Girard0518 - Revision history

Merv at 03:16, 24 August 2014

2014-08-24T03:16:17Z

← Older revision		Revision as of 15:16, 24 August 2014
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	;[30]: The material life of the Arosians seems to me to be happy enough. Because they do not need clothing to ward off the rigors of a cold season, for the weather is always temperate here, they are spared of a great worry. Their entire wardrobe consists of a few ornaments and a large cloak of wide, long feathers, in which they wrap themselves. They soften these feathers by heating them, then they sew them on, one after another; they fold them double several times and thus make a portable room under which several of them can find shelter. They are naturally very sober. They take only two small meals per day; they eat in the morning and after sunset. The women are in charge of the ordinary cooking. Although they do not have any iron vessels, they know how to boil water in their wooden platters by putting in some red-hot stones from the fire. They are the ones who go to gather wood, herbs and the fruits needed. The men do not stir to help them. They carefully wash and peal the yams and the pineapples; they scrape them with seashells, washing them in water several times and prepare them with a great deal of cleanliness. The women are not slaves. Except for a few taboos which they are obliged to observe, they have as much freedom as the men.		;[30]: The material life of the Arosians seems to me to be happy enough. Because they do not need clothing to ward off the rigors of a cold season, for the weather is always temperate here, they are spared of a great worry. Their entire wardrobe consists of a few ornaments and a large cloak of wide, long feathers, in which they wrap themselves. They soften these feathers by heating them, then they sew them on, one after another; they fold them double several times and thus make a portable room under which several of them can find shelter. They are naturally very sober. They take only two small meals per day; they eat in the morning and after sunset. The women are in charge of the ordinary cooking. Although they do not have any iron vessels, they know how to boil water in their wooden platters by putting in some red-hot stones from the fire. They are the ones who go to gather wood, herbs and the fruits needed. The men do not stir to help them. They carefully wash and peal the yams and the pineapples; they scrape them with seashells, washing them in water several times and prepare them with a great deal of cleanliness. The women are not slaves. Except for a few taboos which they are obliged to observe, they have as much freedom as the men.
	;[31]: The material life of the Arosians seems to me to be happy enough.<ref>Most of this paragraph (§ 31) is a repetition of the preceeding one (§ 30).</ref> Not needing clothing to guard against the cold, they are they are spared of a great worry. Their entire wardrobe consists in a few pearl ornaments and a large cloak of wide, long feathers sewn together. These cloaks keep them from the rain which often falls without a moment’s warning and in torrents. They are naturally very sober and are unfamiliar with any kind of intoxicating liquor; they drink only water. They take only two small meals per day, one in the morning and another after sunset.		;[31]: The material life of the Arosians seems to me to be happy enough.<ref>Most of this paragraph (§ 31) is a repetition of the preceeding one (§ 30).</ref> Not needing clothing to guard against the cold, they are they are spared of a great worry. Their entire wardrobe consists in a few pearl ornaments and a large cloak of wide, long feathers sewn together. These cloaks keep them from the rain which often falls without a moment’s warning and in torrents. They are naturally very sober and are unfamiliar with any kind of intoxicating liquor; they drink only water. They take only two small meals per day, one in the morning and another after sunset.
	;[32]: They take strength during the day by chewing betel; they make betel with bitter and amomatic leaves which they call ''auraté'', with the fruit of the ''aru'' and other palms, and then, with the ~~live~~ which they pulverize, they suck from the tip of a rod while they chew the ''auraté''. That is the limit of what they need. The rest of the time is spent in visiting or dancing and very little in the cultivation of the land.		;[32]: They take strength during the day by chewing betel; they make betel with bitter and amomatic leaves which they call ''auraté'', with the fruit of the ''aru'' and other palms, and then, with the lime which they pulverize, they suck from the tip of a rod while they chew the ''auraté''. That is the limit of what they need. The rest of the time is spent in visiting or dancing and very little in the cultivation of the land.
	;[33]: Their dancing is war-like; they always dance holding a small club. They arrange themselves in several ranks, jump forward and backward while always keeping the same distance from each other. They hum a melody full of violence and this helps them to dance in rhythm. They walk in rhythm with their club and with small globular bells of mother of pearl attached to their right hand. The whole of the movements creates all the beauty of this dance. After having jumped to one side, they suddenly turn around and jump to the opposite side. Their singing makes this dance rather distressing. Perspiration can be seen flowing down the length of their body, but they stop only when the singing and the maneuvers have finished. This dance is forbidden to the women; they are satisfied with looking.		;[33]: Their dancing is war-like; they always dance holding a small club. They arrange themselves in several ranks, jump forward and backward while always keeping the same distance from each other. They hum a melody full of violence and this helps them to dance in rhythm. They walk in rhythm with their club and with small globular bells of mother of pearl attached to their right hand. The whole of the movements creates all the beauty of this dance. After having jumped to one side, they suddenly turn around and jump to the opposite side. Their singing makes this dance rather distressing. Perspiration can be seen flowing down the length of their body, but they stop only when the singing and the maneuvers have finished. This dance is forbidden to the women; they are satisfied with looking.
	;[34]: Only a few sick people can be seen among them. They put up with their ills with much patience and leave it up to nature to cure them. These are ordinarly wounds which pit the surface of the skin.		;[34]: Only a few sick people can be seen among them. They put up with their ills with much patience and leave it up to nature to cure them. These are ordinarly wounds which pit the surface of the skin.

