The river press. [volume] (Fort Benton, Mont.) 1880-current, 1910-11-16
CANMbALISM ON
SANDWICH PLAN
Papuans Eat Human OeIicacies
With Sage and Leaves.
MUCH ETIQUETTE INVOLVED.

~ Sss l
Dodoes Violation Of Table Manners
by Exchanging With Another Con-
qusror, According to British Cover
nor Of New Guinea.
The lieutenant governor OF the Brit
ish portion Of New Guinea has return
ed to London for a brief holiday and
made his c~ountrymen's flesh creep
with tales Of cannibalism as still prac- /
ticed by natives under his jurisdic-
ton. The interior of New Guinea is
perhaps the largest terra incognita. re-
naming on the earth's surface, and,
according to Governor Murray, it
hides many mysteries.
The native Papuans are divided into
many distinct tribes, primitive and
barbarous, but in some respects of
high native intelligence. They are
easily won over from barbarism and
induced to take up some form of en-
ployment. The governor during his
trips into the interior heard constantly
Of a race Of long tailed pygmies who
dwelt just " e the mountains, but
exploration always brought the an
swer that they were just farther IN.
The interior Papuan village wholly
consists Of a single building from 300
to COO feet long and about 20 feet
high. 1t is divided into tunnel-like
compartments capable Of sheltering as
many as 1900 persons. In front Of
the building is a platform wherein
the cannibal feasts take place. Gov
ernor Murray recently arrived at
at the eating Of a freshly roasted
body.
Club Sandwich Idea Popular.
1.-THE bodies are placed on the plat
The flesh is cut up into small portions,
%sprinkled with sago, wrapped in leaves
and distributed, he asserts.
There are less p~retentious canni-
bal exploits on a smaller scale. It Is
a point Of Papuan etiquette that you
must not eat the man you have killed,
but you may satisfy your conscience
man, having first sealed the compact
by disfiguring the corpse in accord
ance with conventional rules.
MANY of the tribes have their own
notions of how cannibalism should be
conducted. In some districts the vic
tins are roasted, while in others boil
ing is preferred. l have known in
stances in which the process Of cook
ing is done over a fire, the body be-
ing sandwiched between two layers of
sage. Some of the tribes have a weak
ness for eating babies and organize
raids on neighboring villages for the
purpose of kidnapping infants"
Discussing other characteristics Gov
ernor Murray says:
81 do not think the average Papuan
has the slightest fear of death. l have
known a native when charged with
murder to fall fast asleep within five
minutes Of the beginning of the trial
AS Judge I have sentenced a man tt
death while he yawningly reminded
me that he was tired of the whole le
gal Formally.
1.-The male Papuan is more or less
the creature of Incidence, but directly
he is taken in hand he becomes dis
ciplined with astonishing readiness
Ask a native in his primitive days tt
fetch a wheelbarrow and he immedi
ately takes it up in his arms and han
dies it as a fond mother would carr!
a child. l have seen Papuan mel
when first given a spade lay it on tn
ground, pile the soil On it with boil
hands and then gaze at in bewilder
ment. A few months later their work
ing faculty had developed most intel
ligently.
Papuans Great Linguists.
"As a matter of fact, they are a sen
sible people and in many respect
highly sensitive as we'll. AS linguist
they have few equals. Nearly ever,
tribe has its own language, not merel,
a variation Of some mother tongue
and l have met natives who coul
speak even or eight languages.
I'm n part of the island it is con
pulsory that the wife shall spea
one language and the husband anott
er. They know both, Of course, bu
they maintain the traditional custo1
as though their existence depende
upon 1t.
There is another singular trait a!
ISOLATED with this tribe. Althoug
they understand two languages, it
essential that they should speak
third while engaged in fishing e,
ploits. They periodically visit a neigl
boring island, which they make the
temporary abode while the fishing e,
cursion lasts.
"All sorts Of dreadful things ava
the Papuan who neglects to make Us
of this third language, and disaste
would overwhelm the entire tribe il
an unguarded moment any n mel
toned the number seven.
"Why the demons Of destructio
should be liberated by so simple a
utterance does not permit of explains
IT, .~a hu kho ,,oet rrofo,,r1 Do