The St. Mary banner. (Franklin, Parish of St. Mary, La.) 1889-1931, 1910-08-20
The Man.Eaters of New Guinea
Blame Cannibalism on Their Women.


sionary. was glazed with the blood OF
the victims so frequently dragged
over il and the constant walking up
on it.
When asked Why they ate human
flesh the natives said that the women
first urged them to do so-a variant
OF the old story of Eve inducing Adam
to eat the apple. The legend goes
that as the men returned one day
down the river, rejoicing because
their canoes were full Of wild bears
and wallabies, the women called out
20 them 10 know why they were sing
ing and dancing. When the men told
them to look at their booty the wom-
en- scornfully said: THAT dirty stuff.
Who is going to eat that? Is that
wha. you call ? good hunt?'
After bordering what their wives
could want, one of them had an in
spiration. and said: Il know; it's
man" So they all went off, and came
back with ten bodies, this time with
out any signs of rejoicing. But when
the women saw what they had got
they shouted: Yes. yes, that's it.
Dance and sing for that's what we
want" The bodies were singed and
cooked. and ever since the natives
have preferred human flesh to any
other.
The prevailing characteristic OF the
Papuan, or aborigine of New Guinea,
is his boundless vanity. 1t is no good
trying to snub him, for he can never
be made to realize that his room is
better than his company, even though
he may be suffering from leprosy, or
some other horrible skin disease. II
he has a liking for white man he
is always ready to rub noses in the
most amicable fashion, thereby leav-
ing several layers of oil and dirt upon
his friends countenance. He is a
noisy, eXcitable person, very fond OF
Dragging Of his bravery; but he Is not
by any means as courageous as he
would like you to believe. If he can
kill an enemy without running any
risk himself he will do so without
hesitation; but when danger and pos
sible death confront him he Is
coward. Not does he bear pain with
the fortitude exhibited by most saw
ages.
The Papuans dearly love red paint
their greed for it has no bounds.
For a handful of red paint one may
obtain enough breadfruit and vege-
tables to stock a market. AS sign
of mourning, in some parts, it is Gus
tomary to smear the face and head
with a sticky. black liquid something
like pitch. The enormous mop of hair
of which the Papuan is so proud is
kept from getting hopelessly tangled
by occasionally being combed through
with pronged bamboo comb.
1t is easy to know an unmarried
girl from a married woman for the
hair OF the former is frizZed out to its
utmost capacity till she appears as
if she were carting bush about on
her head, and is adorned with pink
shells or glass beads. All the wo-
men are tattooed extensively, and
V-shaped mark, terminating in
point upon the chest shows that they
are either engaged or married.
When Papuan boy gets to the
age at which a white boy begins
thinking about taking up stand-up
collars, instead of encasing his neck
in rampant of stiff linen he brushes
his waist into a wooden belt so tight
that his ribs protrude over it like the
chest Of pouter pigeon. This belt
terminates at the back in a kind
of tail, which trails upon the ground
and the more wasp-like his waist the
more airs the boy gives himself.
When he has assumed this wooden
belt he is called ibitoe, and becomes
entitled to all the privileges of a
full grown man-provided, that is,
that he has fulfilled the duty of max
ing drum. Every ibitoe has to do
this.
The young fellows usually go off in
a party to secluded corner Of the
jungle, for during this important op-
Grafton they may not have any CON-
munication with any one; even food
Is brought to them eptltiOusly,
and they fetch it away when no one
is about. II they happened by any
chance to see a woman or girl the
making Of drum would have to be
recommended. This drum making
seems to be very ticklish business.
If the ibitoe swallows a fshbone it
would certainly cause the drum to
burst, while if he touches water his
firebrand would be extinguished and
he would never succeed in following
out his drum.
How Youths Get Wives.
It is curious rule, says DR.. A. c.
Haddon, who conducted an expedition
to Torres Straits for the purpose Of
StIldyip thp customs of the natives