ALONE WITH CANNIBALS 
Shortly afterwards the natives began calling, and we 
learned that some one had been killed. A messenger 
came up to tell us it was Ow-bowss brother who had 
been murdered. The latter man was much discon- 
certed, and tried to persuade himself that it could not 
be so. Later on, however, the messenger came up 
with indisputable news, and we heard that the murder 
had been occasioned by a proceeding that was to some 
extent romantic. 
It seemed that Ow-bow’s brother had some time 
before stolen the murderer's wife, and taken her away 
to his own village and kept her there. After a time 
it occurred to him that having got her he might as 
well pay for her, after the native manner, and 
accordingly he visited the husband in order to settle 
his account. The husband, however, was not disposed 
to receive compensation of this sort, and accordingly 
he killed and ate the other. There is no doubt that he 
had heard of the man’s intention to come and see him, 
and that he laid wait for him. The victim was either 
speared or clubbed. | 
The wailing for the dead man lasted about four or 
five hours, which is about the limit of Papuan mourn- 
ing. After that time a murder becomes merely an 
interesting subject of conversation, and the people 
gathered around the camp fires, eagerly conversing in 
low tones until far into the night. At first their dis- 
position was to demand a life for a life, that they 
might slay and eat, although, curiously enough, they 
would not have committed cannibalism in the presence 
of a white man or a native woman ! 
Next day our people and the villagers held a con- 
224 
