A FEW WORDS ON CANNIBALISM. 47 



Others chew little bits of raw human flesh (as sailors chew 

 tobacco), and put them into their children's mouths." 



The natives of the Marquesas Islands are in the habit 

 of wooing the fairest damsels they can find, wedding 

 them and then eating them up. In New Caledonia can- 

 nibalism still prevails. The inhabitants of Formosa were 

 accused by the Chinese of being cannibals. 



Cannibalism was the universal practice of the races in 

 the Pacific Islands. Cook had been specially instructed 

 to institute inquiries on this point. There were many 

 persons at home who were sceptical on the existence of 

 cannibalism among any people. The result of his daily 

 observations was to leave no doubt of its existence, and 

 to establish the fact that it was not merely an occasional 

 excess to which those who practised it were impelled by 

 fury and the spirit of revenge against an enemy, but that 

 human flesh was their almost daily and habitual food. 

 A provision basket was seldom seen -without having in 

 it a human head, or other evidence of the fact. It is 

 true that they told him that they ate only their enemies ; 

 but so incessant were their invasions of each other, that 

 «nemies were never wanting, or if the supply failed, 

 slaves taken in former raids were substitutes at hand, 

 and constantly kiUed in cold blood for the purpose. 



The native religion of the blacks of Hayti, called 

 '" Vandouism," has its stated feasts, at some of which 

 human victims must be sacrificed. These great feasts 

 «,re held at midnight, in the depths of primeval forests, 

 and all intrusion is carefully guarded against. 



The eating of human flesh, it has been suggested, is of 

 Teligious origin, though it is not always confined to reli- 

 gious occasions. The taste for such food is said to be 

 •easily acquired among certain people of peculiar tem- 

 perament. It is not always renounced on professing 

 Christianity, and the absolving Minister knows well 

 what is meant when the convert discloses at the confes- 

 sional that "he has eaten a black pig without hair.* 



* Major E. Stuarfc, " Embassy Reports for 1877," part ii., p. 110. 



