Bluefield evening leader. [volume] (Bluefield, W. Va.) 1906-1911, 1907-03-15
CANNIBALS OF
NEW HEBRIDES
STRANGE MIXTURE OF RACES
THEIR PECULIAR CUSTOMS
AND RITES.

In Southwest bay alone I have
seen. writes Beatrice Grimshaw in
the Windsor magazine. describing
the people OF the New Hebrides, dis
tinctly Jewish types OF face. types
suggesting the West African negro.
types like an extremely depraved
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 islands there are at |
least seven or eight other languages.
The houses are of a very low and
degrading type, being merely roofs
set on a bamboo stockade a couple |
of feet high, but the hamals. or
sacred houses, of which each village
owns, are high, pointed, gabled build |
ings, with tires OF windows in the
gable, and lofty, narrow doors ap-
parently meant for the admission OF
very high powered canoes, which
the New Hebrideans do not possess
There are certain Jewish rites in use
among them; they have caste regu-
lations suggestive to India, and they
make mummies not very inferior to
those OF Egypt. Also they are can
nibals. and they sing Gregorian
chant or its first cousin in their dew
II dances They worship the man
of-war hawk, which holds an ex-
traordinary high place in their re-
ligious 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 strang-
ers are not encouraged to NEEDLE.
had much difficulty in seeing one
myself. as the temples are most
strictly barred to women. native
woman would be instantly killed II
she so much as put her head inside,
and do not think II probable that
white woman would escape either II
she were caught doing It. was,
however, lucky enough in another
part Of Malekula to find temple
unguarded save by a few old women
squating outside and Selling the op-
portunity. 7 entered.
It was not n very good specimen,
being little better than a shed, and
II was very dark inside; further.
thought It we'll not to stay very long.
However, I saw a number OF mum
mics, mounted on carved stretchers
and painted red and blue, hanging
MP around the supporting parts OF
the roof. also a good many skulls
placed on rough shelves, their faces
covered by mask OF fibrous stuff
painted red, and some curiously
curved spears, ADDE'S and killing mall
lets hung around the walls. I got
away again without being seen, and
left that afternoon by the monthly
steamer, it being the last day of my
stay i'm Malekula I heard after
ward, however, that ill-feeling had
been caused among the natives by my
violation of their Bluebeard chamber.
On another occasion succeeded in
seeing a place into which no white
person had ever ventured before-a
forest cannibal fortress, six miles up
in the untraveled interior My host
told me that If 7 went with him
quite unarmed and with only a coup
lie OF boys to guide us and carry our
dinners our insignifcance would
probably bring us through all right
Within the bamboo stockade that
surrounded the houses dancing had
begun
have not space TO relate the tale
OF that strange sight-of the wild,
weird dance, performed by a band
OF showing black demons. carrying
cooked and loaded rifles. around
group Of skull faced drum idols in
the center Of the square; of the
deafening boom made by the hollow
idols themselves as they we're loudly
beaten by the musicians; Of the
stranra solo dance performed by a
famous cannibal chief. wherein he
enacted with unpleasant realism, a
hawk pouncing down on ifs prey; OF
the still stranger dance performed
by another who capered lightly
about with a large squeallng live
pig on his shoulder; Of the extraor-
binary character Of the dancing
chant. as like Gregorian. pointing
and all. as a small pea is like a big
one.