Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1910-10-26
CANNIBALISM ON
SANDWICH PLAN
PdpuanS Eat Human DeIiCaCieS
With Sage and Leaves.
MUCH ETIQUETTE INVOLVED.

Slayer Cannot Dine on Victim, but
Dodees Violation of Table Manners
by Exchanging With Another Con.
queror, 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 brief holiday and
made his countrymen'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
bari arous, 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 over the mountains, but
exploration always brought the an
sWer that they were just farther on.
The interior Papuan village wholly
consists of a single building from 800
to 600 feet long and about 70 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 whereon
the cannibal feasts take place. Gov
ernor Murray recently arrived at one
of these villages in time to be present
at the eating of a freshly roasted
body
Club Sandwich Idea Popular
"The bodies are placed on the plat
form, singed and afterward roasted
The flesh is cut up into small portions,
sprinkled with sage, wrapped in leaves
and distributed, he asserts.
''There are less pretentious canni-
bal exploits on smaller scale. 1t is
point of Papuan etiquette that you
must not eat the man you have killed,
but you may satisfy your conscience
by exchanging victims with another
man, having first sealed the compact
by disfguring 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 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. have
known a native when charged with
murder to fall fast asleep within five
minutes of the beginning of the trial.
AS judge | have sentenced man to
death while he yawningly reminded
me that he was tired of the whole le-
gal formality.
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 to
fetch a wheelbarroW and he immedi-
ately takes it up in his arms and ham
dies it as a fond mother would carry
a child. l have seen Papuan men
when first given a spade lay it on the
ground, pile the soil on it with both
hands and then gaze at in bewilder-
ment A few months later their work
ing faculty had developed most intel
ligently.
Papuans Great Lineuists.
"As a matter of fact, they are a SEN
sible people and in many respects
highly sensitive as WELL AS linguists
they have few equals. Nearly every
tribe has its own language not merely
variation Of some mother tongue,
and have met natives who could
speak seven or eight languages.
I'm one part of the island it is com
pulsory that the wife shall speak
one language and the husband anoth-
er. They know both, of course, but
they maintain the traditional custom
as though their existence depended
upon it. @~
'"There is another singular trait as
ISOLATED with this tribe Although
they understand two languages, it is
essential that they should speak d
third while engaged in fishing ex-
ploits. They periodically visit a neigh
boring island, which they make their
temporary abode while the fishing ex-
cursion lasts.
"All sorts Of dreadful things await
the Papuan who neglects to make use
Of this third language, and disaster
would overwhelm the entire tribe if in
an unguarded moment any one men
toned the number seven.
''Why the demons of destruction
should be liberated by so simple an