Blackfoot news. (Blackfoot, Idaho) 1891-1902, 1892-10-15
AMONG THE CANNIBALs.
! MISSIONARY CAPTURED Nv
MAN EATERS.
'.e Describes the Region whore lie Was a
Prisoner aud says That the Peo-
pie Are Healthy aud Take
TO Farming.

afN llr Montague who occupied a sta.
lion near the coast in the western
part OF British New Guinea sudden.
~ disappeared. and for some time
nothing was known as to his fate, n
was discovered finally that while out
"a the forests beyond his station he
had been captured by the Tungere
cannibals tribe living further west
IN dutch New Guinea that had neye
before been known TO venture SO far
east The savages carried DIR. Mon
i4gue OF 70 their own country. a land
that was practically unknown 10
white people. There he lived until
The next February when he was res.
cued BY Dutch steamer
Very little news has yet been ro.
ceiyed with regard TO DR. Montague :
Experiences We know only tbnt a.
"a captive bio had nothing seriously Ia
complain OF except the poor quality
" the food served 10 him. Ha
modeslly reirains from SAYING much
about himself ia the BRIEF report he
has made OF his soj0urn among the
ennnl6als says the New York sun
ana deYotes most OF his paper which
las recently appeared in the Globus
anu other German geographical
/ publications 20 the discoveries ~
made in the land OF the Tungere
rannibals As they did not harm The
doeior perhaps the world owes them
something for making prisoner of
him for "a while. His Involuntary
soiourn has certainly been productive
~ some very Interesting facts
The people who captured him stiil
live Ia the stone age. The eastern
l!mii Of their country begins atont
twenty miles west OF the Dutch.
British boundary and extends west
/ ward 20 Prince FREDERIC Hendrix
ls.ald Along this extensive coas.
lives a number 81 warlike branches OF
this tribe and the region Il thickly
populated. They lnhabitlarge villages
both on the coast and inland and on
the coast the towns are so numerous
the whole shore seems 10 DC lined with
uubrokea rows o. hniR Ia their
intellectual and physical development.
these people belong 70 the New Guinea
tribes The men are handsome
muscular well-built iellows with high
ior0hcadS aud many OF them are
light yellow in color Although they
wear no clothing whatever they
layishly paint and aiorn their bodies.
They wear nose rings and their
weapons consist % bows and arrows
and stone clubs Their arrow tips
ARE poisoned They build rude canoes
from thirty 10 forty feet in length
which they prOpcl with paddles All
Inc subdivisions OF this large family
maintain with ono another the friend
lies, relations
Among their house animals are pigs
and dogs both Of which are esteemed
as table delicaricA Tho dogs arc
used ou kangaroo hunts which ARE a
iuyorilo diversion with the natives
Sage yams and sugar. cane ARE cult.
waited Food is Ia great abundance
ana the fruits 81 harvest are stored
nwny for future use. Along the coast
and nj some places in the interior
cocoa palms thrive finely aud the
iowlauds are very rich and fruitful
The fields arc kept in excellent con.
dition and the natives have quite
advanced ideas Of irrigation which
they practice 90 some extent IN their
agriculture Tho plains are specially
adapted for raising large crops OF rice
ana sugar cane and nr Montague
believes that portions OF this new
region could be turned into profitable
plantations by European management
birds. ot.paradise and various kinds OF
pigeons and abound also with the
most valuable sorts OF woods such as
cedar sandal wood aud other kinds
Tho rivers and the lagoons along the
coast are full OF fish and water fowl
Tho climate says Mr.. Montague Is
rs good as can be found anywhere in
tropical countries and IL far more
healthtul than most other parts OF
New Guinea The reason Is because
tho territory lying on and near the
south and west coast has Tho benefit
for eight months in tho south of the
monsoon. while during the remaining
four months tho northwest monsoon
prevails
In Montague lived in the country
nine months and, although his food
was bad he enjoyed excellent health.
Only one language with some dia-
lectic differences is spoken along the
whole coast and tho missionary is
now engaged upon the preparation OF |
d dictionary OF tho language
He found that the people are af- |
nicted TO some extent with leprosy.
They are very fond OF eating the |
bodios,of people thoy take in battle, !
but only those who are killed or cap.
turcd on the war expeditions go into
tho cannibal pot Unlike most other
savage peoples child murder is un.
known.
Dr. Montague believes that very
profitable trade could be developed.
There are, however, hardly any good
horbors though there is good anchor
npe In the river mouths for vessels OF
light draught
rho Brain Of nm Ant.