Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1892-01-09
Among the Savage Papuaus.

From the San Francisco Examiner.
Ii. Linnemann. an engineer representing the
agricultural department OF the German govern
ment arrived at San Francisco recently after
three years explorations among the cannibais
Of New Guinea. Germany owns, or rather has
a protectorate over, about half of these islands,
while England and other countries control the
| Others.
Mr.. Linnemapn. as the representative Of the
home government, az judicaied claims and Wis
tied the interior of both New Guinea. go called,
and New Britain. which are governed by the
Lngllsh, on exploring expeditions, and roughly
surveyed the wilderness of New Guinea back
from the seacoast. He had many thrilling ex-
periences among the savages and had to be on
has guard very warily on many occasions be
| ause OF the danger that surrounded him.
NO European had ever before invaded these
forests" said Mr.. Linnemann to an E1dmtner
reporter. MY feet pressed the earth remote
from the explorations of the Caucasian race.
1t was the native home of the savages MANY
of them had never been near the coast and had
scarcely any knowledge of it except by hear
| say, consequently their knowledge was very
vague.
Il was interested beyond measure in their
strange customs. They were naked. Not a
thread of any kind do these natives wear. Men
and women alike appear on the day of their
birth. They are large, stalwRrt sayages.
strongly built and with crisp black hair and
eyes. Their skin is scarcely so dark as that OF
the Samoans or Hawaiians. For, indeed, they
are of another race. The Samoans and
Hawaiians are Polynesians, but these are
Papuans. Many of them are six feet high. but
most of them are about feet or feet 10 iaches.
The women are also Of good size, well de-
veloped and often handsome. The women,
however, have no influence over the men. A
white man can buy a woman for enough of tho
native money to make, say from - to IS. A
very pretty woman can be got for that and
often for less. One who is not very pretty can
be got for half that and an ugly one Tor good
deal less.
when man has bought woman she is his
absolutely and if she violates her faith with him
she is killed and eaten. They were very strict
about that They will not kill and eat her at
or near our trading posts, for years ago We be-
gan inficting severe punishment upon them for
cannibalism, but they will lure her away ~ the
woods and then cut off her head and cook her
up. We never hear of such women again.
1T is only for such things that q tribe will so
dispose of one OF its members, but tribe preys
upon tribe, steals men and women away from
each other and eat them. The German govern
ment and the New Guinea Company do all pos
sible to prevent this. but they cannot stop it.
The savage Accompanies it in the woods remote
from the posts and about all we know lie that
the natives are disappearing No member of
tribe will come down TO the coast and tell Of it.
when went into the interior, however, the
natives were bold, and on one occasion came
upon a party Of natives who had cooked the
body Of young woman. The fires were burn
ing among the palms and gloomy light was
thrown out. The dead body had been cut in
pieces and the parts were cooked through and
through. 1t was q fearful sight, and as the
natives stood about each eating his piece Of
human flesh. I thought no living person had
seen or could see q more horrible thing.
One of the savages advanced toward me
with . feshy piece in his hand, and as he came
closer saw that it was the woman's arm.
The body after it had been cut TO pieces,
was cooked with the leaves of the tarro and
beai nut tree. This gives the flesh spicy
flavor. have eaten the spice leaves and they
caste very well the favor being pleasant; but
this awful scene made me forget that there was
tanything in all the island that was good TO see
or that would tend to redeem il from the terri
BILE barbarism pictured before me.
The n atives did not offer to modest me- and
az soon as possible got away from the dark
woods where such things were 90 safely done
without fear Of punishment and without
thought Of the awful nature Of it."