New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1889-12-15
LIFE WITH CANNIBALS.
THE LOWEST SURVIVING sAvAGES

travel IN Australia and OF lamp r Carl ,o rMmboIiE.
Aoof'sn 9san 81 by Rssmus B. Anderson. With
eis sv %S pp sos. Charles scrbners Sons
The travels recorded in this volume were under
taken partly at the expense of the University
Of Cbristiania with the object of making coiiec-
t;ons for the University museums, and oil making
,os,arcbes into the customs and anthropology of
the little-known tribes of Australia. Mr. Lum-
boltz spent four years-from $50 TO 1ss4-in the
expedition. visiting South Australia, Victoria,
New South Wales spending nearly year at
Gracemero in Central Queensland, exploring
Western Queensland but with generally poor
RESULTS, and finally selecting Northern Queensland
as his chief base of operations 1t was IN this
province, in the valley of Herbert River, that
he lived alone with the black fellows race
of people, as he observes, whose culture-lt IN
deed they can be said 10 have any culture what
evcr-must be characterized as the lowest to DC
found among the whole genus homo saplens
The chief interest of this work lies in the 1act
that it is q contemporary study OF people noU
yet emerged from the Stone age, and from OBSERVE
tion of whose development, such as 1t Is we can
derive more accurate knowledge Of the beginnings
Of civilization than archaeological research can
possibly afford
The North Queensland savages are still canhi-
balls M Lumholtz had plenty OF evidence "
this ,houYb he does not appear 70 have ever seen
them in the act of eating human hcSh' ~"
normal condition of these savagcs Is lnter-triph
war; and this. doubt. was the state OF 'lie
earIes. society. Every tribe. and often sub
divisions of the same tribe. arc at ieud WIN enc
another and all the rest the stranger is UNI
versslv reaarded as fair game. and especially as
being providentialy Offered for the pot, a GER
ain path TO distinction among them is skill IN
furnishing human meat. which is not to he con-
,idered staple, but as a highly priced luxury
When the black fellows feel the need of Del
monico dinner, so to speak they send out their
crafty man-hunters. and prepare to dish up the
stranger within their gates Sometimes inc
harmless necessary stranger is sadly wanting.
Then, if they are very sharp-set, they perhaps
make an excuse for killing of their own
women, or plump baby or So Babies, as an
element of the cuisine. highly appreciated
their tenderness being recalled with watering OF
The mouth and gentle signs of satisfaction.
The North Queensland black fellows" go
entirely naked, like some Of the Central African
tribes, whose habits theirs resemble in many
ways. They grease their bodies whenever they
can: they plaster their hair with fat or clay into
all kinds of queer shapes; they have the trick oil
standing on one leg and resting the sole OF the
other foot upon the side of the supporting limb
The first thing likely to impress the reader IS the
remarkable fortitude and endurance of the
traveller who for a scientific purpose could sub
iect himself TO such life must he lived with
these wretchod savages. Mr.. Lumholtz took his
life in his hand, for the black fellows are in
urably treacherous, and, like the Fiji islanders,
have an unpleasant prediction for knocking
people on the head from behind. So well known
is this propensity that the white settlers make
il rule never TO let native follow them. Mr.
Lumholtz tells curious anecdote in this con-
oecton. certain half-civiliZed native was out
hunting with his white employer. who was IN
front, when the native suddenly asked TO he al
owed to go first. His reason being demanded
he frankly owned that so long as his employer
was in front he had an almost unconquerable de-
sire to kill him, and that under the circumstances
he thought the best plan was 10 put temptation
out of his way The settler thought so too, and
doubtless reflected upon the risk he had been
taking, with rather a gruesomc feeling.
1t was necessary 10 watch the black fellows
constantly and to keep on good terms with them
but never to let them lose their awe of the white
mans superiority The general treatment of them
was delicate and difficult, for they must he fed
and furnished with tobacco, or nothing could he
done with them; but, on the other hand II they
obtained these good things too easily or in too
great abundance, they would refuse to do any
work, and would become insolent and dangerous.
They appeared incapable of gratitude, as rule,
one of their number only attaching himself with
anything like fidelity and affection TO Mr.. Lum-
boltz, who, indeed, owed his life 10 this man
YolIlSai Yet, when the traveller parted from his
aboriginal friend finally the savage manifested no
emotion whatever no regret at the separation,
ein Of that fpl. N u
place Life with these people was, Of course re-
duced to its simplest elements. MIR. Lumholtz
used 10 go among them with small stock of
civilized provisions and tobacco and with these
he organized hunting expeditions and pursued the
larger marsupals which were on his scientific pro.
cramme After longer or shorter time the CIV
ilized food would he used up, and then 1t became
necessary TO fall back upon the naive menu,
which was composed of snakes, lizards, the larvae
of beetles and other insects, grasshopperS, ants,
wild honey and poisonous fruits prepared for
cooking by pounding. roasting and soaking. OHr
intrcpid and phenomenally peptic explorer appears
10 have taken TO this regime with few qualmS or
internal revolts II occasionally he complains IL
is because of the dryness and InSlpidlty OF thc
snakes upon which he had dned, and not al all
because he had been reduced 10 snake dinner.
The python. of the hunt, capture and cookery OF
which he gives spirited account seems TO nave
been exceptionally savory and juicy. He speaks
Of that banquet with something not far removed
from enthusiasm, and it is evident that the sue
culenoe of the great serpent was an ABIDING
memory with him.
Some readers will think that when IT comes to
eating large, fat white worms the line might
very we'll be drawn; but Mr.. Lumholtz calmly
browns his larvae over the wood embers, crunchcs
them, and remarks iudicially upon their distinctly
nutty favor. He ate ant eggs TOO with apparent
eusto, and found them pleasant TO the taste and
indeed few travellers seem to have been as
thoroughly fitted TO do equal and exact justice 10
all the peculiarities OF savage diet. How the
black fellows stand cold weather is curious. They