Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1907-03-02
cANNIBALs OF NEW HEBR1DEs.
Strange Mixture Of Races-Their Pc.
cu1iar Customs and Rites.

AesA SuSSOAAo nAA0 xbAISSs
From the Windsor Magazine.
In Sou'west Bay alone have seen the
people of the New Hebrides, distinctly Jew
ish types Of face, types suggesting the West
African negro, types like an extremely de-
PRAYED monkey and types like nothing else
on earth but themselves. There are in the
bay three distinct languages, no one of
which can be understood by the speakers of
another, and in the rest Of the island there
are at least seven or eight other Ian
guages.
The houses are Of very low and degraded
type. being merely roofs set on bamboo
stockade a couple of feet HIGH but the
hamals. or sacred houses, Of which each
village owns one, are high, pointed, gabled
buildings, with tiers of windows in the gable
and lofty, narrow doors, apparently meant
FOR the admission of very high proved ca
noes. which the New Hebrideans do not
possess. There are certain Jewish rites in
use among them; they have caste regula-
tons suggestive of India, and they make
mummies not very inferior to those Of
Egypt. Also, they are cannibals, and they
sing Gregorian chant it's first cousin in
their devil dances. They worship the man
of-war hawk, which holds an extraordina-
rlly high place in their religious Beliefs
they set an almost sacred value on pigs and
the real object of their idols or images
which are hideous, no man knows.
The existence Of mummies has, I believe,
been questioned. This is small wonder,
since they are always kept in the hamals or
temples Of the heather cannibal villages,
ana strangers are not encouraged to med
die. l had much difficulty in seeing one
myself, as the temples are most strictly
barred TO women. native woman would be
instantly killed if she so much as put her
head inside. and l do not think it probable
that white woman would escape either If
she were caught doing it. 1 was, however,
tn boo
md temple unguarded save by few old
women sQuatting outside and Selling the
opportunity 1 entered.
1t was not very good specimen being
little better than shed, and 1t was very
dark inside; further, thought it well not to
stay very long. However 1 saw a number
or mummies, mounted on carved stretchers
and painted red and blue, hanging up
also good many skulls placed on rough
shelves. their faces covered by a mask of
hbrous stuff painted red, and some curious
~ curved spears, AIDES and killing mallets
hung around the walls I got away again
without being seen. and left that afternoon
py the monthly steamer it being the last
day OF my stay in Malekula. heard after
ward. however. that Ill feeling had been
caused among the natives by my violation
of their Bluebeard chamber.
On another occasion I succeeded in see-
Ing place into which no white person had
ever ventured before-a forest cannibal
AoA thSSoD oAA AiAiCS up III tue uulTAVGied IN.
terror. My host told me that If went with
him quite unarmed and with only q couple
OF boys to guide us and carry our dinners
our fnsignihcance would probably bring us
through all right Within the bamboo
stockade that surrounded the houses dane
ing had begun.
I have not space to relate the tale of that
strange sight-of the wild. weird dance, per-
formed by a band of bowling black de-
mons, carrying cooked and loaded rifles.
around group Of skull faced drum idols
In the center Of the square; Of the deafeninr
boom made by the hollow idols themselves
as they were loudly beaten by the musi-
clans; Of the strange solo dance performed
by famous cannibal chief, wherein he en-
acted. with unpleasant realism, a hawk
bouncing down on its prey; of the still
stranger dance performed by another, who
capered lightly about with large, squeal-
Ing live pig on his shoulder; Of the ex-
as like Gregorian, pointing and ali, as
small pea Is like a big one.