The Republican journal., 1869-04-22
Life Among the CannibaIs.
From the New York Times 50.

From the New York Times 3d.
A remarkable man recently arrived in the CITY 0
New York, loaded with irons and charged with tn
CRIME OF mutiny. His name IS VIM. HI. Starr. HI
was was. born in Rochester. New York, about fift,
years, bat not liking books, he ran away wbei
nlne years OF age, and making his way across thu
state to Mystic, on the Sound, managed to board ,
vessel. then just about to sail for Havre, France
and SO was carried away across the Atlantic Or
reaching Havre, he again ran away, because h1
feared the Captain would restore him to his friend
on returning to toe United States. He got bertl
on on board steamer plying. on the Seine between
Rouen and Havre. Here he was l-treated. ana
finally left and went ashore. He then shipped on
q Swedish ship, and made a cruise in the Baltic
Sea. Thence he went on board a Russian brig
.nence on frtt vessel to the Mediterranean. He
returned on vessel to America, and finally ar
flved at New York, whence he shipped to Homo.
lulu. Ee then went on whaling voyage to the
sea sea OF okaotsk; thence to Kodiak and New Zea
iana, ma ana hnaIiy to the Marquesas Islands
= ms was thirty years ago. On arriving at the
IMarquesass, he found living there, among the ma.
tVes, sailor with whom he had been formerly
acquainted, and who persuaded him also to come
ana llve free life among the savages. He agreed
10 90 so, and took up his abode among them. He
mas continued to live with E.em until within the
last two years, and has acquired a most intimate
kho"leage OF the languages of this remarkable va
all the strange passions and superstions that form
the moving sprines of their wild life.
Inc natives quickly discovered the value OF
ms ms knoWlease, and gave him prominent posi-
tlol III their community. Oitahu, where he dwelt
Is small island of the Marquesas group contain.
Ing ahout two thousand inhabitants. These are
divided into three kingdoms or clans, occupying
ulliereht dlStricts, but always preserving strictly
anlcaole relatlons with one another. and consider
ing themselves as one family. The kings or chiefs
OF these clans are Independent of each other, but
unlte thelr forces in any against the natives OF
the surrounding islands. Starr was adopted by one
yIrnr oil r,lnI
prllcely honors. He always ate with the princi-
pal chiefs, and had fourteen youths arpointed to
act as his servants. The MarqUesas valued him on
account OF the services he was alb G to render them
in negotiating sales of fruit figs poultry, &C. to
the various ships which came to the islands, He
procured for them many axes, chisels, knives, and
otner implements Iron, in fact has now become
indispensable to the natives, since they have lost
the faculty of shaping and even using the stone
hatchets and knives which were formerly Their
only tools,
CASSIBALISM.
The Marqnesans are tall finely formed men, OF
dark, copper color, agile, and very courageous
The women are slender, and much shorter than the
men. Ihey are lnveterate cam bals, and this not
from necessity, but because they prefer human flesh
t. any other kind Of food. The bread-trult grows
IN immense quantities in all the islands, ithout
trouble of cultivation, and the natives can gather
What they please. There are also great quaint tiles
OF bananas, pine apples, boova, taro, and other
tropical vegetables, which grow wild. These is.
