Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1886-11-13
AMONG THE CANNIBALS.
Adventures of Rev. James Chalmers in
New Guinea.

Adventures of Rev. James Chalmers in
New Guinea.
Rev. James Chalmers has given the Pail
Mall Gazette most amusing account OF
some recent experiences among the canni-
balls of New Guinea, for it seems cannibals
and non-cannibals are sandwiched together
very Unfortunately Mr. Chalmers paid
a visit to a very prosperous race of these
gentlemen at Bald-head Point. which is in
the center of the producing country
1t is also aburdantly supplied with pigs
and few miles up the river are kangaIoos
and cassowaries. Since the days of Helen
of Troy a woman has ever been causus
belh there. AS it was in Troy, so ii was in
New Guinea a woman is generally the
cause of the intertribal conflicts which are
ever raging. This, perhaps, is owing to
the extraordinary marriage laws of the
people.
II is supposed that the custom of car.
nibalism was imported from some of the
neighboring islands. The legend goes, thai
some sixty years ago. after certain battle
a chief, out of bravado, cut a portion out o.
another chief who was slain, threw it into
the pot, and ate il. When the burying
party came and asked for the dead body, ht
said scoffingly, a have eaten it," This
joke led to reprisals. and the custom spread
10 the mainland. However that may be
menu. I" found" said Mr.. Chalmers
these cannibals of Bald-head Point are
the most agreeable fellows in the world
We got on remarkably well"
Then you were not afraid OF being put
into the pot YOURSELF"
4" Not bit of it. went so far as to ask
them if they had such intentions. The
chief, with smile mot a hungry one)
said that they did not care for white man
They had tried him, but he was not good
OF course, they might prefer white man tc
no man at all; but as a matter of fact
long pig orgies are few and far between
They are ike plum-pudding at Christmas
very good once year"
These cannibals are really a fine set OF
men, both intellectually and physically su-
perior 10 many of the coast tribes. TheiI
houses and temples are very remarkable
structures. l was allowed to visit one Of
the temples, and very remarkable place
it was. 1t was here that the saturnalias Of
human flesh are conducted. When num-
Der of bodies are taken, they are taken into
the temple one by one. At the end of the
temple is dark recess, and into this each
body is taken. After the obseQuies the
body is dragged out into the open, the
head is carefully chopped off, and the body
is cut up into pieces, and thrown into the
pot for dinner. The flesh on the skull is
then very carefully taken off until the skull
is clean. The hideous trophy is handed
over to skilled artifcer, who carves and
paints it. II is then hung up on peg in
the temple. 1t happened that these skulls
had been taken down for their annual dust
ing, or / should not have been able to
make such close inspection Of the Sculler-
les"
Mr.. Chalmers reckons thai the New
Guinea missionaries have about 1000 ma
tives under their influence of whom $50
are Christians. These numbers are spread
over fifty stations, which extend Tor some
hundreds of miles along the southeast
coast. Sometimes in a whaleboat, some
times afoot, often alone, this brave and IN
daunted man visits his little settlements.
1t if his strict rule never to carry firearms,
and to this fact he undoubtedly owes much
of his great influence over the natives. I"
am not, says he, one of those who be-
lieve that savages yearn for the gospel
The gospel of the New Guinean is red
beads, tobacco, tomahawks and hoop iron.
When | find myself among a strange tribe
| pull out my pipe, have smoke, and
make friends. The savage is the most con-
sentative being in the world. You ask
him to plant pumpkin, but he says, No.
Why should l ? NY father did without
pumpkins. So can l.
ORANGES SOLD on THE TREEs.-From in
formation received from a gentleman who
has just returned from Sumter and Her
nando counties we Learn that large num-
Der of sales OF oranges on the trees have
been made to Northern parties, who have
come TO the State for this purpose. In
Sumter the sales, as known, amounted 10
forty thousand boxes, at 81 so box. This
is gratifying beginning and great relief
10 grove owners, who have been borrowing
money at varying rates of interest, mostly
at high rates. The effect will be felt at
once in a more hopeful feeling among
orange growers, in the increased circulation
of money, in the paying off of mortgages
and current obligations, and, best of all, in
increased confidence in orange growing.
The sales of land, which have been some
what sluggish since our January freeze,
will be somewhat larger, and higher prices
may be looked for Again, the selling
OF fruit on the trees is the safest and
most profitable method of handling
our orange crop. The growers avoid
dishonest commission merchants, and
the fruit is more carefully packed and
more judiciously distributed. If all our
crop could be sold in the same way
Florida would boom as never before. With
choice orange land in Florida convenient
to railroads selling at $40 TO $50 per acre,
while California orange land sells from
5000 TO $500 per acre, the advantages Of
fered by Florida are at once seen. Provide
us with market for fruit on the trees and
Florida can easily distance all competition.
Fla Times-Nirror, October 7th.