The times., 1898-09-04
UNGALLANT CANNIBALS.
Consider Women Too Contemplate
Even to Be Eaten

Even to Be Eaten
BY even the NEST exceTently educated
folk cannibalism is hardly reckoned
among American defects Of character and
yet there is no need for any one who has
the curiosity TO cross the seas in order 20
gaze upon a human man-eater. Down in
the darkest Peru, over an outlying east
ern ridge of the Andes. toward the very
unsettled boundary lines of Brazil and
Bolivia. a fiourishing race OF cannibal-
islic Indians can be found. They are so
fierce and unapproachable, even for IN
dians that during the several centuries
that Peru has eeen known TO the civ
ilized world, few missionaries OF exPlor-
ers have ever felt courage enough 70
guarantee anything like close study OF
their eccentricities. 1t was an English
woman and an enthusiastic traveller who
recently brought home a photograph or
one OF the women of a cannibal tribe, and
though full of eagerneSs 10 know more
OF these people, she was persuaded 10
forego investigation. History in Peru
even as il runs back TO the traditions or
the earliest Lucas, mentions no time
when this race commonly known as
Chuncho, ever submitted to any inter
course or alliances with their more do
m5Sticated brethren.
The civilized Indians regard them with
horror that only cannibalism can in
spire, and only at long intervals have me
white residents OF Peru seen or captured
and the Cascibos. who range the forests
fercest of the Chunchos are the AnteS
and thte CasciboS. who range the forests
where the precious Peruvian bark Is
found, and who fight each other in the
hope of securing prisoners for canni-
4 IL.
in their savage law. They make no ef-
fort to seize women for their feasts. The
very degradation of the sex is in a way
its preservation.
The male Ante or CascibO regards a
woman as an impure being. She is a nee
essary torment but by no means COM
/ fort, though she accepts her share OF
! duty. and a cannibal brave would well
| nigh perish of starvation before he would
| pollute his lips with female flesh Not
| only is a woman thus despised, but her
/ blood is feared as a poison, from the
| taste of which no man could recover The
! cannIbal women profess no such dlstaste
/ for mans flesh. but are said 10 eat IL
i with relish, while in their own turn they
| have evidently taken no active steps 70
| convince the men against their ancient
| error and prejudice.
| Saving the protection she receives from
| this strange superstition. the eannibal
| woman enjoys slight benefits as far as
| any explorers in Eastern Peru have been
/ able to find out. She cultivates the
| ground a little, Ioooks after the children.
| and curiously enough. in some Of these
! tribes polygamy IS forbidden. Whether
this is due or not to feminine influence
| nobody has yet had the pluck or luck 10
find out.
When in seclusion of her forest home
the cannibaI woman wears rough cloth
garment, falling TO the knees from the
| hips, beads and heavy necklaces thai
| suspicion and some reliable evidence say
are composed chiefly of polished bits o.
| human bone, and on gala occasions cal
| and nose buttons. with plentiful bedaub
ing of paint, make up the toilet Ther'
is 20 effort at a coiffure-
In certain arts these fierce women ar'
eminently skilled. They prepare the pofs
ons for tipping the arrows used by tn'
men in war and for smearing the heavy
clubs employed in the business OF finish
ing off an enemy when brought TO hi
knees Among the civilized Indians tn
belief is that so viruIent are these poison
that where they touch the broken ski
the wounded person dies within a few
moments So far as investigation ha
been pursued, the cannibal Indians hav
| always recognized the properties of IN
cascarilla bark. The women in cases
/ fever use an infusion of it drawn froT
the green bark, which is after all regarde
as more promptly efficaciOus than tn
white quinine powder that civilized chem
istry extracts from the same source