The Manitowoc pilot. [volume] (Manitowoc, Wis.) 1859-1932, 1897-12-23
ity offered, or to gather up whatever

water. W g 0lQ not SIOD I'LL we Ddu
gone couple of miles back from the
shore and ascended a bill Through
a rift in the trees saw the boat re
turn to the ship with the water casks,
and 10 a little while the anchor was
raised and the old craft sailed out of
the bay and stood away to sea. l was
alone with the cannibals.
I'VE waited for the men who had staid
behind and as soon as they joined Us
the march was resumed. A little be-
fore sunset we came to a village of
thstched huts, perhaps twenty or
thirty in all. in sort of irregular cir
Gle surrounding an open space; in the
center of this space was raised plat
form over which was a thatched roof
elevated on posts about ten feet high.
This was the council hall where all
public business was transacted; it ser
we'd as lounging place by day and
also as hotel where strangers could
he lodged at night. The sides of the
structure were entirely open when we
arrived. bot in less than a quarter of
an hour the building was completely
inclosed by strips of wide mating
stretched between the posts. l was
made to understand that l must re
main in the council hall, and to make
sure that did not run away one of
the natives was constantly at each
side of me. They brought me some
roasted bread fruit and roasted cocoa
Euts, gave me mat to lie Oh and
another for covering, and while
never relaxing their vigilance toward
me they treated me with kindness and
respect,
II didn't sleep we'll, you may be
srre, and what sleep | had was dis
turted by unpleasant dreams which
seemed to foreshadow my fate. But
when waking | consoled myself with
tho reflection that should have been
no better of had l stayed on the wha
Ter end been su uGected to the mates
crrelties In the morning they fed
me again with bread fruit and cocoa
nut, to which was added fish which
had been roasted over the Goals and
was really very good. The whole pop
ulatiOD men, women, and children.
came to look at me, and after good
deal of jabbering, of which l could
not understand word, but which
evidently referred to me, two of the
men started through the forest in a
direction opposite to the one whence
we came Then the conference broke
up, but for the rest of the day / was
an ohiact of aurioSity
For three days l was kept a close
prisoner and on the morning of the
fourth was taken through the woods
by a winding path, perhaps twenty
miles, to large village, where hun
dreds of natives were assembled as If
for grand festival. The village sur
rounded an open space of at least an
acre in extent. At one end of this
space was a mound or platform, er
haps eight feet high, and in front of
the platform was a stone that looked
like large gate post. Old Tonca
and his principal officers were sitting
on the mound just behind the stone;
the natives. armed with their clubs
and spears, were scattered over the
level ground and waiting for the ter
rible ceremonies to begin.
II was led to the foot of the mound,
where half dozen other prisoners,
their hands and feet securely tied
with cords, were lying on the ground
and at word from the king l was
similarly bound and placed by their
side. The crowd opened so as to
make a lane from the stone to the end
of the plaza, and that began the ter
rible ceremonies which proceeded the
cannibal feast.
"Fires were burning at the rear Of
the mound, and l could see the smoke
rising in feathery curls from at least
a dozen places. Tanoa waved his
hand as signal that all was ready,
and Immediately several athletic fell
lows stepped from the crowd; two of
them seized each prisoner and carried
him about fifty yards away from the
front of the mound and then placed
him on the ground again. All my
fellow victims were natives, and, as l
afterward learned, were captured in
a foray upon neighboring island.
1T was the custom among the Fee
jeeans in cannibal days to devour
their prisoners of war ana those killed
in battle Tribes often went on the
war path solely for the purpose of ob
tanning victims to be served up as
food, very much as in other lands ex
peditiOns are organized for hunting
deer or other wild animals whose flesh
is edible. The crews of wrecked
ships or boats were always killed and
eaten; they were regarded as the
gifts of Providence. and the people
often besought their gods to send
them wreck that they might be pro-
vided with food This superstition
regarding those who were unfortu
nate enough to be cast on their shores
was more firmly fixed in the minds of
the cannibals than any other, and
they clnng to it after relinquishing
their claim to make war in order to
eat those whom they captured.
"A conch she'll was blown as the
signal fol beginning the slaughter
Cne of the prisoners was seized by
his two custodians, who each grasped
an arm and leg and they ran rapid
ly along the lane till they dashed
their victims head against the great
stone l have described Then another
and another was disposed of and car
ried off to the rear of the mound, and
my turn had arrived! Horrible as
was this mode of death. it was, after
all, merciful one, as it was unac
compapied by torture. A single
blow against the stone and ali was
over.
Il had been lying on my back, with
my head turned to ore side during
the dispatching of my companions
in captivity, and, with my experience
as sailor, had managed to work
loose the knots that bound my hands
but did not remove the cord My
executioners seized me in the custo
mary manner and started on their
deadly mission As they did so they
doubled my legs under me so that the