Merv at 07:56, 13 June 2010

2010-06-13T07:56:28Z

← Older revision		Revision as of 19:56, 13 June 2010
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	;[35]: Such is the material life of the Arosians. But their spiritual life is deplorable. In this regard, they are worthy of pity! They barely recognize a superior being, about which they have but an obscure idea. It seemed to me that they call him ''Jona''. He is a god who hears nothing, who sees nothing, but whom they address nevertheless when they plant their yams. They take the first yam, breathe on it, murmur a few words and put it into the earth. Until now, that is all that we have been able to notice about their belief and their worship. They are astonished upon learning that our God sees everything, that he hears everything, and that he penetrates even the most secret thoughts of our hearts, that after this life he will recompense us according to our merits or that he will punish us according to the gravity of our faults. This idea of a future life would bother them too much here below; they are anxious for us to finish speaking; they interrupt us or else they go away. They feel that our God is better than the one which they made for themselves, but in order to please him they would have to abandon cannibalism and polygamy, two great obstacles which we could not overcome except through a miracle of grace. I have enough confidence in the prayers of the associates of the Propagation of the Faith, in the merits of our Lord Jesus Christ, and in the mercy of God to believe that this time of grace is approaching and that the dawn of true happiness will rise upon these unfortunate islands.		;[35]: Such is the material life of the Arosians. But their spiritual life is deplorable. In this regard, they are worthy of pity! They barely recognize a superior being, about which they have but an obscure idea. It seemed to me that they call him ''Jona''. He is a god who hears nothing, who sees nothing, but whom they address nevertheless when they plant their yams. They take the first yam, breathe on it, murmur a few words and put it into the earth. Until now, that is all that we have been able to notice about their belief and their worship. They are astonished upon learning that our God sees everything, that he hears everything, and that he penetrates even the most secret thoughts of our hearts, that after this life he will recompense us according to our merits or that he will punish us according to the gravity of our faults. This idea of a future life would bother them too much here below; they are anxious for us to finish speaking; they interrupt us or else they go away. They feel that our God is better than the one which they made for themselves, but in order to please him they would have to abandon cannibalism and polygamy, two great obstacles which we could not overcome except through a miracle of grace. I have enough confidence in the prayers of the associates of the Propagation of the Faith, in the merits of our Lord Jesus Christ, and in the mercy of God to believe that this time of grace is approaching and that the dawn of true happiness will rise upon these unfortunate islands.
	;[36]: I embrace you with all my heart, as well as my mother, my sister, my brother- in-law and my other relatives.		;[36]: I embrace you with all my heart, as well as my mother, my sister, my brother- in-law and my other relatives.
	Your very affectionate son, Léopold Verguet apostolic missionary		::Your very affectionate son, Léopold Verguet apostolic missionary
	;[37]: You may pass my letter on to those who ask you for news of me and assure them of my friendship.		;[37]: You may pass my letter on to those who ask you for news of me and assure them of my friendship.
	;[38]: 24 July – For the last four days, the ''Clara'', Bishop Bataillon’s ship, is at anchor in our port. It came to give us fresh provisions and resupply us with many things which we were lacking. The time of want is now over for us. Properly speaking, during the last four months, we have never endured hunger, but in these last days our kitchen was very poor. Our health was somewhat affected by this. We were all rather weak. From now on, we will continue to get better and better.		;[38]: 24 July – For the last four days, the ''Clara'', Bishop Bataillon’s ship, is at anchor in our port. It came to give us fresh provisions and resupply us with many things which we were lacking. The time of want is now over for us. Properly speaking, during the last four months, we have never endured hunger, but in these last days our kitchen was very poor. Our health was somewhat affected by this. We were all rather weak. From now on, we will continue to get better and better.

Merv: New page: ==24 June and 24 July 1846. — Fr Léopold Verguet to his father. San Cristobal== ''Translated by Fr Charles Girard SM, 2010.'' :Letter from Father Verguet, apostolic missionary, to...

2010-06-13T07:51:49Z

New page: ==24 June and 24 July 1846. — Fr Léopold Verguet to his father. San Cristobal== ''Translated by Fr Charles Girard SM, 2010.'' :Letter from Father Verguet, apostolic missionary, to...

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