Staunton spectator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1849-1896, 1878-11-05
Cannibalisnl.
HABITS OF THE MAN-EATERS OF TIL
MARQUESAS ISLANDS.

OF The MANsEAIEhS OE 4hG
MARQUEsAs ISLANDS.
Among the passengers by the Grey
hound, arrived at this port from Tahita, |
was an American named Lewis Chase,
who for more than quarter of century
has never seen civilized country and
has seldom looked upon the face of q
white man. San Francisco is the first
glimpse of civilization he has had since
he left his native home in Danbury,
Connecticut, twenty-seven years ago.
For Is years and six months, pre-
cissly, he has lived on group of Islands
inhabited by fer0oious canniba1s, end.
fortunately for himself, has come out
hale and hearty, without ever having as
much as q slice of human steak taken
from his anatomy. A Chronicle report
er has obtained from Mr.. Chase the fol-
lowing story.
The group of islands on which he has
passed his quarter of a century is the
Marquesas, where before his own eyes
he has seen cannibal:sm practised both
as fineart and as fierce display of hui
man ferocity. This horrible practise is
INDUCED in principally to crafty dead
ly spirit of revenge which one tribe of
natives holds against another. In the
many brutal and bloody civil wars
which they have waged against one an
other the slain and captured victims are
eaten with vengeance. In their reli-
gious rites, also, they offer up thurman
sacrifices captured in battle. When a
victim is selected for cannibal feast his
body is washed clean, and the hair of his
head is burned off. If the feast is not of
a religious character, the victim is SIM
ply beaten to death with war clubs. and
when dead his body is again washed and
placed In large oven dug into the earth.
The hole forming the oven has fire
beneath, and over this is pile Of round
stones. On the top of the stones lAats
which the body is wrapped up. These
pile of leaves, and all is again covered
with another layer of mats. Fhe fire
beneath absorbs enough air to keep 1t
burning steadily, and soon volume of
steam is generated. This escapes slowly
through the mats and leaves, and grad
J ually the body becomes cooked through
this simple but certain steaming process.
The cooks are of superior skill in their
profession, and can tell to the instant
when the body is sufficiently "done" to
suit the tastes of the guests. When
ready to take it out of the oven, all the
material covering is carefully removed
and when it comes to last layers sur.
rounding the victim the mats are taken
off with sensitive touch, lest any of the
skin of the body should be torn away
When all is bare, and the body looks
brown and beautifully cooked, a shout Of
demOniac laughter rends the air, and
the cooks are complimented in the high
est terms by the hosts of cannibals thirst
ing to enjoy the dreadful luxury.
The cannihals seem to indulge In their
horfid practice from pure love of re-
venee. They are certainly not driven
to 1t for want of food, as there is an abun-
dance on the island. No doubt imme-
mortal custom has much to do with
keeping the beastly indulgence still in
vogue. Children are apt to follow in the
footsteps of their fathers, and gen Grafton
gives to generation laws and CUSTOMS
The religious sacrifice of human bodies,
and the habit Of offering them up as
food is now more common than any 9TH
er kind of cannibalism. The priests
know that if they relinquished such
rites they would be shorn of so much
authority, and hence they cling tena-
ciously to their sacrificial affairs. The
priestly class continue to hold the power
of life or death over the natives, while
many of the chiefs have but nominal in
fiuence over them. Almost all the DOW
erful chiefs have died without leaving
heirs to inherit their unbounded sway.
The remaining chiefs, in union with the
priests, manage however, to WELD de-
spotic power, and are the principal de-
tenders of cannibalism.-Sa Francisco
Chronicle.