lands are frequented by wild pigeons IN prodlgious
numbers, and there are plenty of wild goats and
wild pigs. The seas abound with FISH Which the
natives catch by stupefying them with narcotic
drug and then hosting them RAPIDLY INTO their ca
noes. This drug is called avasa, and is prepared
by the natives from small plant growing in differ
ent parts OF the islands. Nature, indeed has been
lavish in her gifts to these beautiful regions And
therefore it Is not want but actual relish for mans
1esh, that tempts them to these dismal feasts II
appears that they have human banquet about
once week. The victims are the prisoners taken
in the numerous fOrays which the isander9 make
upon one another These untortunaes are slain
their bodies are stuffed with sweet-scented herbs
ana then roasted upon hot stones. Tney are COW
cred over with more OF these leaves and hct stones,
apparently, from the description, much after the
plan OF cooking clans al a cam-bake, and finally,
when cooked, are eaten at the public feast. Starr
says that he did all he could to persuade tue peope
to tareao these horrid practices; but though they
are willing enough to obey him in other things
they decline TO follow his advice in this On one
occasion, he says, they had prepared for feast OF
mans flesh, and as he had great horror Of The
whole affair, he went of to the mountains to hunt
While he was on the mountains schooner arrived
In the bay. 1t was the Sea Witch, c. mmauded by
Capt Chapman, who had formerly been American
Vice Consul at Raotea, The Captain came ashore
to see Starr aud trade with him for fruits, &C. lie
assembled from the rocky Shore and walking thro'
the little town, came straight to the public square
when the cannlba feast was at its height A native
knowing the purpose for which he had landed,
came forward and taking him by the arm pointed
out Starrs hut, and tried to make him understan
that he should wait there while they sent pov af-
ter the absent White chief. The Captain, however
seeing the nature Of the direfu festivities then in
progress, began to he much alarmed He doubte
what these singular gesticulations could mean; be.
ing fat, healthy man, horrid suspicion began tc
tnge beneath the roots of his hair; he released
himself from the grasp of the natives at a bound
and rushing Oft at the top of his speed never stop
ped until he reached his boat, which ne caused the
men to force with pretty rapid strokes through the
thxly1f IL
afterward met the Captain in Ralotea. and he tolc
him that he had never been so much frightened in
the course of his life.
RELIGION,
As to religion, the Marquesans appear to be Spir
itualists Of the most advanced kind They do not
it is true, believe IN Supreme Spirit; nor have
they any notions of religious worship, bat for them
all nature is the domain of spirits. They say.
"spirits are all around us, only we cannot see
them" Could the Dodworth Hall spirituaists be
more explicit! They have remarkably clever me-
diums, too Taboomen," as they are called, who
as IS sometimes the case in New York, arrive to
great wealth and dignity in the exercise of their
profession. If Chief dies, it is considered com.
plimentary to ask his spirit to communicate little
news regarding the unseen world. Accordingly
the medium is called, and an interesting scene OF
mingled ncantation and spiritual entreaty folio rs
the medium gets fearfully excited, and finally de-
llvers his ghostly intelligence amid the solemn
wonder of his auditors.
THE DEAD.
They do not eat their dead friends, but hang
them up in the sacred enclosure until the body Is
thoroughly dried The skull is carefully preserved
as an heirloom in the family. The rest of the re-
mans are left to take their chance. 1t is mark OF
quality to possess great number of skulls; and
when the islanders attack the town of another tribe
their most eager desire is to rifle the houses of all
the skulls they contain. These are borne off in
triumph and added to their own private collection
of erani
CLOTHING, ETC.
These people wear very little clothing. What
they have is made of material called tapa II is
manufactured from the bark of tree, beaten or
pounded with stones to any required thickness
Some of it is made as thin as the finest muslin.
Very frequ 'utly they wear a simple drapery of
leaves. Their huts are blilt with few upright
posts, and are then thatched with leaves. The
plating. of which they display admirable skill.
Some of the mats are plated with thousand
strands. The strands are made Of different de-
grees of firmness or coarseness, according to the
quality of the material required. Their utensils
are mostly large shells and cocoanuts OF
course they have no cooking implements of metal.
The only other manufacture they essay is the hol-
lowing out of logs to form canoes and the carving
of paddles.
POLYGAMY.
Polgamy is extensively practlced among the
Marquesans. Starr had fourteen regular wives
upon Oitahu, besides several assistant wives on
the adjacent islands. If one chief wishes to com
mend himself favorably to another, he makes him
present of his daughter, or even one of his own
wives. AS has already been stated. the girls are
mostly married at very early age. The marriage
of girl of eight years is very common, and a
much younger child is frequently presented to the