Who Were the Cannibals

of Little Tahiti?

Recent Discovery of Gruesome Relics

From Our Own Correspondent PAPEETE, March 14.

SOME digging operations early in March in the district of Afaahiti on Tai’ arapu (Little Tahiti), uncovered some ancient ahimaa (old style native stone ovens> in which were human skele tons of both adults and children.

This discovery has led some of our antiquarians to the hasty conclusion that the old Tahitians were cannibals.

This writer is persuaded that it proves nothing of the sort.

If, indeed, these remains are relics of a cannibal feast (and there are sound reasons for doubt), the evidence points rather to raiders from abroad than to the Tahitians themselves.

Two ahimaa have been uncovered: a large one. where the skeletons were found, and a smaller oven—evidently in tended to cook the vegetable food looted by the raiders from neighbouring plan tations.

The fact that the human skeletons were lying about, and not in, the ahimaa. indicates that the oven was in the state of preparation when the cannibal raiders from Anaa were driven away—probably by a superior force summoned from Tau tira on Tai’arapu, and from the nearest Teva districts on Greater Tahiti. Afaa hiti is within the dominions of the Teva Clan, as part of Teva-i-Tai.

Unconsumed fragments among the ashes prove that the firewood in the ahimaa was aito from ironwood trees.

This offers further evidence that the oven was kindled by raiders from abroad.

On Tahiti, the iron-wood and Miro (rose-wood) were sacred trees; planted about the marae, the temples of the gods.

The wood of the Aito was never used as fuel; but was fashioned into images of the gods and weapons of war. The word “Aito” in Tahitian, signifies, also, a valiant warrior; inspired and aided by the gods. There is evidence that, when the Anaa raiders had been expelled, the Teva chiefs commanded the place to be covered with earth, and imposed a strict Tapu on the site. mHE probable date of this cannibal raid, X has not been determined. The in habitants of the Tuamotu atolls were, undoubtedly, eaters of human flesh.

The first, and not distant, landfall in the Tuamotu Archipelago to the east of Tahiti is the large atoll Anaa. In the good old days, the inhabitants of Anaa were mighty warriors, hardy mariners, reputed to possess a hearty appetite for “long pig.” In their quest for this pro vender, they became the scourge of the atoll archipelago.

It is logical to suppose, they did not neglect Tahiti. Afaahiti—a narrow coastal terrain on the north-east part of Tai' arapu and remote from the more peopled districts of Greater Tahiti—was the most vulnerable section of Tahiti for a raid from Anaa.

In this particular instance, one may presume that the raiders had time to slay their victims, and to prepare and cover their ovens in the usual manner; but were driven off before they could partake of their horrid feast.

All legend, tradition and history, bear testimony that the Polynesians of the Society Archipelago were never cannibals.