The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1879-12-31
CANNIBALS IN SAN FRANCISCO.


THREE STRANGE VISITORS FROM THE MAR
ouEsAs IsLANDs-A HORRIBLE BANQUET.
From the San Francisco Call. Dec. all
The French gunboat Lamothe Ptquet was towed
alongside the Spear street wharf yesterday after
noon and win 60 into Cozzens Dry Dock for repairs
tomorrow. Among the crew Of the Lamothe Piauet
three who from their peculiar facial appear.
ance. attract the attention Of all observers. They
finely formed. Of largo stature. with regular
features and full. soft. expressive eyes, but their
faces according to civilized TASTE dsgured by
tattooing. They are natives of the Marquesas
Islands, and, learning that their history might prove
OF interest to the public. . CAL reporter went on
board Of the Lamothe Pique yesterday. and through
the courtesy Of the commander, captain Blenaime,
gathered some particulars of their antecedents.
These men. who tractable and obedient in
their duties shipboard. vertable cannibals,
and only few months ago were in the habit Of
dining upon the flesh of their species. In pur-
suance of order from the commander the three
mon eaters were summoned upon the quarterback
for the purpose of being inspected by the reporter
Tho eldest is called Manowa. the next in age Hoa
ana the younger Puato. which signifies in the Mar
quesan tongue son Of man who killed by
three shots. Puato appeared to be most voluby in
clined. and to him were the reportorial inquiries
tering OF the French language, that they can
ply to most simple questions propounded in that
re So% no. 20 & was the nrss
his shirt and displayed hieroglyphical mass OF
tattooing on his muscular chest. ugh, yes. me
very cold, chartered the poor fellow. "Puato, do
you like to eat men?" The large eyes dropped to
the deck, almost blush started to the surface Of
joined :-''Captain say bad eat man" Any one but
newspaper reporter would have hesitated to pur-
subject further which evidently distasteful
to the savage In his position but the desire
to learn more too strong to be resisted Puato,
did you ever eat babyl" The great eyes
reporssrs face with haifscarsa II eS sao
cal expression. he replied:-"Me no eat baby.
he TO- like Dnoy only replied to the
the sententious answer. in tolerably good French.
'Sacre enfant." This untimely attack upon the hui
manitarian instincts of Manowa had the effect of
making that individual decidedly shy of reportorial
advances. and the interview was soon aftorward
brought to close. While seated in the cabin of the
Lamothe Piqcet some interesting particulars were
obtained in the course of conversation with Cap
the which led to the board of the
natives just referred to. In July last intelligence
was received at Tahiti, where the Lamothe Piquet
then, that Swede had been killed on the island
of La Dominica. of the Marquesas group, by the
natives. The vessel immediately got under way,
and ON the 10th of August came in sight of the
island On the morning of the I1th landing was
effected and the French force took up position in
the Valley of Hanalapa where they were soon after
attacked by large body of natives. The natives
were armed with muskets and fought desperately;
but after while retreated leaving several of their
and among those captured were tho three men now
on board the Lamothe Piquet.
OPEN PRACTICE OF CANNrBALrsM.
''Do these people, then. really practise cannbalism
at the present dayY asked the reporter.
"Oh. yes. was his reply; "it is still very common
horrible banquets in the Valley of Hanaapa.
think the custom was falling into dsuse half
century ago. but during the past twenty-five
thirty years the frequent visits of whalers and
traders upon the islands have had demoralizing
effect upon the natives. The women have been de-
bauched tho the n dietillinp
kind of rum from the cocoa tree. When intoxi-
Gated they commit the most revolving barbarities.
aud become embroiled in conflicts between them
selves. While in this condition they become worse
than beasts the hereditary man eating instinct ap-
pears to be revived. and breaks out stronger than
ever. Any of their number who killed In these
drunken broils sure to be eaten. They also eat
the bodies OF their enemies killed in battle, and If
man has deadly spite against another he does not
feel that his revenge has been satisfied until he has
eaten piece Of his heart stewed in its own blood.
Infractions Of any of the social laws punishable
with DEATH and the body OF the culprt after having
been cut into sections. distributed in the market
place. that all may eat and be warned of tho terrible
punishment that awaits the law breaker. In
Fact" continued Captain Benalme. Tho worst pun
be- Killed and eaten by his fellow islanders"
Santa Dominica Is situated In lat deg. 30 min.
south and long 1873 deg 40 min east. and. together
with the other islands of the MarQuesas group. has
nominally been under French dominion since 1841.
The natives brave. and when they have to
believe their rights being tempered with are
vindictive. A number Of sailors and officers OF
whaling and merchant ships have been killed by
them at different times since the islands were dis
covered. year ago q convoy OF provisions. while
route between two settlements OF the French
colony, on the island OF Now Caledonia. was cap
tured, and the men who were accompanying
1t, twelve In number, taken prisoners
Fearing for their fate, tine Lamothe Piquet be-
ing in the neighborhood, despatched along the
coast to obtain tidings OF them. They effected q
landing at the point where the train had been cap
ured and the savaees while about to feast
upon the bodies Of the captured Frenchmen. The
wouldbe banqueters fed at their approach, but
pursued and fifteen of them killed. The scene
xnhn
landed was sickening in the extreme Several large
blocks. similar to those used by butchers were
standing o short distance back from the shore.
These were reeking with blood, and them
wero massed the trunks OF their countrymen, de-
nuded Of their heads and limbs, and their bowels
torn open TO got at the heart. which IL esteemed
n delicacy. Piled up near by were the skulls and
bones OF the arms and legs. scraped clean OF the
hrsh. The flesh from the limbs was cut into steaks
roasts, and broiling aud sizzling the Goals of
huge fires kndled for the purpose, sending forth
smell that fairly sickening. The flesh of
the head together with the brains they had placed
in large kettle taken from the stove In the train,
which was boiling over the hre; The provisions:
confusion. One Of tho men who accompanied tho
French crew recognized among the bodies. by por.
tons of the clothing still left upon them those of
two Of his sons. The father tainted ut the sight,
and such the impression made upon mis- mind
that he had never fully recovered from the shock.
In the course of the conversation with Captain
Bionaime yesterday a fact concerning cannibal
habits OF the South Sea Islanders was adduced which
goes to disprove the theory generally advanced by
arch@ologists that prehistoric man was not a can-
nibal. They generally claim that had the mon of
the quatcrnary period been cannibals should find
the bones generally cracked for tho marrow, like
those OF beasts. which Ia not the case; also, that
had the mound builders eaten their species
thcy would have thrown the human bones into
heaps with those of beasts and fishes. Captain
Bicnaime says that the bones of the victims III the
Marquesas and New Caledonia never broken
but always scrapcd. and after the feast was over
placed in piles some largo palm trees Tho
dition OF the natives in New Caledonia he States
very deporable, and no recognizes 1t very prom
Using missionary field. Outside of the convicts
there are probably not more than ono thousand
white persons upon tho island.