The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1916-1920, 1919-09-14
Explorers Wife Saved by Fate From Clutches of Cannba
Martin Johnson Tells of Desperate
Situation When His Helpmeet
Was Being Born Away
by Huge Savage

TT you we're Martin johnson. and
you saw your wife in the
clutches of the biggest, hand
soonest and cruellist looking" cannibal
on the face of the earth, and in your
hip pockets there nestled two rapid
firers, what would you do?
No, the chances are you wouldn't
draw them and blaze away. You prob
ably would do as johnson did--re-
main fixed with fright and resent
ment, and trust TO Providence to
clear up the desperate situation. For
tune did. and thereon hangs one of
the most fascinating stories ever told,
In fiction or truth.
Johnson Is an American explorer
whose home is in Independence, Kan.
But he is seldom home, as there Is
adventure in hts blood and he cannot
get away from it. Harking back a
few years, he was with Jack London
on the famous cruise of the Shark.
Forever after there was nothing to
the sedentary life of the ordinary be-
ing for him. He had to roam, and the
country that has presented the great
est lure for him Is the Solomon ISL
ands in the South Seas, where dwell
the few remaining races of man eat
ing savages..
Like many another woman, his
wife, Osa, did not discover until after
her marriage exactly what sort Of
man her husband really was. She
innocently assumed that she had mar
ried an enteyprising young business
man whose amiable hobby for anna
teur photography need give her no
alarm. She knew, of course, that he
had been a friend of the late Jack
London, but how, when he displayed
such a proper, newly wed interest in
the rugs and furniture and curtains
of the new little home in Independ-
ence, was the poor child to guess
that one fine day her spouse would
decide that he just must go adventur-
ing in the South Seas again?
Wife Decides to Go Along.
When he made the announcement
recently, however, Mrs. Johnson de-
cided she was bound to be a pal and
helpmate or die in the attempt, so
she determined to go along.
A few months ago, in what is
known as the big Numbers" district,
home of the fiercest race of cannibals
at present in existence, Mr.. and Mrs.
Johnson risked their lives In obtain
ing the only photographs ever taken
of these people.
War photographers during the last
four years have risked their lives time
and again to get a picturized record
of the great struggle, but few have
had more hair raising experiences
than johnson and his wife, who are
tine first white people ever to pene-
trate into the big Numbers" district
and come away. johnson in his own
terse way tells the story best.
From the moment of my landing
In the New Hebrides four or FIVE
months ago." he said recently while
comfortably seated in the lobby of a
New York hotel,~"and the white peo-
pie became aware of my mission, /
was warned against making photo
graphs of the savage natives of the
large island of Malekula, but the sto-
ries 1 was told only made me want to
photograph these people all the more
1t was with the idea of being close
to this island that ] visited the small
island of Vac and made arrangements
to stop with Father Prim, mission
airy there, and wait my chance.
Every day for a week watched for
some schooner. Ny intention was to
make arrangements with the captain
TO take me to the district known as
Big Numbers twenty-five miles
from Vac, on the other side of the
island of Malekula. Here the people
were said to be the most savage and