [27], [28]
government by, [201] et seq.
Matrilineal tribes, [27], [28]
Matrilocal tribes, [27], [28]
Ma Tuan-hui, [40]
Mavayaiya, [118], [136]
Melanesia, [176]
Millet, [183]
granaries, [176]
hoe, [179]
wine, [118]
Mindanao, [50]
Ming dynasty, [43], [44]
Missionaries, [31], [36], [65], [73]
Monkeys, [118]
Monogamy, [109], [128]
Moors, the, [50]
Mother-of-pearl, [178]
Mother-right, [109]
Mt. Morrison, [38]
Mt. Sylvia, [38]
Musical instruments, [184]
Mutilation, [86] et seq.
Nagasaki, [29]
Nevada, [28]
New Mexico, [28]
Ni-ju-sen, [211]
Ornaments, [185]
Ottofu, [163]-[165], [168], [183], [212]
Ox-hide, [47], [48]
Paiwan tribe, the, [87], [99], [100], [101]
arts and crafts, [174], [175], [177], [196]
characteristics of, [103], [211]
chieftainship of, [121]
contact with the Chinese, [104]
head-hunting, [102], [111], [119]
marriage, [154], [159]
religion, [134]-[136], [151]
trading, [128]
traditions, [116]
Papuans, [195]
Patrilocal tribes, [27]
Pepo-huan, [103], [104]
Pescadores, [39], [44], [47], [49]
Philippine Islands, [28], [50], [64], [95], [106]
Pigmy people, [106]
women, [107], [108]
Pinan, [71], [73], [74], [133]
Pithecanthropus, [28]
Piyuma tribe, the, [99], [100]
arts and crafts, [196]
chieftainship, [121]
customs, [117], [118], [122], [188]
marriage, [154], [160], [161]
religion, [134]
Polynesian skulls, [96]
Portuguese, the, [46], [94]
Pottery, [181] et seq.
Religion, [130] et seq.
Reyersz, Admiral Cornelius, [49]
Rice-paddies, [30], [52], [60], [61]
Russell, Bertrand, [199]
Saisett tribe, the, [70], [99], [100], [102]
marriage, [162]
religion, [148]
tattooing, [188]
Sakurajuma, [35]
Salt, [128]
Samurai, [63]
San Domingo, [50]
Schetelig, Arnold, [96]
Seban, [80], [81], [82], [200], [201]
Sek-huan, [74], [103], [104]
Sex, [153] et seq.
Shimonoseki, treaty of, [87]
Shin-shu, [34]
Siam, [43]
Sino-Japanese War, [54], [88]
Smoking, [113]
Solomon Islands, [195]
South China Sea, [29]
Spain, [50], [51]
Sugar, [31]
Sui dynasty, [39], [98]
Sun and Moon Lake, [196]
Suspension-bridges, [177]
Tabu, [161], [183]
Tagalog tribe, [96], [134]
Taihoku, [34], [35], [58], [59], [61], [64], [70]
Tainan, [43], [45], [47], [49]
Taiwan, [29], [43]
Taiyal tribe, the:
arts and crafts, [173], [184]
characteristics of, [96], [103], [105], [106], [127], [211]
customs, [114], [125], [165], [168], [169], [187]
head-hunting, [111], [112], [115]
marriage, [152], [157], [159], [160]
religion, [139] et seq., [181], [212]
social organization, [120], [124]
tattooing, [160], [161], [188], [191]
transport, [196]
Takao, [51], [71], [72], [74], [104]
Takasago, [45]
Taketon-Monogabari, [134]
Tamsui, [50], [51]
Taruko group, [105]
Tattooing, [111], [112], [188] et seq.
Taylor, George, [116]
Tea, [31]
Teeth, [187]
Terrace beach, [29], [30]
Theriolatry, [135]
Tobacco, [114]
Totems, [135], [141], [146]
Transport, [193] et seq.
Tribes, classification of, [103]-[104]
Tropic of Cancer, [30]
Tsarisen tribe, the, [99], [100]
marriage, [161]
religion, [136], [137]
Tsuou tribe, the, [99]
arts and crafts, [184]
customs, [122], [188]
marriage, [156]
religion, [137]-[138]
transport, [196]
Tuber-juice, [179]
Tung-Hai, [36]
“Two-Button” officials, [34]
Tyler, Dr., [200]
Van Marwijk, Admiral, [47]
Wallace’s Malay Archipelago, [99]
Wan San-ho, [43], [44]
Weapons, [120], [177], [178]
Weaving, [179], [180]
Weininger, Otto, [203]
Wire, [178]
Yami tribe, the, [99]
arts and crafts, [176], [182], [185], [195]
characteristics, [103], [211]
customs, [97], [172], [114]
religion, [148]-[150]
Yangtsein, Admiral, [42]
Yoshiwara, [129]
Yuan dynasty, [42]
Zen-shu, [34]

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