El Paso herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1901-1931, 1919-04-17
CG71nibaLSHaUe
Not Gone Ont
Of The World
They Are Still In Exist
ence Some Of Their
Peculiar Habits.

Washington, D. C., April 17.--Can-
nibals.". you may have exclaimed when
you read recently OF a naval force
sent TO Malekula Island. Of the New
Hebrides, TO queu attacks Of the man
eaters upon white planters. 7 thought
cannibals had disappeared long ago.
Contrary to general belief the can
nibal still is with us" says a bulletin
from the National Geographic society.
And cannibalism is practiced regu-
larry by some tribes Of the numerous
South Sea Islands. In other places it
is recurrent Missionaries and agents
report it stamped out and they speak
truly, save for occasional lapses into
barbarism OF these primitive peoples
just emerging into the kindergarteu
stage OF their civilization.
-'Of all the peoples Of the vast South
Pacific eXpause where the white mans
influence has been felt at all the
Malekula islanders perhaps are the
most murderous, treacherOus and saw
age Not many years ago ethnologists
brought from the island held high
hopes that there, at last, might be
found the missing link which marked
the evolutionary step from monkey TO
man.
Binding the Head.
Investigation soon disproved any
such theory. For the cone-shaped
heads Of many Aialekula islanders is
a deformity deliberately produced by
wrapping cord about the heads Of
babies. II the child survives the treat
ment its egE-shaped head, point up
ward. is a Malekulan distinction akin
TO the tiny foot Of a Chinese woman
Another custom Of Malekula seems
equally narrowing If a woman dis
closes a gap in the rows Of her gIeam-
ing white teeth IL means that she is
married. and that the older women
have performed this operation in
something Of the playful spirit in
which rice throwing sometimes is in
dulged in at an American ceremony.
The male Malekulan is a crack
marksman with the bow and poisoned
arrow, and as iuveterate a cIubman
as a wealthy American bachelor In
many islands of the New Hebrides
each village has its clubhouse. and
upon his standing among his club fell
lows. depends his rank in the COM
munity.
Have Community Centers.
Moreover there is a combination
community forum, public dance hail.
and children's playground under the
banyan tree OF nearly every native
village.
There are many differences be-
tween the Aialekulan and the natives
Of other islands. though most OF them
are obviously Malanesian, from their
thick. woolly hair. coal black skin.
flat noses and heavy lips. The Male
lulans are accorded the palm for
ferocity and cruelty by many trav-
elers. though they are not unique
among the Hebrides natives in these
respects On some islands the women
expect 10 be buried alive with their
husbands bodies.
"A redeemfng feature Of the Male
kulans is their scrupulous honesty a
travellers life may not be worth much
II he irritates a native, but his prop
erty is absolutely safe Another Male
kula distinction inheres in the wood
en- ancestor images found there These
display a resem blance to hu-
man beings and attest a latent artistic
taste in their crude coloring-
They're Always Troublesome
Trouble in the New Bebrides IS
nothing new. In 1903 an Anglo
French expedition was needed 10
check a native uprising and nearly
two decades earlier the French inter
vened to suppress vigorous out
''The New Hebrides were discovered
by a Portuguese sailor early in the
seventeenth century. explored some
what and named by Capt Cook a CEN
fury and a half later, and were de-
clared neutral by France and Great
Britain in ISIS. Later agreements
provided joint control and administra-
ton
The New Hebrides lie about 1900
miles northeast OF Sydney, Australia
AfaIekula Is one Of the larger Islands
Of the group. The largest is Marina
The seat Of government is on the
Sandwich Island"