A Bishop Among Cannibals.

Auckland Star, Volume XXXIV, Issue 18, 21 January 1903, Page 9 (Supplement)

A Bishop Among Cannibals.

modern bishops have IE Srw more unpromising ma•A m Wl«>-? Serial to work upon 511 than the Bishop of New •Jjj Guinea, the Rev StoneWigg, who contributes to the December "Pearson's Magazine" some interesting personal experiences. "The thoughts which New Guinea suggests," he writes, "cannibalism, malaria, sago swamps, tinned meat, Jand murders are not the setting in which we picture apron, shovel-hat, gaiters, and lawn sleeves. Still, there is a Bishop of New Guinea, though •his travelling costume is flannel shirt, d'un-garee pants, putties, stout boots and slouch hat. "Episcopal duties are varied in that diocese. lam sure that I have done more manual work in the last four years than I ever did before. When it is remembered that even to-day practically only the cpastline of the diocese has come under the influences of civilisation, it is not surprising that Government officials, traders and missionaries often undergo startling, if not altogether unpleasant, experiences. "It was only last July that I had to act as pig-sticker-in-chief at a great carnival of savages that was held six miles from my head station of Dogura, in Bartle Bay. A space in the forest was cleared, and native houses

were erected, with a large dancing pavilion in the centre. For the next hour or, two after our arrival great numbers of pigs, slung on poles by the legs, were brought in with much singing, dancing and waving of mango branches. Two hours later dancing began on the platform, the gro-tesquely-attired performers treadiug their measures to the weirdest music imaginable.

"A native sticks his pig in a very leisurely fashion. Two natives rest a pole on which the beast is slung- on their shoulders. The pig hangs body downwards, while the sharp point of a native's spear is inserted into its side. The animal squeals in agony for about ten. minute*, and then ex-

pires. "We told the. natives that it would never do to kill all their pigs in this fashion. I further told my strange congregation that the pigs had a Eriend up above, who did not like to see them suffer, and finished by saying that I and mv staff would kill them one quickly and painlessly on the following morning, so that they could eat them at their feast. Somewhat to my astonishment, the people took to heart what I said, with the result that the next morning I and one of my clergy had to kill 72 pigs.'* It was while visiting the main cen-

tres of native settlement on the coast that the bishop met with an exciting shark adventure. Five of the party —the bishop, his lay helper, two of the native crew of the vessel, and a boy from the mission station — were returning to their vessel in a dingey, when "suddenly we saw a large shark a yard or two away, just to seaward of the breakers, wondering whether he was going to have an opportunity to snap his jaws on us.

"What should we do, we asked ourselves; turn back to the shark or land among the hostile cannibals? I pras most keen to land, and, as my

Once while the Bishop was in a cannibal village a warrior suddenly came up and threatened to spear one of his men—apparently to see if he was afraid- \

EXPERIENCES IN NEW GUINEA,

BISHOP ST ONE-WIG G TELLS HIS ADVENTURES

white companion did not demur, I told the native who was rowing- us to turn the dingey's head and make for the mouth of the river. "Without remark he did so, and we shot along on a great roiling wave, but the very next sea broke right over us, and filled the dingey. Fortunately, we had been Carried past the shark—our only fear was lest the overflowing river would carry us out to sea among the sharks, and too far from the mission vessel to reach it in safety. We were some way from

the land, and I wondered whether 1 should get there, when, to my joy, after swimming ten or a 'dozen strokes, we grounded in four feet of water on the sandy bar of the river. Alter this adventure the bishop and his party made for a village on the opposite side of the river, although the natives endeavoured to dissuade them. As they approached, the inhabitants gathered excitedly, , and were very much opposed to their landing, and they had to parley for several minutes before they would let the whites get out of the dingey. They then asked for a house in which they could sleep, and rather grudgingly were shown one. The floor, raised four feel: above the ground, was very defective, and the whole structure very dilapidated. However, they proceeded to make it shipfehape.

"It was now nearly dark," continues the bishop, ''and the natives around t_ie house were moving- about in a suspicious way. Every now and then a low, penetrating sound was heard, and half a doxen warriors, fully armed, would glide noiselessly into the village. All the women and children (as is always the case when fighting- is expected) had taken to the canoes an hour or two before, when we first entered the village. Some savages, to whom I was talking in the hut, urged us to lie down, but I told them that if they would do so first we would follow.

"It was while the situation was still somewhat, dubious that we saw one of the natives stiffen his right arm and bring the point of his spear

up to the breast of one of our men. The latter never flinched, and the man who threatened him rather nervously dropped his spear, with the •words, 'No more fighting—we will have, peace.' A better spirit seemed at once to prevail. The tension was distinctly relieved, and we turned in and slept as soundly as lizards and mosquitoes would permit."

Many other exciting experiences has Bishop Stone-Wigg to recount, but although he has had many narrow escapes during his visits to the more remote villages, he has- never suffered any bodily injury at the hands of the cannibals. This immunity he attributes largely to the fact that he,', like all the members of his staff, goes about unarmed.