CANNIBALS.

Grey River Argus, 26 July 1922, Page 6

CANNIBALS.

IN NEW GUINEA. Miss Beatrice Grimshaw, whose .tales «>f the South Seas will be familiar to many recently returned to England after 15 years of wandering in lonely parts of the world. The interviewers luund her quite ready for them. Of New Guinea, in particular, she had harrowing things to tell. Cannibalism she declared to be rampant there, for the Government’s campaign of suppression docs not reach large aVeas of tho country which have never yet been penetrated by white men. As an indication of the wildness and unknown character of vast tracts of the territory comprising New Guinea, she mentioned • that recently the missionaries, with the . aid of an aeroplane, had discovered a valley containing 10,000 people, whose existence had not even been suspected. Bu. to return to the cannibalism. Miss Grimshaw states that prisoners who were taken in tribal conflict were always eaten, often being tortured bclorchand. Enlarging picturesquely, she relates how it was a common practice io roast the prisoners alive after putting out their eyes, while sometimes iheir bones having been broken to preM‘nt escape, the victims were put in the river to sol ten their flesh and rentier it more tender. “ rhere are many well-known recipes,” she added, “for cooking human flesh.” As a seasoned traveller Miss Grimshaw was above expressing any emotion at these goings on - It ’ s her expressed opinion that rhe natives of New Guinea eat human flesh because they like it and think it good to eat. As a rule they eat only their enemies, but at on-e village of wl::eh Miss Grimshaw knows they eat nl! uct ;-se<. and she has known instance- of husbands eating their wives. As to lhe effect of cannibalistic diet she observes: “1 am bound to admit that the finest type of labour is provided bx the boys who come from the tribes tl i' admittedly cat human flesh. It is really a <|iicstiou of the survival of the fittest.”