It is difficult to account for the origin of so barbarous a practice as that of devouring human flesh, though men may be conducted to it by imperceptible gradations. Those tribes which are of the rudest manners, and sunk lowest in the scale of civilization, can scarcely be accused of participating in it ; for the cannibals presently known are rather nations verging towards improvement, and animated by the desire of conquest.
Feeding on human flesh may have resulted either from necessity, or from some religious ceremonial ; and it may gradually have been adopted as a token of personal prow ess. Where the culture of the soil is neglected, and a scanty sustenance precariously obtained, mankind are exposed to long and severe privations. To quell the cravings of hunger, tight ligatures arc bound around the body, and lumps of unctuous earth greedily swallowed. If an animal be killed, its blood is drank, and its flesh is devoured raw ; and the meal is repeated as often as oc casion will allow. tinder the pressure of neccssity,there fore, while the savage makes a necklace of the teeth of his fallen enemy, or ornaments himself with his bones, it is less unnatural that he should at once give an unques tionable proof of his prowess, and satisfy the cravings of nature, in making a repast on his flesh. From some principle of religion or duty, it is well known, that cer tain tribes expose their aged relatives, or those labourimr, tinder Mem able disease, to inevitable death. They are said, as we have already seen, to have fed on them of old; and there is still a tribe dwelling on the island of Su matra, who, from a religious rite, devour the flash of their kindred. Iluman sacrifices are yet offered up to the deities of savage nations; portions of the flesh are ptesented ; and libations of the blood are raised to the lips or the bystanders.
It is not long since the Araucanians sacrificed a cap tive to the manes of their deceased countrymen after it battle. The victorious chief gave the victim a mortal blow ; his heart was instantly cut out by two attendants. and some of the blood sucked by the same chief, w ho pass «I it along to the principal warriors, that they might fol low his example.
Though a banquet of human flesh be horrible and re .- pugnant to those who have never felt the pressure of ne cessity, it is too well known that hunger obliterates every sentiment but the desire of self-preservation ; nay, in cases of extremity, it becomes the primary object among men, that some one of a number shall suffer death, that his body may be the means of supporting the rest. Of this, several deplorable instances have been witnessed in sie ges and distresses at sea. During the former, soldiers have sustained themselves on the bodies of their fallen comrades; as in that of Sancerre, in 1572, where parents even fed on the bodies of their deceased children. Cases of the latter arc more general, from unexpected circum stances, and the difficulty of providing against accidents, where no resource is to be obtained. Confining ourselves to instances of modern date, it may be observed, that the Nottingham, an English vessel, was wrecked, in 1710, on a rock called Boon Island, on the coast of America.
This happened in the depth of winter ; the place was ut terly desert ; and, in a short time, two of the crew perish ed of want. The body of one was committed to the waves ; but the strength of the miserable survivors being inadequate to remove the other entire to a distance, when ever it was dragged without the tent which sheltered them, they began to appease their hunger on the raw flesh, for they were destitute of fire. Thus they subsist ed, until they were discovered by strangers. In another vessel, which endured dreadful sufferings from famine at sea, in the year 1765. a negro on board was shot, and his flesh broiled, to supply the necessities of the seamen. But this being all exhausted, it became necessary that one of the crew should die by lot ; and accordingly the victim was preparing for his latter end, when a ship came in sight. In 1797, the slaves of a ship from the coast of Africa having risen upon the crew, their only chance of escape was by leaping into the boat and cutting her adrift. Twelve in this manner were saved ; who, after eating every thing they could swallow, including their shoes, were obliged to resort to the dreadful expedient of de vouring each other. At length, having cast lots, the first victim resolutely resigned his life, only requesting to be bled to death, which the surgeon, who had his case of in struments about him on quitting the vessel, proceeded to do. But no sooner had he touched the vein, than he ap plied his lips to drink the blood as it flowed, and his com panions quickly made a repast on the flesh. Vet, from im moderate indulgence, it (lid not contribute to their general preservation, for only three survived when the boat drifted ashore at Barbadoes, on the thirty-eighth day after they had left the ship. A similar calamity occurred, and the same resources were employed, in 1799, by six men who had lost their course in a boat from St Helena. Being nearly a month at sea, and having suffered incredible dis tress from hunger and thirst, four of the number proposed to sink the boat, that an end might be put to their misery. But this being objected to, they agreed to cast lots which should be slain for the subsistence of the rest, and that the person on whom the lot fell should bleed himself to death. Accordingly one who, being sick of a scarlet fever, was exempted, formed the lots; and he by whom the fatal one was drawn cut his veins in three different places, the wrist, foot, and hand. Praying forgiveness of heaven, he died in about a quarter of an hour. The others supported themselves on his flesh, until they reached the coast of South America. So lately as the year 1207, when the Nautilus sloop of war was wrecked on a barren rock in the Mediterranean, and most of the crew dashed to pieces or drowned, the body of one was resorted to for the preservation of the survivors. Nu merous other instances might be quoted, which clearly illustrate that the repugnance naturally excited amidst abundance may be conquered under the pressure of ne cessity : nor has it ever been remarked that human flesh is unpalatable food.