The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1891-05-24
THE ORIGIN or CANNIBALISM.
A Traveller in Fiji Gives His Opinion, with
Some Points, on Canuibal Etiquette.

Boston journal.
C~annibaIism in Fiji. as elsewhere in the
South seas. was q custom which had many
reasons for being. 1t was cultivated both
by necessity and superstition, and was IN
troduced and fourished under potent in
fuences. All the South sea islands are
practically barren of indigenous mammals.
Birds there are. but not in plenty. and the
sea swarms with turtle and fish; but of the
meat which a strong man haukers after
there is none-or at least was not until the
white man came to these shores and intro
duced cattle, sheep, goats and swine. The
wonder with which the natives regarded
these strange animals, and the vague
ideas they had of them, is indicated In
FIJI by the native name of domestic
kine-"bullomacow.m When the first
pair of cattle was landed the natives
asked what they were. "A bull and q
cow" answered the white men. snd "bullo-
macow" every horned animal is to the
Fijian unto this day. Although anatomists
tell us that man is naturally an herbivor-
Gus animal. and although certain persons,
both by precept and example. have striven
to convert the world to vegetarianism.
there still remains in the soul of man a
CIdfluk lOI I'LL 1OOus N JIG no
scribe this emotion by the word 'kusima."
which means, literally, a longing for meat,
and in certain dialects there are four or five
words s~ignifying "hunger'-a pregnant
circumstance in a country where the fruits
find the first strong incentive to
cannibalism "a longing to satisfy a
craving which tho yam. the bread
pease. The first cause of cannibalism,
therefore, was necessity. the grimness of
which cannot be imagined by one who has
not visited the South seas and observed
the unsubstantial character of the provIs-
ions which nature has made for their in
habItants.
There seems always to have been q feel
ing in the Fijian mind that the eating of
the flesh of ones kind was debaslng and
both in barbarous and civilized lands. re-
ligious superstition was invoked to excuse
the atrocity. In old Fijigcannibal feasts
were almost always attended with religious
exercises. Mbau. the royal and holy city
in fact the Jerusalem of Fijl-was the place
where blind and idolatrous superstition
In reference to cannibalism was most ram
pant. Here were q congregation of
heather temples. and the headquarters of
a loathsome brotherhood known as Devil
Priests" who conducted the horrible 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 minlstered
unto by gifts of food left tremblingly at
the doors of their lars by u fearful poDula-
ton. When the drums fashioned of logs
OF wood, and so resonan that their hollow
rumble could be heard for miles, were
beaten to announce the coming of q VIC
torious war party with prisoners, these
ministers of hell descended in fantastic and
terrifying garb to superintend satanic
orgies which cannot be described.
The processes of cannibal cookery had
sundry pleasing variations at Mbau. The
ovens consisted of pits dug in the ground
aud paved with red-h0t stones. whose heat
around the bodies of the victims. You may
see similar ovens to-day in Hawaii. but
used for the cooking of dogs and pigs.
Often those who were destined for the
feasts were trassed like fowls, with sticks
beneath their knees and inside their ell
bows, bound with green withes and set
alive upon the ardent oven floors, thereby
deriving O flavor much commended b.
Fijian gourmets. These. however, were of
the more tender and succulent ones; the
older and tougher were knocked on the
head and suspended by the heels to the
branches of a huge tree (which Was but
lately cut down anu was known as 1.-THE
Mbau larder''l until they had become more
tender and palstable. A pleasing varia-
ton of the club was found in a great rock
which stood in the ground In the
midst of the space surrounded by
the temples. against which the victims
skull was deftly cracked by two stout saw
ages. who. in one, two. three time swung
him against it. This stone Is still to be