How Chinese Were Killed And Eaten

Horrible Story of Papuan Cannibalism in the ’Fifties

THE story of the ship-wrecked Chinese, whom the Papuans fattened and ate as required, has become almost a legend, and has been somewhat discredited.

Therefore, we are under an obligation to Dr. C. M. Deland, of New Guinea, who very kindly has sent to tis a newspaper cutting which he received from his father —and the latter, in turn, found it in an old book of newspaper cuttings. It is from the Adelaide Register of February, 1859, which newspaper had copied it from the “Sydney Morning Herald,” and it is as follows: Chinese passenger of the St. Paul, who was rescued by the steamer Styx, and arrived on Tuesday, has furnished us with the following account of the massacre of the Chinese passengers by the St. Paul, wrecked on Rossel Island, through the medium of Mr. H. Leau Appa, who acted as interpreter.

“The ship went on shore during the night, and when she struck the passengers all rushed on deck, making a great out cry, upon which the captain drove them all below again. When daylight broke, we landed by means of the boats on an island, where we remained two days with out any water, when some of us went on board the ship again to get some, as also provisions.

“The captain left in his boat with some of the crew, and we were not disturbed by the natives for a month after he was gone. Then they came over from the

mainland, distant about three-quarters of a mile, and made an attack on us.

“Some of us had double-barrelled car bines, but we got frightened, and threw them away. The only white man with us, after the departure of Captain Pennard, was a Greek, who, having armed himself with a cutlass, fought desperately, and killed a great many of the natives before he was overpowered.

“They then took all our clothing, etc., which they partly destroyed. Any valu ables that they found, such as sovereigns, rings, etc., they placed in a net bag which each man carried round his neck. A watch particularly excited their attention, as they were continually opening it to observe the reflection of their faces in the glass.

“At night, we were placed in the centre of a clear piece of ground, and fires lighted in several places, the natives keeping a regular watch over us.

“During the day, they would select four or five Chinese and, after killing them, roast the flesh, and eat it; what was not consumed being deposited in their nets.

“Their mode of proceeding was as fol lows: The victims being decided on, they were taken out, and beaten all over (ex cepting the head), with a kind of club, and then dispatched by ripping the stomach open. The body was then cut up in small pieces, and divided —the fingers, toes, and brains being eagerly sought after. The bones were then collected, and either burnt or thrown away.

“I saw 10 of my fellow-passengers killed in this way.

“On one occasion, some of the Chinese took a boat which belonged to the ship, and went over to the mainland at night to get some water, but never returned, so we thought they had been killed.

“Every day they brought us coconuts, or some wild roots to eat, and appeared to be quite friendly with us. This state of things continued until I was taken off the island.

“When I left there were only four Chinese and the Greek alive, all the rest having been killed. I saw these five the day the steamer came in sight, but when the natives saw the boats coming on shore, they took them up the mountains.

“I was sick and lame, and they would not carry me, so that I watched my oppor tunity and contrived to conceal myself among the rocks until the boat came on shore.

“They are very numerous, but do not appear to have any chiefs among them.

They live on coconuts, of which there are large quantities, and a kind of yam, which they roast before eating. But be yond a few dogs I saw neither animals nor fowls of any kind.”

The narrator of the above horrible de tails is quite a young man, particularly intelligent in appearance. Several of his relations were on board, but all have perished.

Captain Pennard, of the St. Paul, came up in the Styx. He states that he was 62 or 63 days on board the Prince of Den mark before being landed at New Cale donia: that he begged of Captain McKeller to take him to some place at once so as to obtain assistance, but he refused to do so, giving as a reason that he had a party at an island gathering beche-de-mer, who would be out of provisions did he not attend to them first.

Mr. and Mrs. Frank May, of the Abo riginal Industries’ store on Badu Island, Torres Strait, recently returned from lengthy furlough in Australia.

Captain Musick, who commanded the Pan-American Airways’ flying boat China Clipper on its first flight across the North Pacific Ocean from San Francisco tp Manila in November last, has been awarded the Hatmon Trophy for the “world’s outstanding feat of aviation.”