Honolulu star-bulletin. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1912-2010, 1912-12-06
SORcERY PREVAILS AM0NGl
NATIVES OF PAPUA |

MELBOURNE; NV. 1.-The annual
report Of the lieutenant governor of
The territory OF Papua, as presented
to the parliament OF the common.
wealth OF Australia, contains much
interesting information on the quaint
beliefs and supeTstitiOns OF the native
races SorceTy is far more prevalent
han is generally believed The resi-
dent magistrate OF the central divi-
sion states that in the trial OF a ma.
tive from the village on the Bartholo-
mew range, he came across a curious
custom that is used to find out il the
native had died by sorcery or not.
The body, he says, is placed son
platform in the center OF the village,
and a leaf is placed on the breast the
feet are then pointed in the direction
of village. and the body is asked if
any man in the village pointed at
caused the death. If the leaf falls off
he body, the people are sure that the
person who caused the death was a
native OF the village pointed at: if
the leaf does not fall off the body at
first attempt, the body is pointed to
another village, and so on until the
leaf falls-or is blown off. The in.
land people are eaten up with super
stition. and any man who likes can
terroriZe them into doing what he
wishes. In one case that came before
me, he says, il appeared that wo-.
man died in village, and the people
Lut the death down 70 sorcery on the.
part rof another village. Some time
after the death, some of the dead
woman's relatives were near another
village soon after dark. A dance was
being held in the village, and the re-.
aticns Of the dead woman, looking
'nto the village, said that they saw
he ghost of the woman among the
lanoers, and they promptly went back
O their village and told the village
constable. who next arrested three
men from another village for the muir
Ter of the woman and brought them
nto the station, where they we're,
sried and discharged.
Pigs fer Victims Of Sorcery.
The resident magistrate of the
northeastern division tells how the,
argest tribe In the division, the Mai.
sin people, were pertnrbed at the
lumber of deaths in their villages,
md came to the conclusion that the
mortality must be due to the sorcery
xperts among the Kubiri people
they decided that this could not be-
Flowed to go on without making the,
<ubiri people pay for it. So the Mai
sin natives to the number of seventy
me, went 10 the Kubiri village and
aid: You must pay for these peo-
Die you have killed fortunately the
2apuan people will usually accept al
zig as compensation for any relative
specially If the government is near
or else our sorcerers will make pouri.
,ouri and take payment by making
all sorts of disasters happen to your
ribe.' The Kubiri people promptly
handed over the required pigs and
Jther articles, more apparently from
ear of pouri-pouri than from fear of
my actual violence News was short.
y brought TO the government stationl
md summons sent to the MaisinI
people to come in. They all candidly
admitted the facts The leaders were
sent to Jail for three months, and the
)thers for one month.
Sorcery is probably widespread in
The division. but the fear of soreery
without due cause probably does far
more harm than the sorcerers do,
sither directly or Indirectly, by caus-
ng fear. In common with pretty well
Ill races n a low degree of culture,
he Papuan is surrounded by natural
processes he does not understand. but
which he vainly, although quite hon
estly, believes he can control at least
more expert sorcerer does not
hwart him. He sees friend die lit
nay be of pneumonia-b the fact is
proof positive to him that some one
has murdered him by magical means.
Ii he wants ruin to come he has only
to apply to the nearest rain maker,
who puts the appropriate articles in a
stream of water, and perhaps recites
The appropriate spells. and in this
vet part of the territory rain is pretty
sure to come before very long. If a
plentiful supply Of garden produce is
required there is probably some one
who knows the right article to bury
in the garden.
A short time ago two police werel