Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1906-10-05
THE SOUTH SEA CANNIBALS.
Traders Observations of Savages Who Ate Human Flesh
A cannba King Who Was Pronounced Gentleman.


certain states. the people Of which
live largely on pumpkin pie. In the
South Pacific there Is what may be
termed the Great Long Pork Belt,
running through many groups of Is
lands, the savage inhabitants Of which
are cannibals.
This belt extends from the New
Hebrides northwesterly to the Solo
mon Archipelago. thence more west
erly to New Ireland and New Britain,
the coasts of Dutch. German and Brit
ish New Guinea; and then. turning
south. embraces considerable por-
tion of the coast line Of northern
Australia. Forty years ago FIJI could
have been included, but cannibalism
In that group has long since ceased; |;
as also in New Caledonia and the
Loyalty Islands.
The British, French and German
governments are doing their best to
stamp out the practice. Ships Of war
patrol the group, and wherever possi-
BILE, head hunting and man eating ex-
cursions are suppressed, but some of
the islands are Of such vast extent
that only the coastal tribes are af-
fected.
In the inrerior, practically unknown
to any white man, there is very nu-
merous population Of mountaineer
tribes who are all cannibals, and will
so remain for perhaps another fifty
years, unless, as was done in Fiji by
Sir Arthur Gordon, now Lord STAN
more, large armed force is sent to
subdue these people, destroy their
towns and bring them to settle on the
coast, where they may be subjected
to missionary (and police) influence.
During my trading and blackbird-
ing voyages I made the acquaintance
and indeed in some cases the friendship
of many cannibals, and at one time,
when / was doing shore duty, lived
for six months in large cannibal VII
iage on the north coast Of the great
island of New Britain, or Tombara, as
the natives call 1t.
had not the slightest fear of being
converted into Long Pig (puaka
kumi), for the chief, hideous but not
bad natured savage named Bobaran,
In consideration Of certain gifts OF
muskets, powder, bullets ETC., and to-
.bacco, became responsible for my
safety with his own people during my
stay. He could not, of course. guar
antee to protect me from the people
OF other districts, even though he
might not be at enmity with them. If
I ventured into their territory.
This was the usual agreement made
.bTa. white traders who established
themselves on shore under the aegis
OF a native ruler. Very rarely was
this confidence abused. Generally the
white men, sailors or traders, who
have been and are now killed and
eaten, have been cut of by savages
other than those among whom they
lived, very often by mountaineers.
Bobaran and all his people were
noted cannibals. He was continually
at war with his neighbors on the OPP
posite side of the bay, where there
were populous towns, and there
was much fighting with losses On
both Sides During my stay there
were more than thirty people eaten
at or in the immediate vicinity OF my
village.
Some Of these were taken alive and
then slaughtered on being brought In;
others had been killed in battle. About
eighteen months before I came TO
live at this place Bobaran had had a
party of twenty Of his people cut on
by the enemy and every one Of these
was eaten.
I parted from Bobaran on very
friendly terms. I should have stayed
longer, but was suffering from mala-
rial fever.
After recruiting my health in New
Zealand, I Joined labor vessel, SAIL
ing out Of Samoa, and during the ten
months I served on her as recruiter
had some exceedingly exciting adven-
lures with cannibals In the islands on
the coast Of German New Guinea, and
on the mainland.
On our way to the blackbirding
grounds we sighted the lofty Rossel
Island, the scene of one Of the most
awful cannibal tragedies ever known.
1t is one Of the Louislade Archipelago,
and Is at the extreme south end OF
British New Guinea.
It presents a most enchanting ap-
pearance, owing to Its verdured
mountains $4,000 feet, countless cat
aracts, and beautiful bays fringed
with cocoa, palms and other tropical
trees; amid which stand the thatch
rooted houses of the natives. l Will
tell the story in as few words as pos
sible. In 1852, a Peruvian bark car
rying 325 Chinese coolies for Tahiti
was wrecked on the island. The cap
tain and crew took to the four boats,
and left the Cinnamon TO shift for
themselves.
1nOuSdIluS VI savage iotiNSS ie'~N
to the vessel, killed few of the coolies,
and drove the rest on shore, where
for some days they were not molested,
the natives being too busy In plumber
ing the ship. But after this was COM
pleted they turned their attention to
their captives, marshalled them to-
gether, made them enter canoes and
carried them off to a small but fertile
Island.
Here they were told to occupy a
deserted village, and do as they pleas
ed, but not to attempt to leave the Is
land. The poor Cinnamon were over
joyed, little dreaming Of what was 10
befall them. The island abounded
with vegetables and fruit, and the men
found no lack Of food.
But they discovered that they were
prlsoners--every canoe had been re-
moved. This at first caused them no
alarm, but when at the end or the
week their jailers appeared and car
ried off ten of their number, they be-
came restless And then almost every
day. two. three or more were taken
away and never returned.
Then the poor wretches discovered
that their comrades were being killed