HEAD HUNTING

Manawatu Times, Volume LIII, Issue 6667, 21 July 1928, Page 3 (Supplement)

HEAD HUNTING

OUTDOOR SPORT IN NEW GUINEA 24 TROPHIES COLLECTED FOUR and twenty headhunters, .each carrying a human v head in his hand, walked into the Government station at Axnbimti, on the Sepik River, on the north coast of New Guinea. ■ v , ' • One native corporal and two native constables, as naked as themselves, had arrested them. The corporal proudly led the procession, and the constables brought up the rear to see that none went back home. • ••• T

There was no need , for apprehension on this score, however, , says “The Sydney Sun.”, All members of •the ghastly gang were in the best of humour and, after having been lined up, numbered off and,registered, yhey placed their grim trophies , where directed and walked into the calaboose. • ■ ■ .. .. News of a recent tribal vendetta in mandated New Guinea arrived in Sydney by the steamer Montoro recently. This massacre was enacted on the Sepik River* between a mission settlement and a government station, but neither;, had the slightest chance of preventing it. ‘ , U ,

Here are the facts related on board ship and at Rabaul by prisoners and guards:— Many years ago the warriors of one village came down in the night and raided another village,, killing everybody they could catch, and getting back with' canoes full of heads'; and bodies. Prom that point of view the raid was an unqualified success, but the tactical mistake was made of not doing the job thoroughly. , , ; _ •' A number of the attacked villagers got away into the bush, and later formed a new settlement and throve. The- years went by, but they never forgot. Nightly the melancholy sounding bamboo fiutes called the men together into the House Tambaran, where the “hymn of hate’’ was intoned. ■ • 1 A couple of months ago the men decided that they were now strong enough to “pay back.” Arming themselves with spears, bows and arrows and skull-crackers, a squad of warriors told the Marys that they were going on a big pig hunt, and filed away along the trail. Coming near the enemy village at sundown, they camped in the “kuni” (grass) until just before daylight next morning, when they rushed the village and killed everything that walked or crawled. It was a thorough “clean-up.” The heads of the victims were cut off and carried into the bush. Later, when dry, they were placed in the House Tambaran. Tribal law had been satisfied, tribal prestige had been restored, and their enemies had been exterminated. in olden times, at this point, an hiatus extending over many years would have intervened; but the victors had not taken into account the fact that they were in an area where the white man claimed control and had to maintain It by prompt action. Several days after the massacre a party from another village came to the place of the deed on a friendly visit, and found what was left of the inhabitants. At once the news was drummed far and wide, and . quickly

reached the Government station at Ambunti, which is nearly 300 miles up the river from its mouth. The natives at Ambunti heard the “garamuts” (drums) booming, and told the news to the District Officer. He dispatched a native, police corppral and: two native police boys to make inquiry as to the correctness of the amazing statement, as the village was right ,on the main Sepik River. .

The corporal was ; absent several* days, and as the garamuts had been .silent meanwhile, he was expected'to return with information that the story was a fabrication. Suddenly he appeared at Ambunti leading, a line of 24 head-hunters, each carrying the heads secured by him at the ill-fated village. I They were all excited, and tremendously 'proud, but ’ perfectly ■harmless. They had exacted the retribution due to their tribe, and were at peace with all mankind. They had quite cheerfully accompanied the corporal, who told them that the Government wanted them, that they must bring the,ir heads, and they would be punished. Next day me inquiry was commenced,' and on their own evidence they were all charged with wilful murder. Overnight the heads had all been placed. in a heap on the floor, and kept under lock and key, with a guard over them. While each headhunter was being examined, he was asked to pick out the head of his victim. This they all did unerringly. These were faces they would never forget, and they gazed at the dead features with looks of real happiness. Each head was then parcelled up, and docketed with particulars as a court exhibit.

Later, after the court had remanded them to Rabaul for trial, they boastingly told their friends that they were now’ “big men,” and that when the Government had imprisoned them for a few years they would return to their village, and be able to wear a flying fox shin ornamented with a tassel for each head they had secured. Strangely enough, the corporal and two police boys who brought the murderers in were from another district, but they had no trouble at all in accomplishing the remarkable feat. They just sat down and quietly discussed the matter with the villagers, who contended that they had “paid back” for the honour of their dead relations, as was the age-old custom of their race. Rumour has it that natives of another village have built a wonderful and very large house tambaran, and are badly in need of heads to enable them to give a big sing-sing to open it.