The news and herald. (Winnsboro, S.C.) 1877-1900, 1878-11-14
DEVOURING HUMAN BEINGS!
THE SICKENING HORROFS or
MODEfN C1NNIBLiLISM.

a Most Horrible Scene in the Marques
as 1slands--The Barbarous Natives
Eating Nine Women and Children.
[San Francisco Chronicle1
Among the passengers by tho
Greyhound, arrived at this port
from Tuhita, was an American,
named Lewis Chase, who, for more
than a quarter of a century, has not
seen a civilized country, and has
seldom looked upon tho face of u
white man. San Francisco is the
first glimpse of civilization he has
had since he left his native home iii
Danburv, Conn, twenty~sevon years
ago.
The group Of islands on which
MIR. Chase has passed. his quarter O
century is the Marquesas, whore,
before his own eyes, he has seen
cannibalism practiced, both as a
line art and as a force display of
human ferocity. This horrible
practice is indulged in principally
to crafty n deadly 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 anoth-
er, the slain and captured victims
are eaten with vengeance. In
their religious rites, also, they offer
up human 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 q religious character, the
victim is simply beaten to death
with war clubs, and Wien dead his
body Is again washed AMI placed
IN large oven dug in the earth
The hole forming the oven has a
fire beneath, and over this is pile
OF rough stones. On the top of the
stones, mats made of strong mate
rial are placed in which tho BODY is
wrapped up. These mats are then
covered with great pile of leaves,
and all is again covered with anoth-
Ell layer of mats. The fire beneath
absorbs enough of air to keep it
burning steadily, and soon volume
of steam is generated. This escapes
slowly through the mat and leaves,
and gradually 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 in
stant when the body is sufficiently
"dono' to suit the taste of the
guests. When ready to take it out
of the oven, all the material cover
ing it is removed, and when it
comes to the last layers surrounds
ing the victim, the mats are taken
off with sensitive touch, lest any
of the skin on the body should be
torn away. When all is bare, and
the body looks brown and beauti-
fully cooked, shout Of demoniac
laughter rends the air, and the
cooks are complimentod in the
highest terms by the hosts of can.
nibals thirsting to enjoy the dread,
ful luxury.
CANNIBAL DELICACIEs.
The brain and the eyes are con-
sidered the greatest delicacies, and
are always given to the chiefs. The
breast, thighs, and the outer por~
ton of the calves of the legs arc the
next greatest Injuries, and in this
category also may be placed slices
cut off from other portions of the
body. All the parts mentioned be-
long to the chiefs and chiefesses, of
high and low rank, according to
their relative social status, while
the rest of the body and the entrails
are savagely devoured by the
natives. The flesh is eaten from
tho hand, and, to give it greater
relish, dipped in native sauces.
Cocoanuts, yams, and various kinds
of nuts are also among the edibles,
besides certain varieties Of fish =;
but the piece de resistance is the
human portion of the spread.
While the feast lasts the greatest
hilarity prevails, and after it is over
fearful drunken orgie follows,
whenever the liquors, native or i'm.
ported, can be procured. Scenes Of
the widest RIGHTEOUSNESS accom~
pany the revcls, and for days after
the caOniho1a ora in a ctoto of oap,i