3-077-721 - The Print Collector/Heritage Images

Sketches in the island of Formosa: a savage chief returning with reinforcements, 1890. '[our correspondent] Mr. Edmund Hornby Grimani... met with a tribe of aboriginal savages; and the Sketches now presented give a lively notion of their looks and manners..."The males, who were all armed with long knives, wore skull-caps of raw hide, long hair, and very short kilts; the chief being distinguished by the superiority of his ornaments, a star of boar's tusks on his forehead, and a scanty piece of cloth thrown over his shoulders, which did duty for a cloak...I opened the sketch-book, and began with the chief...How I envied that chief's fine running powers! Though a man of over sixty, there he was far up the mountain...The old fellow presently returned, well armed, and reinforced by his whole tribe, who advanced by leaps and bounds down the precipitous mountain side, flourishing their spears in a very threatening manner, evidently thirsting for vengeance. What was I to do? We had revolvers and guns, certainly; but what could so few do against so many? Fortunately, the reproduction of my sketch-book and pencil had the effect of stopping their advance, and allowing me time to send out an interpreter to hold a party and explain matters".' From "Illustrated London News", 1890.