PAPUA TO-DAY.

Hawera Star, Volume XLVIII, 31 March 1925, Page 2

PAPUA TO-DAY.

REVIEW BY THE GOVERNOR

STORIES OF CANNIBALISM

MELBOURNE, March 9. Speaking at tlie luncheon given in his honour to-dav by the Royal Colonial Institute the Lieutenant-Governor ol Papua. Sir Hubert Murray, said the province could never accomplish anything in regard lo agriculture while the Navigation Act applied to the waters surrounding it. “1 have said that for many years now,” Sir Hubert added. “Probably I say it for the last time to-day, because I 'hope that the Commonwealth will take 'it off. If that is done, and the Government gives us some compensation for the handicap placed upon us, such as a preference of some sort, Papuan agriculture will do well. There is no reason why it should not.” Sir Hubert Murray said that cannibalism had gone almost altogether from Papua. While he was uot an anthropologist, and was not -prepared to deny that head-hunting and cannibalism might not have their roots in 6ome deep feeling permeating the whole commynity, he thought it was more a question of ’food supply than anything else.

“OUR REAL FOOT) IS MAN.” Once he had met a native on the north coast, who said : “we have wallabies in the grass and fish in the river, but our real food is man.” On another occasion, when a young cannibal appeared before him, he asked him whether he had given up his maneating habits. “Yes,” came the reply, “tinned meat is much better.” Elderly members of some tribes had informed him that the women would not allow them to enter the village or return from battles unless they brought home some baby flesh. One ha'd gone so far to explain how the toughest old man, cooked in a certain fashion, became most palatable. Another native custom which the Administration had also to put down was “black magic.” . There was, Sir Hubert admitted, quite a good deal to be said against dances and feasts. They caused great famine because of the hoarding of food. Deaths and sickness resulted.

DANGER IN DANCES. In some parts dances were the cause of desperate affrays between various tribes. Sometimes the hosts, armed with spears, tomahawks, and other weapons, attacked the guests, who fled to the bush, where many were murdered in cold blood. “The guests know perfectly well what is coming,” Sir Hubert Murray went on, “but J have never been able to discover why they attend.” Many Christian natives have given up dances, even refusing to make any displays before, missionaries, holding that it led to trouble of some sort or another. However,. the Administration always supported and encouraged dancing, 'because it led to plenty of fun and ample -exercise. , Missionaries, Sir Hubert held, were invaluable to native administration, and their presence was absolutely essential

Sir Hubert Murray explained that the Papuans had an exceptionally keen sense of justice. It was not uncommon for a native to attend at a police station and charge himself with murder which he thought ire had committed, but for which there was no supporting evidence. As they always insisted.upon being tried, some very awkward situations sometimes arose. FORGOT .THE! HANGING. Once two policemen had been sentenced, as they thought, to death. They failed to appear at the time appointed for their departure for Port Moresby, but arrived' a little later, almost breathless. “We quite forgot,” they explained, “that we were going to he hanged. If we had thought of it we would' never have dreamed of keeping you waiting.” The offenders were let off with a very light