LIFE HISTORY OF A SAVAGE. 785 
was thoroughly steamed. Afterwards the doctor (Tepang) had a 
great feast prepared for the patient and his friends, for which the 
patient had to pay liberally, in addition to the doctor’s fees. In 
this way also my friend added to his wealth. In addition to these 
professions, he was also a debt collector. Being a man of power, 
and having plenty of money, he was often appealed to by those 
who were unable to collect the debts due to them, or, what 
amounted to the same thing, the amount which they consider ed 
to be due. A. owes B. 10 fathoms of diwara, but refuses to pay, 
or B. cannot wait longer for the money. He goes to Tepang and 
presents him with | fathom, and then Tepang pays the 10 
fathoms which A. owes, and A. in his turn has to give Tepang 11 
fathoms, so that Tepang gets double commission, and nets a clear 
20 per cent. on the transaction. In more serious matters Tepang 
got still higher commission, as he incurred more risk, and might 
have more difficulty i in arranging the affair. A. commits adultery 
with B.’s wife. This is a very serious matter, and B. and his 
friends at once fight with more or less success. But B. has another 
5 
remedy, and he takes, say, 10 fathoms to Tepang, who at once 
> 
gives him 100 fathoms in return—that is, 10 fathoms for each 
fathom given hin—and then he demands from A. 120 or 150 
fathoms in return, which A. must at once give, or be prepared to 
fight the combined forces of T epang and the aggrieved B. and his 
family. In these and other similar transactions, such as providing 
the money with which to purchase a wife for one of his friends, 
advancing the cost of a canoe or house, etc., Tepang became a 
comparatively wealthy man, and was always ready to lend on 
good security, and at a good rate of interest. Strange as it may 
appear, these people have words for getting goods on credit, for 
borrowing, lending, pledging, redeeming, and also one for interest, 
and Tepang regular ly lent out money at rates never less 
than 10 per cent. In this matter Tepang was very like some 
people who are in a much higher stage of civilisation than 
that to which he had attained ; but in another custom he was 
very much at variance with them, for he was an undoubted 
cannibal, and what is more, he saw no harm whatever in the 
custom, but on the contrary he regarded it much as a religious 
duty and at all events as being a very commendable act. The 
principal motive which actuated Tepang in eating his enemy was 
that of revenge and giving rest or satisfaction to the spirit of his 
relative or friend who had been killed, I do not think that the 
desire in his case, at all events, was from a craving for animal 
food or from the idea of acquiring, by eating his enemy, any part 
of the valour or strength of the person eaten. When Tepang or 
his friends captured or killed an enemy they bound him securely 
and took him to their village and made all kinds of taunting 
speeches to him. They showed him the house and grounds of the 
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