The Washington herald., 1908-06-07
CANNIBALISM STILL EXISTS
HideOus Practice Of Eating Human
Flesh Not Entirely Extinct.
White Men Slain in Philippines and
Human Sacrifices Made I'm the
Kingdom OF DahOmey.

That cannibalism still exists in certain
remote corners OF the earth may surprise
people who were under the impression
that IN the twentieth century the re-
straining influences OF civilization were
at any rate powerful enough and SUI
hciently widespread 10 stamp out entire
~ any custom so revOltingly barbarOus.
It has been made painfully clear. how
ever. quite recently, that the eating Of
human flesh Is still practiced by various
savage tribes. Investigation into the cir
cumstanCes OF the death OF a PTesbyter-
ian missionary in the Solomon Islands
last November has now brought 70 light
the fact that he was the victim OF par
ticularly ferocious cannibalism.
Despite the warnings OF travellers and
seafaring men. the intrepid missionary
decided that there was work for him in
the southwest corner Of the island. where
the natives are unusually fierce and all
cannibals For few weeks they seemed
afraid Of him and listened 10 his expOund-
ing Of the gospel, but eventually they re-
sented what they deemed was hts inter-
ference with their tribal customs. To
set an example for other missionaries,
they killed him and displayed his skull
and bones on q "tambu' house Word
finally reached New Zealand. gunboat
was hastily dispatched. and Chief One
hunga was forced 10 give up the bones,
pay an indemnity In pearls which amount
ed 10 5000. and sign an agreement TO
abstain from cannibalism.
This is only one example OF how can
nibalism Is st!ll practiced. There are. as
a matter OF fact. plenty Of places on this
globe in this twentieth century Of ours
where men eat their fellow-meu. 70 say
nCfhfner ~ rvouoau ond cnsIdrar
There has been cannibalism in the Phil
ppines, not 200 miles from Manila, in
Mindanao. Since the beginning Of the
twentieth century white men have been
slain and eaten on the Island Of St. Mat
thias. in the South Seas; in New Guinea.
the New Hebrides, in New Britain. one OF
the Solomon Islands. along the Congo. in
Central Africa; in the wilds OF Haiti and
in Nigeria They have human sacrifices
in DahOmey. but no cannibalism. In the
CamerOons the MaKa tribe eat only their
criminals.
The wives Of the solomon Islanders are
their slaves. 70 fondle or kill as they
please. Should a wife displease her lord
she is promptly killed. and her husband
and his remaining wives paTtake OF the
dainty. The Solomon Islanders refuse
20 eat human flesh that Is Boiled; their
- tANAANN ~ ~ NuA Al AAlAD otA lAeAAH Il
for a day or so on a tree 20 ripcl. and
then roast II over hot fire. The skulls
and larger bones are preserved-the bones
fer spears and arrows; the skulls for
decorative purposes
There was a notorious feast Of human
flesh only two years ago in the New
Hebrides on the Island Of Tanna- There
had been 4 big battle and one village had
been victor, taking hundreds Of prisoners,
and eating every one The feast was
going on amid the widest orgies when
the steamship Mlmbare touched there.
The passengers did not visit the scene Of
the feast. but got away as quickly as
they could.
Only two years ago a party OF French
soldiers was ambushed. slain. and eaten
IN Nigeria. In West Africa. Tales Of can
nibalsm along the Congo used TO be 50
common as 10 excite little comment in
the more civilized settlements along the
coast. but it has now been almost stamp
ed out.
In the Gulf OF California is Tiburon
Island. where cannibals live 10 this day.
White men have been able 20 land there
and get away. but not one Of those who
have ventured inland has ever returned
alive. II will not be until the white man
has cOlonized the farthest ends OF the
world that cannibalism viii finally pass
away-and that period Is yet a long time
OF