The Columbian. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1866-1910, 1907-07-11
CANNIBALs OF NEW HEBRIDEs.
Strange Mixture OF Races-Their
Peculiar Custom and Rites.

In Sou western Bay, alone | have
seen, writes Beatrice Grimshaw in
the Windsor Magazine. describing
the people of the New York He
brides. distinctly Jewish types of
face, types suggesting the West Afri-
can negro, types like an extremely
depraved monkey and types like no.
thing else on earth but themselves
There are in the bay three distinct
languages, no one of which can be
understood by the speakers of an
other, and In the rest of the island
there are at least seven or eight
other languages.
The houses are of a very low and
degraded type, being merely roofs
set on a bamboo stockade a couple
Of feet high, but the hamals, or sa-
cred 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 canoes, which
the Ned Hebrideans do not possess.
There are certain Jewish rites in use
among them; they have caste regu-
lations suggestive OF India, and they
make mummies not very inferior to
those OF Egypt. Also, they are cam
nibals, and they sing Gregorian
chant or Its first cousin in their devil
dances. They worship the man-of-
war hawk. which holds an extraor-
dinarily 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,
believe, been questioned. This is
small wonder, since they are always
kept In the hamals or temples of the
heather cannibal villages, and
strangers are not encouraged to
NEEDLE. / have much difficulty In
seeing one myself, as the temples are
most strictly barred to women. A
native woman would be instantly
killed If she so much as put her
head inside. and / do not think It
probable that a white woman would
escape either If she were caught do
Ing 1t. | was, however, lucky
enough In another part of Malekuln
to find a temple unguarded save by
a few women squatting outside, and
seizing the opportunity / entered.
1t was not very good specimen.
being little better than shed, and
1t was very dark inside; further, |
thought 1t well not to stay very long.
However, l saw a number of num-
mics, mounted on carved stretchers
and painted red and blue, hanging
up around the supporting parts OF
the roof; also good many skulls
placed on rough shelves, their faces
covered by a mask of fibrous stuff
painted red. and some curiously
curved spears, adzes and killing mall
lets hung around the walls. l got
away again without being seen, and
left that afternoon by the monthly
steamer, 1t being the last day of my
stay In Malekula. | heard after
ward, however, that i'll feeling had |
been caused among natives by my
violation of their Blubeard chamber.
On another occasion I succeeded In !
seeing place into which no white |
person had ever ventured before-a |
forest cannibal fortress, six miles up |
In the untravelled interior. My |
host told me that II went with him |
quite unarmed and with only a
couple OF boys to guide us and carry |
our dinners our insignificance would |
probably bring us through all right. |
Within the bamboo stockade that |
the houses dancing had |
begun.
l have not space to relate the tale |
OF that strange sight-of the wild, |
wierd dance, performed by band |
OF bowling black demons, carrying |
cooked and loaded rifles, around |
group Of skull faced drum idols in |
the centre Of the square; Of the deaf
ening boom made by the hollow idols |
themselves as they were loudly |
beaten by the musicians; of the
strange solo dance performed by |
famous cannibal chief, wherein he |
enacted. with unpleasant realism, |
hawk pouncing down on It's prey:
OF the still stranger dance performed |
by another, who capered lightly |
about with a large, squealing live
pig on his shoulder; of the extraor-
dinary character of the dancing
chant, as like Gregorian, pointing |
and all, as small pea is like big
one.