West Virginia Democrat. [volume] (Charles Town, W. Va.) 1885-1890, 1888-06-22

sent of quarter OF boy, including
the arm and hand, together with
some roots, which he had requested
him to accept. Tsis custom Of send
ing supply o1gegetables along
with the human flesh as present
was practiced in the islands of the
Fiji group. Mariner, in his inter
esting work on the Tonga islands,
published in 1872, describes how,
when he arrived in his canoe at an
outlying island of that group. he
found on the shore large crate OF
vegetables with girl sitting upon
it, and ascertained that the two were
about to be presented as the mate
rial of feast to the King of the
FIJI Islands. Happily, he rescued
the girl from her impending fate.
Referring to the natives of the island
which Gallego named La Florida, he
says: "They eat human fiesh;" and
elsewhere he relates that "the stew
ard with four soldiers and five ne
groes were sent on shore for water"
that their boats having got aground
they were Immediately attacked by
the natives, who, lying in ambush,
rushed upon them and "did not leave
a single soul alive except negro"
belonging to Gallego; tnat "all
the rest they hcwed to pieces, cut
ting off their heads, arms, and legs,
tearing out their tongues and sup
ping up their brains with great fe-
rocity." DR.. Guppy mentions, on
the authority of II. H. Romilly, that
"the New Ireland cannibals of the
present day are fond of COMPOST
tion of sago, cocoanut, and human
brains." In 176S, when the ships
of Bougamville's expedition were at
Choiseul bay, they were attacked by
150 natives in ten canoes; two ca
noes were captured, and in one of
them "was found the jaw Of man
half broiled." Captain Redlich,
master Of the schooner Franz, who
visited Makira, on the south side of
st. Christoval. in 1872, states that
he found a dead body in war canoe
dressed and cooked whole. He was
informed by Perry, resident, that
he had seen as many as twenty bod
les lying on the beach, dressed and
cooked. In 1865 Mr.. Brenchley no
ticed at Wano, on the north coast Of
this island, the skulls OF twenty five
bushmen hanging up under the roof
of the Tanbu House, all Of which
showed the effects of the tomahawk
and all had been eaten" The ma
tives of the Island of Santa Anna at
the time DIR. Guppy visited it abb
stained from eating human flesh sew
eral years ago on account of a very
severe epidemic of sickness which
followed cannial feast. Neverthe-
less, Mai, the war chief of this
island, "has acquired a considerate
fortune, in u native point OF view,
by following the profitable calling
of purveyor of human flesh to the
man eaters of the adjacent coasts of
st. Christoval-a trade in which he
is ably assisted by those who ac-
company him on his foraging expe-
ditions." This chief was in the
habit of keeping human beings
whom he had captured, and fattened
them for the market. DIR. Guppy
mentions two prisoners whom lie
succeeded in rescuing from the
hands of this monster. When DIR.
Guppy visited avillage on the north
coast of St. Christoval, and saw the
chief, named Toro, who received him
civilly and shook hands with him,
lie noticed that outside the front of
the chiefs house five skulls were
hanging, which belonged to some
unfortunate bushmen who had fallen
at his hands. On inquiry of q ma
tive who spoke little English"
says DR.. Guppy, Il ascertained that
their bodies had been 'kaied, kaied'
II. e., eaten-although it was with
a little hesitation that he admitted
the fact. The Shorthand natives
accredit the Bougainville people who
live around the active volcano at
Bsgana with the regular practice Of
cannibalism; and there can be little
doubt that this custom is extensive
ly practiced among the scarcely
known bush tribes in the interior
of this large island. OF the natives
of New Georgia or Rubiana, Captain
Cneyne AYERS that human flesh forms
their chief article Of diet" The
Doctor observes: ut is difficult to
speculate on the reflections Of the
victim as he lives from day to day
in constant expectation of his fate"
There is reason to believe that this
expectation does not produce the
agonizing terror which most Euro
leans under like circumstances
would experience. In the time not
very far distant, when cannibalism
prevailed in New Zealand, it was.