cannibalism in the islands of the South Sea, warns all voyagers not to venture among the tribes who have this taste for human food, without the utmost precaution, as they are more artful and treacherous than any of the other Polynesians. Walon, a shipwrecked mariner, narrates his experience in connection with that of several shipmates, in the following almost ghastly words: “We had scarcely reached dry land before a swarm of natives surrounded and made prisoners our little band, now numbering but four men. Too weak to make any resistance the capture was very easy. Noticing our condition, fruits were given us to eat and a chance to rest, before we were marched off to their village. After a while we were tied with thongs of a wiry grass, and the clothing stripped from our backs. As the march to the village began, the savages would approach us, feel of our flesh, pinch our arms and with approving nods and grunts smack their lips and jabber away in their gibberish. Then the mate says to me: ‘Sam, these savages are cannibals, I believe;’ his sentiments echoed our minds. Well we tramped along for an hour or so until we reached the native village. We were at once taken before the head chiefs of the tribe. Each of us was again pinched, sounded and inspected as carefully as a butcher would inspect a calf before buying. The prospects of a feast on four baked white men caused great rejoicing in the town and as we were led away to our prison the hungry eyes of the savages looked longingly upon us. We were provided with a superabundance of food—bread, fruit, plantains, guavas, and many vegetables that we had never before seen. Fish and game of all sorts were placed before us, and we were compelled to eat almost to suffocation. I was grieving myself slowly to death. My three companions had grown fat and healthy looking as a man could wish to be. One day a guard appeared and conducted us before the chief. While on our way, we passed what seemed to be a shallow grave, scooped out of the sand, which natives were lining with flat stones. After reaching the chief’s hut we were placed in line, and again pinched and sounded. Finally, the mate was selected and seized by two savages, who placed a green bamboo pole behind his back, to which he was bound securely, cords of grass being tied around his ankles, thighs and shoulders. He was then laid at full length on the ground and a layer of green leaves placed on his body, when he was soon completely enveloped in the leaves. With great ceremony he was now lifted to the shoulders of four men, and amid a din of native drums was borne to the shallow grave. An immense fire had been built on the stones during the time in which we had been before the chief. A ceremony and incantation, followed by sprinkling the mate from head to foot with a fine powder of some sort, then took place. The executioner at once stepped forward, and with a sharp-pointed stone smashed the skull of the mate, whereupon the bearers