These testimonies of ancient authors, derive credi bility from what has been observed in modern times ; and from the practices which have been brought to light by voyagers and travellers. In the ancient world, we hear only of some particular nations of cannibals, who fed on human flesh. " But in every part of the new world, there were people to whom this custom was familiar. It prevailed in the southern continent, in se veral of the islands, and in various districts of•North America. Even in those parts, where circumstances with which we are unacquainted had in a great mea sure abolished this practice, it seems formerly to have been so well known, that it is incorporated into the idiom of their language. Among the Iroquois, the phrase by which they express their resolution against an enemy is, "Let us go and eat that nation."* The Americans, however, generally speaking, never devour ed any but their enemies; and when the Spaniards, in the expedition of Narvaez into Florida, in the year 1528, were reduced to such distress, that, to save their own lives, they were obliged to eat such of their companions as happened to die, it appeared so shocking to the natives, who had been accustomed to devour none but prisoners, that they were filled with horror and indignation against the Spaniards. We are happy to state, that this barbar ous custom is now very generally abolished in America, though this reformation can scarcely be said to redound to the honour of human nature, as it has arisen from ne• cessity rather than refinement. The tribes are so much depopulated, that, when any prisoners are taken, it is deemed better policy to adopt, than to eat them. The practice however still prevails among some of the tribes in Terra Firma; and Stedman affirms, that the Caribs devour the flesh of their prisoners with the avidity of wolves. We transcribe a passage from this author, as it brings into one view several things connected with our present subject. "I should not forget to mention, that the Gango negroes are supposed to be Anthropo phagi, or cannibals, like the Caribbee Indians, instigated by habitual and implacable revenge. Among the rebels of this tribe, after the taking of Boucore, some pots were found on the fire, with human flesh, which one of the officers had the curiosity to taste, and declared, that it was not inferior to some kinds of beef, or pork. I have since been assured, by a Mr Vaugills, an American, that, having travelled a great number of miles, inland in Africa, he at last came to a place, where human legs, arms, and thighs, hung upon wooden shambles, and were exposed to sale like butcher meat. And captain John Keen, formerly of the Dolphin, but late of the Niambana schooner, in the Sierra Leona company's service, positively assured me, that a few years since, when he was on the coast of Africa, in the brig Fame, from Bristol, Mr Samuel Biggs, owner, trading for wool, iron, and gold-dust, a captain Dunningen, with his whole crew, belonging to the Nassau schooner, were cut in pieces, salted, and eaten by the negroes of Great Drewin."—Stedman's Narrative, Sce. vol. ii. p.267.
But all this is nothing to what is related on good au thority, .respecting the Giagas, a race of cannibals, who are said to have overrun a great part of Africa. These monsters, it is said, are descended from the Agows, and Galla, who dwell in the southern extremity of Abyssinia, near the sources of the Nile. Impelled by necessity, or a love of plunder, they left their original settlements, and extended their ravages through the heart of Africa, till they were stopped by the Western Ocean. They siezed on the kingdom of Benguela, lying to the south of Angola; and in this situation they were found by the Romish missionaries, and by our countryman, Andrew Battel, whose adventures may be found in Purchas's Pilgrim. Both he, and the Capuchin Cavazzi, who re sided long amongst them, and converted several of them. to Christianity, give such an account of their manners, as is enough to chill the blood with horror. We shall spare our readers the horrid detail, only observing, tliat human flesh is one of their principal delicacies, and that they devour it, not from a spirit of revenge, or from want of other food, but as the most agreeable dain ty. Some of their commanders, when they went on an expedition, carried numbers of young women along with them, sonic of whom were slain almost every day, to gratify this unnatural appetite. Sec Mod. Univers. Hist. vol. xvi. p. 321. and ANZIKO.
The natives of New Zealand are cannibals, but, it is said, they devour only their prisoners. Hawkesworth's
Troy. vol. iii. 3d. edit. p. 172. The same may be said of the New Hollanders. Grant's Voy. p. 113.
Marsden informs us, that the Battas, in the island of Sumatra, eat human flesh as a kind of ceremony, to show their detestation of some particular offences. Garcilasso de la Vega informs us, that, in some of the provinces of Peru, the natives devour their own children, whom they had begotten on the captives taken in war ; and that they served their mothers after the same manner, when they were past child-bearing. Hist. de Incasde Peru,l.i. c. 12. All the Spanish historians, who write concerning the conquest of Mexico, agree in stating, that the Mexicans, and all the neighbouring nations of Indians, devoured the flesh of their enemies; and B. Diaz, who was an eye witness of what he relates, and who is considered by Dr Robertson as most worthy of credit of all the Spanish writers on American affairs, in forms us, that the Indians, wile, assisted Cortes in the reduction of Mexico, carried off with them, on their return to their own country, large quantities of the flesh of the Mexicans, salted or dried, as a most acceptable present to their friends and relations. Robertson's America, vol. ii. note 94.
This enumeration of cannibal nations might be greatly extended; but we turn from the disgusting subject, to offer some observations on the origin of this inhuman custom. Three distinct causes may be assigned as giving rise to this practice ; necessity, revenge, or su perstition. The first of these causes has operated in a thousand instances ; and, men have often been forced, from the extremity of hunger, to feed on the flesh of their own species. But, generally speaking, no sooner is the necessity removed, than the practice is abandon ed. Amongst barbarous nations, however, which are almost always either visited, or threatened with famine, the practice may have met with a more welcome re ception; and the feelings of rage being superaddcd to those of hunger, may have impelled them to seek a bloody repast from the flesh of their enemies. This, however, is little more than conjecture ; and there are, perhaps, more plausible arguments in support of the opinion, that this monstrous custom has been dictated by the fell spirits of revenge. It has most frequently been observed to be practised under the influence of this passion. It is generally the flesh of an enemy that is eaten, and the feasts of human flesh arc, for the most part, the concluding scene of a barbarous triumph over a fallen foe. These considerations induced Dr Robert son to say, that "the rancour of revenge first prompted men to this barbarous action." There are several rea sons which prevent us from yielding an unqualified as sent to this opinion, and which incline us to think that superstition has at least had its share in driving the pas sions of men to such barbarous excesses. The passage quoted above, respecting the Indians, in which it is said that some of them reckon it a mark of piety to eat the flesh of their nearest relations,* sufficiently demonstrates that the practice of ./Inthronophagi has sometimes originated in superstition. The accounts also respect ing the Giagas of Africa seem to prove, that it is amongst them an established custom, altogether independent of the spirit of revenge. Porphyry informs us, that in Chios and 'Penedos, the votaries of Dionysius, or Bacchus, sacrificed to him, ava.:(47rov tearing a man limb from limb, and eating him, no doubt ; for the cot.copayra, or eating of raw flesh, was one of the peculiar rites in the Dionysiac mysteries. Is it not probable then, that, in many instances, the custom of which we are speaking had its origin in superstition, a principle which has al ways been found more capable of driving men to hor rible extremes, than the most violent of the natural passions ? The same principle which led men to believe that the gods could be propitiated by the blood of cap tive victims, would naturally lead them to imagine, that the sacrifice would be more acceptable, when accompani ed with the deepest circumstances of horror.
We now take leave of a subject humbling to the pride of human nature ; and our readers, from the docu ment which we have laid before them, may determine, or, with us, be content with conjecture, what is the most probable origin of such a horrid custom. (g) ANTIiYLLIS, a genus of plants of the class Diadel phia and order Decandria. Sec BOTANY. (iv)