The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1856-1888, 1878-10-05
From the Auckland Herald, Sept. 10
The Wesleyan Mission at New Britain

The telegram relating to the Wesleyan mission
at New Britain, which appears in another
column, shows the danger that attend that mis-
sion, which was originated, and has been pre-
sided over for some years, by our courageous
townsman, the Rev. @. Brown. Five of the
native missionaries are reported to have been
killed, cooked, and eaten. These native teachers
will probably prove to be the Fijians that Mr..
Brown took with him when the mission was
first opened. Thus those who but a few years
ago were sayages and cannibals of the most dis
gushing type, have now become martyrs in the
cause of the worlds Advancement. The date of
the attack upon the mission station by the in
land sayages is not given, nor are the particulars
under which the attack was made. These and
other details will probably come to hand in the
course OF a week or two. In the absence of
fuller Information, we can form no idea of the
cause ofthe disagreement which resulted so dis
astrously. 1t will be remembered that some
time ago we published a summary of the Journal
OF the Rev. George Brown, the head of the mis-.
sion, in which he told how he had been success
ful in preventing a cannibal feast. In the light
of recent events, the particulars of that occur
renee will be read with interest. Under the
date of February IL, Mr.. Brown, in his Journal,
writes -
Heard last night that Torogood had been fight
ing the Kabiabia people again, and that they
had got five bodies which they were going to eat
to-day. Previous to this, L had never known of
LIZ o@ADADo ANdEhO 0hbAA ~ w " ~ ~ u
and prevent it, but as heard of this one soon
after the people had returned, l started off early
in the morning to see Torogood-Mr. Turner.
botanical collector, accompanying us. His VIII
lage is four or five miles from the station, and
about two miles inland from the coast. As we
were going through the bush we heard the pecu-
liar beating of the drums announcing that their
horrible feast was in progress. We hurried on
and soon entered the village, evidently to the
great surprise of the people. Almost the first
object which we saw was the horrible mangled
body of the chief they had killed the day before,
tied by the neck to a large tree in a standing
position. the toes just touching the ground. This
was the only body they had, as the others had
been all apportiOned out to the neighbouring vii
lage of Outam. We sat down in the square, and
L sent, asking Torogood to come, which be did in
a short time, and L then talked to him earnestly
and kindly. and begged him to bury the bodies.
and not allow any of them to be eaten. He told
me, of course, that it was not his fault. that be
did not wish to fight; it was the Kabiabia
people who wish to fight him, &C., but he did
not give me the assurance | asked for. After
another talk he told me that the man thew had
secured had killed his mother years ago, and had
committed some other very bad acts-Ieaving it
to be inferred by me q suppose) that it was
rather unreasonable of me to wish to deprive
him of the pleasure OF eating him. | then spoke
a few words TO the people around US, and urged
them to ioin with me in asking the chief to have
tAS lax nv oACSOOA 1hC cdAN ludb IL the |
0utam people paid him back the diwara (shell
money!, which he had paid to the fighting party,
he would bury the man. This, however, was
not likely to be done that day, and, in the mean
time, the question of cooking or burying the
man must be settled at once, in a climate like
this. l felt pretty certain that no cooking
would be attempted whilst | was there, and so |
prepared to sit there until night if necessary.
After a little more talk, however, Torogood as
sured me that from respect to the l0tu he would
have the man buried whether he was paid
for him or not, and as | fully believed him we
prepared to return. I first, however, went some
distance on the way to Outam, where the bodies
of the five women and girls were, but the strong
smell from there soon told US that it was no use
our going. as the bodies were already on the fire.
| felt also that it was well to be satisfied with
the success we had achieved, and that it would
not be wise to place the Outam people in the
predicament of having to give up the bodies or of
1ispleasing TorogOod by not following his
From the above, it would appear that the eat
ing of human flesh was no uncommon thing by