Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1893-01-14

to which they are native they have been Gus
tomarily hunted like wild beasts by the highly
civilized and Christian invaders and present
occupants of the soil. Not long ago a scientific
Norwegian, Prof. Carl Lumholtz, made an ex-
petition into the interior OF the island CONT
nent for the purpose Of collecting mammals,
birds and insects Of new species. Penetrating
Into wids which had never been traversed by
| any white man previously he was obliged to
rely for assistance in procuring food and speci-
mems upon such of the savaGes as he could hire
All OF them are professed cannibas, and, in =
| asmuch as they are hopeessly treacherous his
escape from death and subsequent cooking at
their hands was little short Of a miracle. In
TACT, on more than one occasion they plotted to
XII him. and his life was only saved by acct
dent They imagined that he possessed super
natural power, having great dread also of the
| revolver which he carried, and it was supposed
by them that he never slept.
For manv months he cav no other human be-
ings than these black fellows, who wear no
clothing whatever and live in nearly every re-
spect as monkeys do. They are wanderers,
having no permanent dwellings and subsisting
from day to day on what they can pick up or
XIII. They are inveterate beggars. being never
satisfied with what is given them. Gratitude is
unknown to them, and they will betray their
oenefactor for the smallest inducement 1t is
always dangerous for the traveller to permit one
OF these savages to walk behind him. fallen
zoe, be 1t man, woman or child, is eaten as the
choicest delicacy. They know no such luxury
as the flesh of a black man. esteeming that Of a
white person as very inferior in flavor As ia
the rule with all savages. the women do pretty
nearly ali the work, being regarded as slaves
They have no domestic animals except the wild
dog, or ''dingo.'
AFRAID OF FIREARMS.
Money has no value with the natives. Wear
ing no clothes either in winter or in summer
they have few wants. Knowing no stimulants
they are extravagantly fond Of topacco for
smoking. Prof. Lumholtz used tobacco while
among them as money, also carrying with him a
stock of clay pipes. These primitive people
were very much afraid of his gun and pistol
not even understanding the use of bows and
arrows. But the professor found it desirable
never to miss hitting a mark in their presence
because a failure diminished their respect for
him. They had great veneration for the baby
of the gun as they called the revolver. beiiev-
ing that 1t never ceased shooting. Thew looked
upon the scientific explorer as mysterious
being, who could travel from land to land with
out being eaten. and whose chief interest Law in
utterly useless things, such as the skins and
bones of slain animals.
One OF the first natives whom he employed
was named Mangoran He looked more like a
brute than a human being His mouth ex-
tended almost from one ear to the other. When
he talked says the professor, The rubbed his
Dolly with complacency, as il the sight Of me
made his mouth water, and he gave me an i'm
preston That he would like to deyour me on
the spot He always wore q smiling face
mask behind which all these savages conceal
their treacherous nature" Though a poor
hunter, this man was regarded with much re-
spect by his fellows because of his success in
procuring human flesh to eat To be liberal
with the savages was extremely dangerous, the
traveller found. for they assume that gifts are
bestowed out of fear. So long as they I'M
derstand that they can have advantages from a
white man they let him live. They think no
more Of killing person than of breaking a
stick, and the only thing which will keep them
from murder ia dread Of evil consequences to
themselves. The demands of Prof Lumholtzs
servants increased day by day, until finally
they insisted that he should give them his
weapons and even the trousers which he wore
GAsHEs FOR DECORATIONS.
The black fellows are fond Of decorating their
bodies with gashes cut in parallel lines across
the breast or the stomach with a sharp stone or
a clam shell. To keep the wounds from heal
ing they put charcoal or ashes in them for a
month or two until they swell up into rough
ridges. Sometimes they accomplish the same
result by letting ants walk about in the wounds.
Certain ornaments of this kind are only adopted
by youth after he has come of age, after which
time he Is permitted to eat whatever he peases
though previously he has been obliged to alb
stain from certain things, such as cells and large
lizards. The birth of child does not seem to
give the mother much trouble. She goes short
distance from the camp, and when the inter-
ssting event las taken place she returns and
resumes her duties as if nothing had happened.
II woman runs away from her husband, he
usually gives her one or two blows on the back
with his tomahawk. Surprising that she re-
peats the Offense, he is apt to kill her. The
women are often badly marked and Scared
from blows inflicted by their spouses. As they
do all the work, they are considered valuable
property, and the savage is rich in proportion
to the number of wives he possesses.
OPEN cANNIBALIsM.
The natives employed by Prof. Lumholtz
never made any secret of their cannibalism
and in the evenings about the campfire it was
the leading topic Of their conversation. Their
greatest delight Is eating human flesh and the
very thought OF 1t makes their eyes sparkle.
When the explorer asked his men what part of
the human body they liked best they always
struck their thighs. They never eat the head
or the entrails. The most delicate morsel of
all is the fat about the kidneys, which organs
they believe to BIO the center OF life. 1t hap
pened few years ago that white man
was attacked by the blacks. They struck him
with their clubs until they believed him dead
and then they took out his kidneys and ran
away. The man came to his senses again for a
few moments and WAS able to relate what had
happened. but Few hours afterward he died
These abOrigines not only regard the fat Of a
dead foe as a delicacy, but often carry a small
piece Of it rs an amulet. hung around the neck
in little basket. They say that the white
mans flesh is salt and occasions nausea which
may be due to diet. They consider a China
man as good for eating black man, his
food being chiefly vegetable.
1t has been ascertained within recent years
that cannibalism is o much more common prac-
tice in the world than had hitherto been realized
Millions OF negroes in Africa are nnthro-
pophngi. Probably the most peculiar exhibi-
ton Of this habit exists in certain mountainous
districts Of northeast Burmah, where there are
tribes which follow life as savage as that of the
Australian blacks. eating the concealed blood Of
their enemies. The blood is poured into BAN.
boo reads, corked up, and in course of time
hardens. The filled reeds are hung under the
roofs Of the huts and when a person desires to
treat his friends very Hospitality the reeds are
broken and the contents are devoured with the
greatest relish.
THE BOOMERANG.
1t seems strange that these savages, who hav
hardly any implements and know no more ef-
fective weapon than q primitive spear, should
have invented that extraordinary instrument
the boomerang. However. the b0msrancs
which they employ in war and in the chase do
not return to the thrower, those which do SO
being utilized rather as q toy than for any
serious purpose. The property Of returning
which they possess was long regarded a. very
mysterious, though the explanation of Il il