The Princeton union. [volume] (Princeton, Minn.) 1876-1976, 1892-08-18
AMONG THE CANNIBALS.
q MISSIONARY CAPTURED BY
MAN-EATERS.
He Describes the Region Where He was a
Prisoner and Says That the Peo-
pie Are Healthy and Take
to Farming.

In May. 1891. an English mission
Ary Dr. Montague, who occupied a sta
lton near the coast in the western
part Of British New Guinea, sudden
~ disappeared, and for some time
nothing was known as to his fate. It
was discovered finally that while out
. III the forests beyond his station he
had been captured by the Tungere
cannibals, a tribe living further west
in Dutch New Guinea that had never
before been known to venture so far
east. The savages carried DR.. Mon
tague of to their own country a land
that was practically unknown to
white people. There he lived until
the next February. when he was res
cued by q Dutch steamer.
Very little news has yet been re-
ceived with regard to DR.. Montague's
experiences. We know only that as
captive he had nothing seriously to
complain of except the poor quality
Of the food served to him. He
modestly refralns from saying much
about himself in the brief report he
has made of his sojourn among the
cannibals. says the New York Sun,
and devotes most of his paper. which
has recently appeared in the Globus
and other German geographical
publications to the discoveries he
made in the land of the Tungere
cannibals. As they did not harm the
DOCTOR perhaps the world owes them
something for making a prisoner of
him for a while. His Involuntary
sojourn has certainly been productive
Of some very interesting facts.
The people who captured him still
live in the stone age. The eastern
limit of their country begins about
twenty miles west of the Dutch
British boundary and extends west
ward to- Prince Frederik Hendrix
Island. Along this extensive coast
lives a number Of warlike branches of
this tribe and the region is thiclslv
populated. They inhabitlarge villages
both on the coast and inland and on
the coast the towns are so numerous
the whole shore seems to be lined. with
unbroken rows OF huts. In their
intellectual and physical development,
these people belong to the New Guinea
tribes. The men are handsome
muscular well-built fellows with high
foreheads and many of them are
light yellow in color. Although they
wear no clothing whatever they
lavishly paint and adorn their bodies.
They wear nose rings and their
weapons consist of bows and arrows
and stone clubs. Their arrow tips
are poisoned. They build rude canoes
from thirty to forty feet in length
which they propel with paddles All
the subdivisions OF this large family
maintain with one another the friend
lest relations.
Among their house animals are pigs
and dogs both of which are esteemed
as table delicacies The dogs are
used Oh Kangaroo hunts, which are a
favorite diversion with the natives
Sage, vans and sugar cane are Guilt
waited. Food is in great abundance
and the fruits of harvest are stored
away for future use. Along the coast
and at some places in the interior
cocoa palms thrive finely. and the
lowlands are very rich and fruitful.
The fields are kept in excellent con-
dition, and the natives have quite
advanced ideas OF irrigation. which
they practice to some extent in their
agriculture. The plains are specially
adapted for raising large crops of rice
and sugar cane, and Dr. Montague
believes that portions Of this new
region could be turned into profitable
plantations by European management.
The, forests swarm with butterflies
birds-of-paradise and various kinds of
pigeons, and abound also with the
most valuable sorts of woods such as
cedar sandal wood and other kinds.
The rivers and the lagoons along the
coast are full of fish and water fowl.
The climate, ssays Mr.. Montague, is
as good as can be found anywhere in
tropical countries and is far more
healthful than most other parts of
New Guinea The reason is because
the territory lying on and near the
south and west coast has the benefit
for eight months in the south of the
monsoon, while during the remaining
four months the northwest monsoon
prevails.
Dr.. Montague lived in TIE 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 the missionary is
now engaged upon the preparation of
a dictionary of the language.
He found that the people are af-
Rlcted to some extent with leprosy.
They are very fond of eating the
bodies Of people they take in battle
but only those who are killed or cap
tured on the war expeditions go into
the cannibal pot Unlike most other
savage peoples child murder IS UNI
known.
DR.. Montague believes that a very
profitable trade could be developed.
There are, however, hardly any good
harbors though there is good anchor
age in the river mouths for vessels of
light draught.
The Brain of an Ant.
Although the ant is a tiny creature,
yet its brain is even timer. But al
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