Waterbury evening Democrat., 1891-07-06
THE ORIGIN OF CANNIBALIsM.
A Traveller INA Fiji Gives HIS Opinion
ON CMmniba1 Etiquette,

ON CMnniba1 Etiquette. |.
Cannibalism in Fiji, as elsewhere In the
south seas, was a custom which had many
reasons for being. 1t was cultivated both
by necessity and superstition, and was i'm
troduced and hourished under potent In
auences. ALI the south sea islands are
practically barren Of Indigenous mann
mails. Birds there are, but not in plenty
and the sea swarms with turtles and fish;
but of the meat which q strong man hank-t
ers after there is none-or at least was
not until the white man came to these
shores and introduced cattle, sheep, goats
and swine The wonder with which the
natives regarded these strange animals
and the vague ideas they had Of them is
lndi Gated in Fiji by the native name Of
domestic kine-'bulloma cow"
When the first pair Of cattle was landed
the natives asked what they were. "a
bull and a cow" answered the white men,
and "bullomacow" every horned animal is
to the Fijian unto this day. Although
Gnatomists tell us that man is naturally
an herbivorous animal, and although GER
tain persons, both by precept and exam
pie, have striven to convert Ahe world to
vegetarianism, there still remains in the
soul of man a craving for animal food
The Fijians describe this emotion by the
word "kusima," which means, literally, a
longing for meat, and In certain dialects
there are four or five words signifying
hunger "a pregnant circumstance in q
country where the fruits of the earth are
scattered by nature with a lavish land.
There seems always to have been feel
ing in the Fijian mind that the eating Of
the flesh of ones kind was debasing and
unnatural; therefore, as is often the case,
both in barbarous and civilized lands, re-
ligious superstition was invoked to excuse
| the atrocity. In old Fiji cannibal feasts
were almost always attended with relig-
tous exercises. Mbau, the royal and holy
city-in fact, the Jerusalem of Fiji-was
the place where blind and idolatrous super
| stition in reference to cannibalism was
most rampant. Here were congregation
Of heather temples and the headquarters
of a loathsome brotherhood known as
| Devil priests" who conducted the horri-
| BILE orgies which have stained every stone
In Mbau crimson with human blood. When
no work was toward these "devil
priests lived in caves, where they were
ministered unto by gifts Of food left
tremblingly at the doors of their lairs by a
fearful population. When the drums
Fashioned of logs of wood and so
resonant that their hollow rumble could
be heard for miles, we're beaten to an
nounce the coming of victorious war
party with prisoners, these ministers of
hell descended in fantastic and terrifying
garb to superintend satanic orgies which
cannot be described.
Another incentive to cannibalism, su-
peradded to the impulses of necessity and
religious superstition, was the desire of
engeance upon ones enemies. To eat a
conquered foe was not only to disgrace
him and his tribe, but also to secure for
oneself all his good qualities Of strength
and valor. Thus Fijian mothers would
steal upon the banqueting grounds and
rub the flesh of victims upon the lips OF
their sucklings in order that they might
grow up to become notable warriors.
Shipwrecked sailors who were sometimes
cast ashore on the inhospitable coast OF
Fiji received short shrift, in consequence
of singular application of savage logic
In the first place, they were regarded as q
windfall from the gods for the benefit Of a
people who we're chronically on short meat
rations; in the second place, it was con-
sidered that they must have offended the
gods deeply in order to be so buffeted Of
the elements. On both accounts, there
fore, it was commendable thing to kill
nd eat them as showing at once thanks
giving for favors and eagerness to assist
divine degrees. From the meshes of such
reasoning there was little chance of escape
for the unhappy sailors, who were duly
eaten and their bones wrought into need
les, skewers for the hair and barbs o
spears.-Chicago News.