Huntsville gazette., 1885-10-31
In The Fiji ISLANDS.
What a Traveller Saw Among the Ex- Can
nibals.

What a Traveller Saw Among the Ex- Can
nibals.
Captain William Churchill, who for
several years was an explorer in the
Fiji Islands, stated in recent lecture
hat the latest instance of cannibalism
known il any Of the FIJI Islands oc-
Cured in 1881, when native mission
ary was killed and eaten, another ma
tive missionary being compelled to par
take of the flesh. The next latest
cannibalistic feast was when an En-
glish missionary named Baker was
killed.
Captain Churchill exhibited num-
Der of war clubs used by the Fiiians,
and explained their manufacture. They
are made of iron wood, are very heavy
and make formidable weapon. Bows
and arrows used by the islanders were
also shown. The lecturer also eX-
planned the different styles of hair
dressing in vogue among the Fijians.
He said that while the natives hair is
naturally black. it is generally given
dingy brown color by the wearer coat
ing his hair with lime and then poking
his head into vessel of water until the
lime ''slacks." The lecturer intimated
that the lime is not only used for
bleaching purposes. but is used with
the same object with which the farmer
:prinkles lime over his vines-to drive
away the bugs. When the FIJI young
man is going to visit his lady love,
however, he pastes his hair down fiat
and if he parts his hair in the middle
he will paint one s'de white and the
other black, or other colors, as his
fancy may dictate. If FIJI young
lady is seen with little curls of hair
straggling down in front of her ears,
and two or three ringlets on her fore
head, it indicates that she is unmarried.
and man with one side of his head
closely shaven, and long, bristling hair
on the other side, can be safely set
down as recently bereaved to the eX-
tent at least of one or two motherS-in-
law.
The drink most partaken of on the
islands is made of angona bark, and
the native take advantage of every ex
cuse to take drink, as is the custom
IN more civilized countries. The bark
is gathered and cut into small bits, and
when the proprietor of place desires
to imbibe he calls boy, who chews up
the bark until it is a soft, yielding
mass, and it is then thrown into large
bowl standing near. This is repeated
until there are seven or eight guilds IN
the vessel when water is poured in and
the contents are thoroughly mixed by
stirring with the hand. The splinters
are then taken out by the liquid being
strained through some fibrous material,
and the beverage is ready. The Cap
tain said that he had often partaken of
angona, and really liked it. The liquid
is drank from cocoanut shells, and one
can sit and drink large quantities of the
stuff without feeling any unpleasant ef-
feet, but when you wish to 90 you are
unable to move, as you are drunk from
tho hips down, and the only way to do
is to sit still until the effect has worn
of.
In concluding his lecture, Captain
Churchill said that the future of the
Fiji Islanders is an interesting and pro-
blcmatical one. They are fast dying
off This mortality may be arrested,
and the Fijians developed into hardy
and civilized race, as is capable of be-
ing done. He did not believe the in
creased death rate came from diseases
spread by visiting ships, but was simply
the result of the change in living and
dress which had been brought about
by the encroachments of civilization.
Sacramento Bee.