Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1890-12-26

How Narrowly a Naval Onicer Escaped Fur
nishins n New Years Dinner.

nishins N New Years Dinner.
The approach Of the LIST of January always
reminds me how near / once thought came
to furnishing a New Years dinner for canni-
balls" said a naval officer to a writer for The
STAR
my ship had stopped for supplies at one of
the Fiji Islands and. il being Sunday, brother
officer and myself started for long walk in
land About noontime we found ourselves on
the banks of a stream. which looked delight
fully inviting to US, tired and heated as we
were. Said I:
What DO you say TO a bath|
''lIy companion assented and within FIVE
minutes we hal left our clothing on the high
bank and were disporting ourselves in the
water I dare say that we had been swimming
about for as much ten minutes when /
CHANGED TO look up and the bank above
actually fringed with cannibals. Now, to prop
erly conceive the unp!easautness of this you
must remember that in those days. twenty
years ago. the Fiji group had not been as vet
redeemed from anthroPOI hagy. In fact sew
eral cases Il man eating had excited attention
within a short time. AMI We fully realized the
imprCdence of which we had been guilty when
our eyes htghc,l upon The slvages. But we per-
ceived ut once that We were IN for 1T, and
made up our minds promptly to put the best
what struck rs rs most ominous was the abso-
lutte quiet with which the cannibals had ap-
preached so tina; We had heard not so much rs
q football.
However. We walled out of the stream and.
clambering up the bank. smiled as if we had
never been SO glad OF an unexpected meeting
in our lives. and offered our hands in n friendly
way to him who appeared to be the cannibal
chief. To our great relief. he exhibited signs
OF responsive amity. said what were doubtless
many complimentary things. though our ignor-
anee of FijIan prevented US from understand
ing his remark. aud finally sent q small bow 20
climb up coeoanut tree and fetch down q
eocOanu;, which he formally presented TO u.s.
This we knew a friendly indication and we
had something of pow-pow with his distin-
guished nibs after we had got dressed once
more. man. though he be hero. never feels
very brave without his boots on. and we felt
more comfortable upon finding ourselves at
tired After a while, when We signifed wish
to depart, guide was provided for us, lest we
lose our way. and We started back for the vii
lsgo at the harbor where the ship lay.
I'VE had got, maybe, quarter of the
distance. when solitary cannibal suddenly
popped out Of the forest and joined us. We
were a little surprised. but thought nothing of
it. Presently, however, out popped another can
nibGl. and then at short intervals another and
another and another, until there must have
been score OF them forming our body guard.
Next they came by tours and sixes until the
party had augmented to nearly 100. By this
tine our original alarm had come back to con-
siderable extent. i said to our guide:
I'VE don care how many of these gentlemen
join Ts. but We must insist that they all keep
ahead. while We bring up the rear
This we did. holding our drawn revolvers
in our hands ready for use. But the cannibals
went on ahead of ia most amiably. and when
we got within sight OF the village said good
bye very pleasantly to n small army of not less
than COO of them. am very sure now that
thew meant IL al most kindly. and that they
merely desired 10 exhibit polite interest in
our welfare. But should not like again. even
IN imagination, 20 come near furnishing the
piece de resistance for Il New Years dinner rs
i feared A id ON that c..,..,sion 81