The New York herald., 1922-06-18
WOMAN COLLECTS
CANNIBAL RECIPES
English Novelist Learned
Ways Of New Guinea Epi-
cures in Long Sojourn.
PRAISES THEIR MANNERS
Says Hypnotism Prevails
Among Natives to an Ex-
tent Appearing Incredible.

LONDON, June II. - Miss Beatrice
Grimshaw, the we'll known novelist, who
has been fifteen years In the South Sea
Islands. has returned from New Guinea.
As an indication of the wilderness and
the unknown character of the vast tracts
Of territory comprising that country she
mentioned that quite recently the mis-
sionaries. with the aid of aeroplanes,
had discovered valley containing 10,-
900 people whose existence had not even
been suspected. They wero found to be
living at an altitude where it was
imagined that human life could not en-
dure. She had wonderful story to tell
OF her experiences. To a representative
Of the Eve,,i,t1 Standard she said:
New Guinea is one of the most note
great deal OF it has never been explored
by white people. Within g. certain dis
tance the Government has done a great
deal, bu. there are stretches in which
Many, however. are induced to work on
the plantations. and the cannibals are
certainly the finest native workers. be-
cause Of their physical development and
their demeanor. But cannibalism flour
ishes. and the people who practice 1t do
not regard 1t as wrong. In the interior
cannibals live to themselves. and 1t is
only when they come under British
jurisdiction that their cannibalistic ten
6encies are checked. One gets so ac-
customed to this question of canniballsm
that it is accepted almost as matter OF
course. 1 know the cookery recipes now
as to the best methods of preparing
human food.
Huge stone oven Used.
"In one part of the country there is
a stone oven six feet long dug into
a side of a hill for the purpose OF
dealing with the victims. The inhab-
itants OF one village may attack an
other The prisoners are tortured
terribly, and then eaten. One method
Is to take out their eyes and then
roast the body alive in the traditional
three-legged caldron. The cannibals
break the bones and legs of their
victims beforehand sometimes. and
then let the body lie in a running
stream. which method. they believe,
makes the meat more tender. The odd
feature of 1t all is that the most de-
termined cannibals are extremely well
hammered. and In all other respects are
the best workers you can find. AS to
whether cannibalism springs from the
- h,,s<.
ritual one cannot say. l think the
cannibals really like human flesh. But
you cannot get them to talk about 1t.
'Sorcery has a remarkable hold on
the people in this country, and the
occult powers that are displayed car
only be regarded by white people as
amusing. The natives even have a
sorcerers' university where natives are
taught for period of two years
Sorcerers can carry poisonous and
dangerous snakes in their hair. and can
train them to bite people. leaving them
loose in house, and it is even posi-
BILE. O it is said, to make snake bite
particular person. Equally extra
ordinary are the powers possessed by
conjurors.
believe these natives understand
hypnotism from end to end. They dc
table, turning with q sort of alligator
shaped image. They ask questions OF
spirits, and see blue lights. This hap
pens in the Gulf country. The power OF
hypnotism is used to an extent that
seems barely credible, but there is nc
doubt. to my mind, that certain natives
are believed to hypnotic whole audi
ences. and they do it in one instance
by means of a dance of the most
peculiar character. I have seen this
dance. and the extraordinary effect OF
il. The performer apparently domin-
ates the whole of the room by his
actions. The effect of the dancing is
that hypnosis on a massed scale like
this can be induced in the wierdesi
possible way. For instance, in some
parts they have what Is called Nobo
House, which stands by itself. and Is
never tenanted. It is wonderfully dec
grated. and everybody knows Its
purpose.
"when stranger goes into the viii
lage and the inhabitants want to Kill
him they tell him TO go to the nob1
house. He knows perfectly well what
Is the object of the institution. but he
seems to have no power whatever OF
refusal. and he goes to what he is fully
aware Is certain death. What probably
happens when the victim Is once in
side the house is that the natives SMASH
his skull with stone club, killing him
preparatory to eating him.