Daily national Democrat., 1860-12-08
Cannibalism.

n
to eradicate the practice of cannibalism from
the face of the earth. In several of the
islands of the South Pacific it still exists, al
/ though fast dying out In New Zealand, it
is almost totally eXtirpated, but it was only
/ few years ago that the report was current of
a New Zealand Chief, who, having been told
by Missionary that it was wrong to have
two wives, and that he must put away one
came to his monitor, one day, with great glee
on his countenance and informed him that he
was now a good Christian. How so" in
quired the Missionary. "Me got one wife
replied the savage exuldngly. "What dld
you do with the other ?" asked the Mission
airy. "Me kill um, me eat um up. Welly
good, welly good met"
The inhabitants of the Fejee Islands still
carry on the practice, and all efforts to arrest
the awful sir are of small avail. The Aus
tralans are also guilty of the same offense,
and visitors there have informed us that it
is quite common for the fercer tribes of the
interior to have grand barbecues, in which
plump damsels, well fatted masculines, and
nice little babies are roasted whole, like
sheep, lambs bullocks and swine. 1t is said
that the taste of human flesh makes the
eater half frantic, as if he had imbibed some
wildly intoxicating draught and the orgies
at these general roastings are terrible beyond
conception
A cannibal prefers human flesh to any
other, for the same reason, we suppose, that
a wild animal which has once tasted human
blood is ever after hunting for human vie
tins. The flesh of human being may be
superior to any other, on the same principle
that man is himself the superlative animal of
all
Some persons would seem to be cannibals
naturally, for among the wild tribes of
North America, who, it is well known, re-
gard cannibalism with horror, there are oc-
casionally individuals who retire from the
tribe, and live in secret places, lying in wait
for human victims whom they slay and eat.
Their existence may be apoehryphal, but it
is at any rate reported that they live and
that they are sought out by the general body
of the tribe with great diligence and saugh-
tered wherever found. They are said to be
regarded with superstitious dread, SO po.
tent sometimes as to prevent any effectual
means being taken for their determination.
BE this as it may, we have the testimony oi
those unfortunate persons who have been
shipwrecked or who have been snow-bound
in the mountains, and compelled to feed upon
their fellows that there is nothing at all re-
pugnant in the taste Of human flesh, but that,
aside from the mental disgust it induces, it
has relish and SAVIOR equal to the dainti.
est of animal food.
We have written so far on this attractive
topic, without any particular object in view.
more than to be writing something. And we
will relieve our readers of the subject after
quoting that "auncent wight" Edmund
Spenser, in relation to a Salvage nation
that lived "whylome," somewhere or other.
it matters not where, but whom he describes
at some length in one of the books of his
Faery Queene. The scene from which we
quote is where young lady named Serena,
who is intensely loved by valiant Knight
Sir Calepine, is lost in horrent woods, where
abode the fierce race above alluded to
Speaking of these fellows and what they
did, Spenser says, in what was, in his dav,
very good English
Thereto they usde one most accursed order.
| To cate the flesh Of men, whom they mote 6nde
And strangers to devour. which on their border
were brought by error or by wreckiull wvnde /:
A monstrous cruelty gainst course OF kynde
Iney, towards evening wandering every wav
TO seeke for booty, came by fortune blynde
Whereas this Lady, like sheepe astriy,
NOW drowned In the depth of seepe all fearlesse
lay.
Soone as they spide her. lord what gladfull plee
They made amongst themselves but her face
Like Ia the fare IVORY shining they did see,
Each gan his fellow sOlace and embrace
For JOY OF such good hap by heavenly grace.
Then gan they to devze what course to take;
whether to say her there upon the place,
Or suffer her out OF her seepe to wake,
Anu theh her eat attonce, or many meals to make
The best advizement was of bad, to let her
Sleepe out her till without encomberment.
For sleepe, they said, would make her battill
better;
Then, when she wakt, they all gave one consent
That, since by grace of God shs 'here was sent,
Unto fhAir Cod tney would her sacrifice
Whose share, her guiltless bloud they would
present:
But of her dainty flesh they did deyze
To make common feast and feed with gurmandze
Sorouud about her themselves did place
Upon the grdSsc and diversey DISPOSE
AS each thought best to spend the lingering space :
Some with their eyes the dalntiest morseis chose
some praise her paps; some praise her lips and
Some whet their knives, and strip their elboes
bare
The Priest himself garland doth compose
Ot finest howers, and with full busie care
HIS bioudie vessels wash and holy fire prepare,
But all bootes not they hands upon her Law:
ANA hrst they spoe her Of her Jewels deare.
And afterwards Of all her rich array:
The which amongst them they in peeces teare,
And of the pray each one a part doth beare.
Now being naked to their sordid eyes
The goody threasures of nature appear:
Winch as they view with lusttul fantasves.
Each wisheth TO hmselfe, and to the rest envyes.
Her yvorie neck her alabaster brest
Her paps, which like white silken pillows were
For Love in soft delight thereon to rest:
Her tender sides; her belize white and cere.
Mhlcn IKE an altaT did itself upTere
To offer sacrifice divine thereon
Her goody thighes whose glory did appere
Like trumphall arch, and thereupon
The spoiles of Princes hanged which were in
battel won"
Well, the upshot of the matter was, that
the girl was in very bad case, her "bloud
about to be sacrificed to the god of the "salv-
age nation" and then her body to be eaten