Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1910-05-17
THE ORCHID SEEKER.
How He Witnessed Cannibal
Feast.

/ have been reading an extraordinary
letter which has just been received
from Micholitz, the veteran orchid
seeker. The letter was placed at my
disposal by Mr.. Joseph Godseff, English
manager for Messrs. Sanders, the ia
nous orchid growers and importers Of
ST Adams, Bruges and New York.
Micholitz is now exploring AMMAN,
but recently he was hunting for the
precious flowers among the cannibal
tribes of New Guinea, and ne relates
weird experience which befell him
when he found great masses of rare
Papuan orchid in one of the primitive
burying places of that race and was
afterward invited by a savage chief to
Join in q man eating revel.
1t should be said that Micholit1 Is
the doyen of professional orchid hun
ters-a man who could i'll volumes
with absorbing wild beasts, and many
more have been his triumphs in the
search for rare flowers. His eXpedi-
tions always include large number
of attendants, sometimes as many as
fifty, and never among them any but
natives.
For the last resort he is always well
armed but his medicine chest. his
stock of presents and mis- consummate
diplomacy and cool courage generally
carry him without seattle through diff
fcult situations. He is also we'll vers2d
in the languages and dialects of the
savage races among which ne purSues
his life work 1t is claimed for him
that he knows both the eastern and
western hemispheres better than any
other living man.
In New Guinea his most recent quest
was for the giant moth orchid which
grows on the trees that fringe the is
lands near the seaShore, overhanging
the limestone rocks on which it is the
custom to deposit the skeletons of dead
Papuans after the flesh has been eaten
from their bones by their brethren.
The branches of the trees are some.
times burdened to the ground with the
great masses of the flower, so that
they frequently break with the weight
and cast their burden of bloom on to
the skeletons of the dead natives be-
meath.
MicholitZ found thousands of plants
with their roots matted in the Papuan
skulls and interlaced in the skeletons
in an almost ineXtricable manner. He
remarks that the lime contained in
the bones probably afforded the plants
very stimulating food.
Before he could interfere with this
place of the dead and take away
single plant he had to cOnciliate the
chief of the tribe. An experienced di-
plomacy and an array of suitable pres
ents secured him all he wished with
the additional help of some natives
in collecting and packing.
In one of the islands (the usual
sufferance and assistanc" having been
purchased in Micnolitz's own manner),
native fell with Il huge mass of the
Dcndrobium schroderianum. which he
had torn from the rock. and broke his
| leg i'm two places. At once and with
great avidity some of the unfortunate
mans brethren rushed To the spot and
carried him away to their village,
where they deposited MIN in the chiefs
| hut"
MichOlitz, always ready To seize such
an opportunity as this mishap offered
to show his good intention and his
power. urged his services forthwith as
medical adviser. But he was told:
''The chief will attend to him.
The chief did attend to him, for on
| the next morning the orchid hunter
received from the hand of that p"tcn-
tatr's head cXccutoncr an invitation
to the feast MiChOlitZ knew at once
what had happened. He says: II was
well aware they were all cannibals and
very fond of long pig rs they COM
monty call their human Victims"
He first inquired warily in what ca
pacity he was expected Ia attend the
| feast, as guest or as the dish? At
being rcaSSurcd on the point he
thought il best Ia accept the well
meant hospitality ana prepared mes
sage Ia the chief that he would be
pleased to be present He had still to
consider how he could attend without
participating and was naturally fear
| ful of giving offence in that direction.