Mohave County miner., 1890-08-23
rHrY DO nor eAr HUMAN fLEsa.
shsre Are No Mas-Gsting Isaisss
Bsttssh Coiumbis.

.sss
That caunibalism once existed pmoDg
ths coast Indians OF northern British
Columbia at the tiu,0 Of Capt, Cook u
possIble, but II II more probable that
the Foundation Of ali tho cannibalistic
stories ID to be looked for IN sne
peculiar CONSCIOUSNESS produced ~ tne
sxcitement OF the hysterie dances OF
the Indians on tho occasion OF fheis
potIatches. All thess bachantic esoiu-
lions and wild motions have peculiar
influence upon the MUSCLES Of the Jaws.
and It Is by no means rare thing 20
ses a person In great excitement or
| fury. showing bis teeth and bearing
the appearances Of an animal ready TO
Tbi. phenomenon may bs observed
mot only among savages but also among
ciyilized men. aud u very frequent
smonr epiIcp.ics. It ID just this
neculiar tendency In excited persons
which, has given Darwin strong argn>
ment for leading mans origin back 70
the beasts. This desire 70 bite 70 ccr-
tainly peculiar one ip civilized man.
| who has 90 many tettef weapons q
attack at present than bis teeth: and y
n certainly plausible that this desire "
: survival Of bis habits wbeH DO was IN
: lower state Of development.
What, however concerns M here r.
mot whore this desire originated. but
that 1t Is often an uncontrOilable de-
are amongst unnatrirally excited per-
sops. During their dances. the savages,
or. 10 use the elegant transformation
which the word has received on tine
Pacific coast, "siwashes.' work them.
selves into an unnatural. hystericai
emotion, and they often chow their
| teeth Ike wild animals. The medicine
| man. especially, becomes . temporary
maniac. and II often happens that dur
inp n potlach some biting takes place.
| Especially since the white 'civilized''
man has enabled the Indians TO use
fire water" the biting mania during
the potlaches develops much easier. IL
Is simply q different variety Of the
striking and stabbing mania Of the
white drunkard.
Seen from the distance. especially
with somewhat heated imagination,
by persons who watch the ceremonies
AT long range" and who have been
told in Victoria that when mad with
dancing the braves rush ont and bite
piece out of the first person they come
TO-" polatch orgie may be easily
taken for q cannibAl fe9st, and the eat.
ing OF dried salmon look like the con-
sumption of human desh. Judged.
however. from an impartial point Of
view and compared WITH other PHRASES
of intoxication. an Indian potlach. es.
pecially minus whisky. y by no means
as brutal as light In q New York Of
London slum. :.
i The paraphernaIia OF colored blank
cts, the weird lurid light Of great big
FIRE on the sea shore, and the timorou,
expectation Of ventqrssome travclcri
magnify the Significance Of lndiar
orgies. The British Government hal
taken severe and Just measures Il
abolish the potlaoh bachanalia among
the Indians, not because cannibaiism
IL practIced on these occssionA but be-
caise indecent and beastly habits offer
| prevail. Not single authenticated
story Of cannibalism 10 British Colum
bia has ever been reported, aud OLD
hunters and trappcrs o. the coast snils
whenever an allusien Is made to such
stories. or suppress smile and indulg'
In fine yarn, when they have cor
rectly gauged the susceptibility Of theiI
listeners. In average life 4rnong tbt
',dwnshes'' In British Columbia Il By
, far safer tnan among the dens Of somt
civilized cities, and those tribes which
have come least 10 oontact with theil
white brethren. or have come only II
contact with the agents or the hunter
Of the Hudson's Bay company. whs
have always treated The red men Will
discretion and good sensc. are nm
doubleday those Who are not only MOI
hostile TO travellers but ready and will
, ing 70 assist them, provided that theil
visitors show METER fear nor arrogance
-6eaAte Press.