Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1878-10-12
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Tile C3EDiDal aSla0u.
An American named Lewis Chase arrived at
Sac Francisco few days since from the Mar
quesss Islands, where he resided ecr twenty five
years. He hes been taking to the San Fran.
cisco reporters, and the stories that he tells of
| cannibslisu arc sufficiently revolving tie says ::
This horrible practice is INDUCED iu princi'
pa|lg to CRAFTY deadly spirit ofrevenre which
| one tiibo Of natives holds against another. 10
the maoy brutal and bloody civi! wars which
| they wage against one another the slnin and
captured victims arc eaten With a vengeance.
In their religious rites, also, they offer up hu'
| man sacrifices captured in battle. When q
| victim is selected for caunibal feast hl5 body
is washed clean, and tho hair OF bis head is
burned off. II the feast is not OF u religious
character. the victim is simply beaten to death
with war clubs, aud when dead his body il
again washed aad placed in large oven dug
into the earth.
The hoo formicgt the oven has fire beneath,
and over this is pile OF round stones. Va the
top of the stones mats made OF strong material
are placed, in which the body is wrapped up.
These mats arc then covered over with great
pilo of leaves, aod all is again covered with
another layer of mats The FIVE beneath ab-
serbs enough Of air to keep it burning steadily,
aud soon volume Of steam is generated. This
escapes slowly through the mats and leaves, and
gradually the body becomes cooked through
this simple but certain steamlng process.
The cooks are of superior skill 10 their prtt S.
sion, and can tell to the instant when the body
is sufficiently done to sult the tastes OF the
guests. Whom ready to take it out OF the
oven, all the material covering it IS carefully
removed, aud when it comes to the last layers
surrounding the victim the mats arc taken OF
with a sensitive touch lest any OF the skin on
tho body should be toro away. When all ls
bare, and the body looks brown and beautifully
cooked, q shout Of demoniac laughter rends
tho air, aud the cooks are comphmentcd 10 the
highest terms by the hosts of csnnoas thirst
iug to enjoy the dreadful luxury.
The brain and eyes aro considered the great
est delioacies. and aro always given to the
| Chiefs The breasts thighs and tho outer por.
tion of the calves Of the legs are the next
greatest luxuries, and in this category also
may BIO placed sl,ea cut Oft from other por.
tous Of tho body. All the parts moutloaed
belong to tho chiefs and chiolesses. OF high
and low rank, according to their relative social
status, while the rest OF tho body and tho er-
tr Ills aro aavagcy deyourod by tho oommou
natives. Tao fash is eaten from the hsod.
Gnd 10 eiro it greater relish Is dipped /"
nativ, sauces. CocoaLuts, yam5 ard varl0u,
kinds Of nuts arc GsO among the cdl5lcs, be
sides cerlaio varieties cf fish; but tho proa
DC resistance i, the human pnrll)n of The
spread.
While the feast asts the greatest hi!srity pro-
walls aud after it is over fearful drunken orgie
follows, whenever the liquors, native or import
cd can be procured. Scenes oftho widest licen.
~ ha md q 10
ter the caunib.is aro in state OF semi:uncon'
sciouiness. They quietly retire u their hu!s
aud sllow Sleep and nature to restore their ehat.
tered constitutions. Sleep is their great restort'
! tiro, and sitter fearful dabauch they wall liu
IS ii dead for spaca OF from ten to hltesn
hours.
Great yomp end so!omnity surrouEd victims
intan,o1 for religious sacrifices, and none but
! h;2h priesis can ohciato IN the moa' sole nh
! ceremonies. Tae priests have numerous alton
! dsnts, mostly young boys VINO are beng oducAt'
| cd for priest!y honors. Tho victim felected Is
! usually q man of rote among his tribe. and
while heis in the hands of his religious tortur-
ers. previous to tee act Of sacrifice, receive,
| some consideration. When the hour arrives he
! is placed upon q large stone. TO which hia body
is cound firmly. The priest then chant low
| walls, which increasein volume until it seems as
| if they were shrieking. Charms. spells and in
cantsions are then brought into play, the priests
| occasionally placing their hands upon the IT,
tended sacrifice, who never utters word from
! the limo he is selected as sacrifice to the mo.
| nent of his death. The instant selected for per-
| forming the operation being reached. the chief
| high priest advances towards the victim, and,
feeling for the beating Of the hearf, announces TO
his attendants tlat be is ready TO commence.
Ho then takes knife and deliberately cuts OUT
the heart, tho victim writhing IN agony during
The process. To speak utter word during
This fr;1hLful process would be coWa!dlco All
| oyitenco thst the sacrifice rad acknowledged
the power Of MS eacmiaF. The heart cnt out, 1t
is handed 20 young pr:Gst, who beaC9 1t Oh u
toe hiahess Chief, me priest conslderIng this tne
presL.s. honor OF his lif,. The victim quickly
expire, aud then TIC whole body is cut up md
divided ~moHg those waiting 10 receive thelf
portion Ci it. The fash CT 8 religious victim q
more highly pr ID tEsn that Of en7 etter. al
the portions considered rfost cho.ce bs.n ng reserv
ed for the high prlesla and hIga cn!eta'
| The cannibAls have epicuresn tastes snc. iln(
serse of the vsrcus ahades OF de!icacy OF di Tier
cnt classes OF victims The a-sh most highly
przed ia that Of tho African, aid q colored MAJ
who in life. neither drank lsuor nor smoked.
; he falls into the hands of the Msrquesss csnni
bals is certain to have the highest respect sho"i
him. BE will bo ici luxurlously snd tenueu
carefully ur TO the time tbs! he has 10 Do sac1i
feed. The bodies OF missionaries taKe secont
rank, because in lief they ere supposed 70 nav'
used neither liquors nor, tobacco. oalo!
are not esteemed luxury, because tneir nesn !
thoroughly saturated with SMOKE "h1sheS "n'
The cannibas have the most dainty sense Q
smell in this respect, and will tell Instant.
whether ther victim has ever been IN the ma nap,
of using liquors or atlnulants OF Any nnnnar
= Young children and women, eapeclsliy uan adnan
in years" years sre seldom eaten their b. bodies ar
too full of we'll developed and tougn slaews
Mr.. Chase has never seen white person ohe5e re-
up as sacrifice to the csnnlDal aPpsa,tSe poS an G
there sra we'll authenticated cases OF sucn penn
: the et fset, a missionary and two colored me
\ are are known Ho; to have been eaton on Dom .nlq9
recent times the csnnbsls rarely aacrihee VIM!
: victim, but they arc entirely Wiling TO 90 30
i the opportunity otfsrs.
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