The Birmingham age-herald., 1914-05-16
AMONG THE MAN EATERS
Epicures of New Guinea Prefer the
 Legs of Their Victims

w. N. Beaver, the resident magistrate in thew estern division of New Guinea, who is at present on leave in England, has given an interesting account of the natives, wbo are addicted to cannibalism and sorcery. says the London Express
 Just before leaving Fort Moresby he met John Henry Werner. who. according to a telegram received from Melbourne few days ago. was killed and eaten by the natives. MT. Werner, who was a mid dle aged man, had just arrived from Aus tralia and told MT. Beaver that he was then going on an expedition in search of radium in the gulf division of Papua, part of which is very wild.
 The people of the Girara country, which for three-fourths of the year is almost entirely submerged, are practically un- known They claim descent from dog
 Mir. Beaver says they possess five to- tems, which are drawn on all their houses Their villages are erected on hil- locks. to be clear of the water, and the people of each village inhabit one large common house, sometimes as much as 400 to 800 feet long and 60 to 80 feet in width.
 The center of this great building is a klnu ol tpiliiiOii Idlls WHICH IS uSeu only by the men. while the walls of the struc. ture are divided into cubicles in three or four floors, access to which is gained by means of ladders. The women are not allowed to enter the building by the same door the men.
 These Girara people, though head hunt CTS, are not cannibas. The men have a curious habit of dressing their hair on their faces so that it appears like length of The (.irara. who tho only people in Papua who cover their heads, year a headdress consisting of conical fibre hat
 Mr Beaver states that a great deal of sorcery prevails in the western district. In the wilder parts of the country tne chief is himself a head sorcerer. He claims to be able to separate his spirit from his body and to send 1t on various missions, including that of killing people.
 Quite recently a number of sorcerers went by night to the house of a native, on whom they cast spell bp pointing at him a human bone. They afterward murdered their victim, and after his burial dug up the grave, eating portions of the body for purposes of sorcery
 To the west of the Fly river there is a general belief in a kind of clairvoyance. MT. Beaver also recently explored large tract of country in Dutch New Guinea, where the majority of the people had never before been visited.
 These were very primitive folk, armed with bows and arrows. They assume a fierce aspect by inserting kangaroo claws in their nostrils and by wearing in their hair artificial tails extending to their waists. Tn one district near Daru it is the custom to brand, by means of mark on the shoulder or breast, girl chil- dren with the mark of the man they are subsequently, to marry.
 Notwithstanding the great care taken by the government. cannibalism still ex- ists, and MT. Beaver narrates that on several occasions he has come on the scene of cannbal feast, with remains of human flesh lying round. Tn every case the actual murderers had decamped on the approach of the constaoulary.
 It is the custom to cut off the head, arms and legs of the bodies of the vic- tims, the most prized morsels for pur- poses of cannibalism being the legs.
 The vendetta prevails wherever the rov- ernment has not full control. One par ticular tribe, cali sl the Bina, takes two sets of arms and heads for every one of their tribe who has been killed. Among the Rossel islanders smotherinK Is the usual form of murder. but this has been gradually stamped out by the govern- inert.
 In some of the western districts the houses contain great collections of skulls which belonged to enemies killed in bat tle. to which artificial wooden noses are attached. while those belonging to rela. tives remain untouchG