The star. (Reynoldsville, Pa.) 1892-1946, 1902-10-15
CANNIBALISM ANALIzED
WHY CERTAIN sAvAces ARE FOND
or HUMAN FLESH

tom in New Guinea - 1t IL just . had
Habit white Victims In Recent Years
Good work Done by Christian Missions.
The following article from the pen
Of a missionary appeared In The Lon
don Express. II Is particularly timely
owing to the doubt with which Angli-
can papers had received the recent
report of the same subject.
That cannibalism is still practised
in British New Guinea after over thir-
teen years of sovereignty Is no re-
Election on the Lieutenant Governor
and his magistrate, says the Bishop
of New Guinea. With an area of 90,-
600 square miles on the mainland and
200 islands in proximity, and a force
of $50 Papuan police II Is wonderful
that 1t is limited to so few districts.
1t is safe to prophesy that in five
years time 1t will be unknown within
this portion of the Empire.
It Is just four years ago since was
first brought face to face with this
gruemose practice. Scene, the north
east coast, $50 miles away from any
Government station-a district where
we Church of England missionaries
were the first to live among the ma
tives.
with skull and other bones OF vic
tim of cannibal feast hung up as
spoils of war over the door, and the
consumer" justifying his action in
the limited vocabulary that we pos
sessed in common. He was a big
framed man, with nothing but piece
of cloth round his loins, a garment
hammered out of the bark of the pa
per mulberry tree. He had porten-
tously big mouth, and he showed this
to its full extent with splendidly
sound set of teeth, and a tongue
blood-red from the juice of the betel-
nut.
He then stroked his gullet up and
down with one hand and with the other
he pointed to the remains of his van
quished foe hanging over the door of
his hut. The Government says 1t is
wrong; but it's for your good!" This
wrong; but 1t is very good!" This
was his plea for cannibalism. He
knows better now, does my village
friend.
The year 1901 was marked by
heavy rcll Of victims to cannibalism.
Whether the number exceeded those
CT previous years may be questioned.
Each year, at any rate, we know bet
ter what Is going on. Still, the fact
that there were four white victims
marked last year unenviably.
In February party of diggers we're
making their way inland to the Yodda
gold field, over some desperate coun-
try that experience alone can help one
to realize, when they were cut off by
crowd of savages. Two we're killed
and eaten; another, German, got
away, but died a day or two afterward
of exhaustion. The remains of the
unfortunate men were found, and a
party of their mates went out into
the district and made horrible repris-
ais.
In April, on Easter day, the Queen
of Seasons" James Chalmers, who
for twenty-seven years had risked
savage tribes, made his last attempt
to win wild district for civilization
and the Prince of Peace, and the
brave old Christian warrior met a
similar fate with one white compan-
ion and twelve native helpers. The
Government had to treat the matter
as they would the murder of peace
able settlers, and the expedition, be-
ing attacked by the cannibals, ham,
mered them severely and burned their
villages.
I need not describe the other in
stances of cannibalism that occurred
last year, except to say that l have in
my possession the lower jawbone of
a boy of fourteen or fifteen, who was
killed and eaten not more than three
miles from the coast In September
last. When brought to me II had still
portions of flesh adhering to 1t. This
happened some forty miles from our
nearest mission station, and caused
me special regret, because | had fixed
upon that very place for our next ex-
tension, and had we established our
selves there year ago that poor lad
would be living now in peace and
security.
But why do these cannibal feasts
take place? Is 1t pure savagery, or is
1t natural craving for animal food,
which cannot be satisfied in any other
way? l would offer an opinion on
this subject with considerable diff
dence. 1t is, in fact, not easy to get
materials for definite conclusion at
ALL
When natives are in the cannibal.
istic state we are not sufficiently in
touch with them to know their Ian.
guage and discuss it thoroughly. BY
the time We are able to converse flu.
emily with them they have abandoned
the practice, and when this habit is
once given up l know nothing that
the Papuan is SO soon ashamed Of
and, being ashamed of, does not care