Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1906-07-29

The nrst mile was government road after
Whlch came narrow path mSsie by single
ME savages tramping it with their bare feet.
The Margrave river, which we had to ford
nearly cost some of us our lives The horses
got INTO hole in the river bed and were
rescued with danger and difficulty. No
sooner were we out of that when lawyer
vines. suggesting a string of fish hooks
tore off Important portions of my shirt and
hung the white headgear In which / had
some pride. into muddy pool which ne
cessftated my getting off into the pool to
get IT. Soon We forded deep narrow
brook humping against submerged logs
and from this the caravan emerged into
burned tract. The savages set fire to the
grass and foliage to catch the kangaroo
mus we passed on, hour after hour some
times on the slight foothold along the very
edge of steep place, where a misstep
would mean = u of hundreds of feet. Not
stopping to rela-e further experiences en-
route. hurry to tell of meeting Schlencker
Schlencker Is hero. He is a great man.
He Is the man tor the job. He is mission
airy OF the London Missionary Society, and
was the hrst to establish work in inland
New Guinea. / found him on Christmas day.
dressed like Texas cowboy, and having all
the appearance in face and fixtures of a
vigorous, fearless explorer. He was spend
ing his Christmas hard at work His mis-
sion contains three hundred acres. lying on
fertile and rolling plateau nine hundred
feet above and overlooking the Kemp
Welsh river. 1t gently slopes toward Mount
1t occupies the top of the hill Nagurago, @
and has one of the most enhancing views
these two eyes have ever seen.
Schlencker gave me hearty greeting and
an invitation to food We sat down. he said
grace and then passed thick bean SOUP |
asked for bread. but he replied: 81 have no
luxuries. Later / asked him If he was
afraid to accompany me into Mount Doug
las. And he smiled as il he were not afraid
of anything, and yet, mind you this abso-
lutely fearless man did not give me the i'm
preston that he had pride on the subject.
1t was simple. innocent I-am-not-afrafd-
of-cannibalS sort of smile Let me relate
for this time one incident of that memora-
BILE Journey.
We had been on the march a long time.
stopping occasionally to permit me to make
Scientlflc observations to write down in
my diary an important happening. when
emerging from bamboo Jungle we came
suddenly upon a group of eannibaas They
We're powerfully built savages, accustomed
TO the taste of human flesh But It was
such surprise to them to see us. and
Schlencker said my huge size helped to
scare them, that they ran like frightened
antelope.
sionary! Missionary whereupou to NV
amazement they halted and returned. /
spent my time studying them and keeping
conveniently near Schlencker and our trus-
ty followers, for I did not know when thew
might get a sudden appetite. They GER
tainiy had the aspect OF men who know a.
good thing when they see It, Fine fellows
when they smiled, but they looked as I
have sometimes thought demons look when
they frowned. 1t was then that seemed to
see the real soul of the savage expressing
itself in his face.
The cannibal countenance has certainly
been carved by the vicious thoughts which
so often control him. The eannfbal face in
repose is most forbidding; in anger it is
most devilish- | have been among wild
beasts, and have visited many different wild
men, but of all savages none in repose are
so repeliing and suggestive of murder as
cannioals and even among cannibals there
is some choice. | have found none olJife en-
forbidding in aspect. and at least none
more violent In practice than those half
human beings, among whom heroic
Guinea.