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OFFERINGS ON THE ISLAND SEMAIL* 
It. has been somewhere related that the Rajd of Kupang, on the 
island of Timor, formerly sacrificed a young virgin of royal descent 
to the Alligator, by throwing her into the sea in order to be swal¬ 
lowed by that monster. 
This however is a fable, but it is a fact that such an offering was 
made on the south east point of the island Semau where the coast 
forms a small bight. After the harvest of the cultivated plants the 
whole population were bidden to assemble, and all kinds of sugar 
cane, rice, fowls, eggs, pigs, dogs and a little child were placed on 
the ground at the sea shore and offered to the evil spirits. After 
the invocation was ended the whole, except the child, were consum¬ 
ed by the assembled people. These offerings still take place, with 
the exception of the child which is no longer offered in shew. 
The writer of this notice has been at the place itself where the 
offerings are brought, and tvas accompanied by the Raja himself, 
who explained the ceremony in all its incidents, but a virgin has ne¬ 
ver been used for the occasion. 
CANNIBALS ON THE ISLAND FLORIS.* 
On the island FJoris there lives a race called on the south coast 
Rakka, who not only devour their enemies, but with whom custom 
requires that the son shall cut the body of his deceased father in 
pieces, and sell the flesh to the inhabitants at the high price of its 
weight in gold. This flesh is greedily eaten by the people as a great 
delicacy. If the father was heavy and of great size the son consi¬ 
ders himself particularly fortunate. The population of Endore on 
the same island is also very greedy of human flesh. But these can¬ 
nibals confine themselves to the heart which, with an incredible dex¬ 
terity, they extract from the body by giving one blow under the left 
shoulder blade. It is then cut into very small pieces and eaten com¬ 
pletely raw by the bystanders who belong to the same race.f 
* Translated from the Dutch (Tijds, v. Neerl . In cl. 9 Jaarg. 10th Afl.) 
•f It were desirable thalthe Editor of the Tijdschrift gave the authority 
on which such statements rest. We confess that to us the communica¬ 
tion wears an apocryphal or at least exaggerated air.— Ed. J. End. Arch, 
