It was known, indeed, before this period, that the New Zealanders were cannibals. They had acknow ledged to Captain Cook that they devoured their ene mies, but considerable incredulity respecting it pre vailed. They had also admitted to Mr Savage, who isited them in 1805, that in times of scarcity they had been obliged to eat human flesh ; yet their manners were more favourably viewed than they merited, as has been recently exemplified by another catastrophe like the preceding. A British ship repaired to New Zea land in 1809, for the purpose of purchasing timber, and an amicable correspondence, as before, was entered into with a chief. Ile was received on board with great respect ; and, on one occasion, the captain, accompanied by part of the ship's company, attended him on shore. The chief soon returned, and when those who were ne cessarily occupied in the vessel least suspected treache ry, he gave a sudden yell, upon which his companions immediately began to massacre the unfortunate crew. Ten or twelve who had precipitately ascended the rigg ing on the first appearance of danger, were deluded by promises of safety to come down ; i et, on reaching the deck, they also w ere cruelly butchered. The captain and his companions had been previously dispatched by the natives on shore ; and, of the whole, no more were preserved, than a woman, two girls, and a boy, who sonic time afterwards were rescued. Thirty or forty men thus fell a sacrifice to the savages, and their bodies were devoured. These, among other instances, forcibly prove that savages can I.( vet• be trusted; that they are all cruel and ferocious; and that they only wait for the moment when their superiority may prevail over the unsuspect ing victims.
The natives of New Caledonia have been represented by some voyagers, considering them in their most pa cilic state, as a race endowed with gentleness and do cility. Vet experience proves that they are canhibals to as great an extent as the New Zealanders. They were seen by the navigators sent out in search of 1,a Perouse, in 1793, devouring human flesh; and a portion roasted, which proved to have belonged to a young per son of 1• or 15 years of age, was offered to one of their number. The natives acknowl«Iged that they relished such an exquisite least, and with their teeth greedily tore the remaining sinews and ligaments from a bone. A skeleton, hearing the marks of lire, hung from a post beside the door of a hut, which was found to be the re mains of an unfortunate wretch who had been devoured. T,,e natives explained, in an unequivocal way, how they proceeded to a repast on the bodies of their enemies ; and maintained, that these were the only victims whom they devoured. After the victim fell under repeated strokes of a club or javelin, the belly was lipped up with an implement made of a hard sharp-edged stone, spe cially adapted for the purpose; and then, with another implement of human bone, also prepared for the occa sion, the entrails were drawn out. The legs and arms being next severed at the joints, were distributed an the combatants, to be carried home as food for the ir families. The muscular portions of these members were esteemed particularly delicate ; and, indeed, the same cannibals grasped the fleshy parts of their visitors with an eagerness and avidity, clearly the gratification which they should enjoy front making a meal of it.
It is possible that the continual wars, in which petty states or inconsiderable islands are involved, may render the inhabitants more ferocious ; for all human passions only lurk in concealment, and are ready to he excited in to action. During a war in Tongataboo, in the year 1799, independent of devouring the dead bodies, the women Were seen, after a battle, licking their hands whicli had been dipped in the blood of the slain. In those which have been called the Friendly Islands, the natives are as savage as in those islands where warfare is known to prevail without intermission : whence, it is to be con cluded, that cam ihal practices are far more widely diffused than has hitherto been supposed.
Nearly about the saute period that the catastrophe above related, happened to the British vessel at New Zealand, a scene as sauguinary and horrific was passing at the Fejee islands. Several Env,lisemen at that time being taken prisoners by a warlike chief, who aimed at conquering all the neighbouring territories, were retain ed to witness tIe progress of his arms. An immense fleet of canoes sailed from his principal residence, and was met by one brought out by his opponents to guard their island ; but after a long and obstinate conflict, the latter, overpowered by numbers, forsook tau ir vessels, and leaping into the sea, escaped by swimming ashore. Only one boy was taken, who, bi ing presented to the re lentless savage, was dispatched by three blows of a club, and his body given in charge to an attendant, to he roasted for him. But this did not satisfy his vengeance ; he resolved to extirpate his enemies, by massacreing the helpless women and children, who could hot ao rimpiny their husbands and fat .errs in their flight. A shocking carnage ensued, when in all were butchered on the spot by the furious assailants, wit limit distinction of age or sex, or were dragged half dead into the canoes, w here they breathed their last. When the cruel object was com pleted, no less than 42 corpses re extended on tilo platform of the canoe which the chief commanded, and delight was pictured in every countenance at the horrible banquet which was to follow. The body of a young fe male principally attracting his attention, he ord, red it to he laid aside for himself and his second in command : a fact which coincides With what is told of sonic barbarous leader, who, on a march, always carried young ss omen along with hint, win) were occasionally sacrificed for his food. The dead bodies were accordingly conveyed home with the invaders, and deprived of the limbs, which were hung up on trees, and ready to be cooked. Twenty or thirty men afterwards appeared with baskets full of hu man flesh, half roasted, w rich is the method adopted for preserving it, and the English were urged to partake in the succeeding The ancient and modern existence of cannibals is, therefore, too satisfactorily proved, ever to be again called in question.