sightly scars on each side of my neck, I have nothing
of which to complain, and much to be thankful for; for had I been in
ever so little a more erect position, the ball would have broken my
neck--and some compositors in printing establishments earned a little
less money.

CHAPTER XII ~ MY FRIENDS, THE ANTHROPOPHAGI

Mr. Rudyard Kipling has spoken of what he terms "the Great American Pie
Belt," which runs through certain parts of the United States, the people
of which live largely on pumpkin pie; in the South Pacific there is what
may be vulgarly termed the Great "Long Pork" Belt, running through
many groups of islands, the savage inhabitants of which are notorious
cannibals. This belt extends from the New Hebrides north-westerly to
the Solomon Archipelago, thence more westerly to New Ireland and New
Britain, the coasts of Dutch, German, and British New Guinea; and then,
turning south, embraces a considerable portion of the coast line of
Northern Australia. Forty years ago Fiji could have been included,
but cannibalism in that group had long since ceased; as also in New
Caledonia and the Loyalty Islands.

The British, French and German Governments are doing their best to stamp
out the practice. Ships of war patrol the various groups, and wherever
possible, headhunting and man-eating excursions are suppressed; but some
of the islands are of such a vast extent that only the coastal tribes
are affected. In the interior--practically unknown to any white
man--there is a very numerous population of mountaineer tribes, who
are all cannibals, and will remain so for perhaps another fifty years,
unless, as was done in Fiji by Sir Arthur Gordon (now Lord Stanmore), a
large armed force is sent to subdue these people, destroy their towns,
and bring them to settle on the coast, where they may be subjected to
missionary (and police) influence.

During my trading and "blackbirding" voyages, I made the acquaintance,
and indeed in some cases the friendship, of many cannibals, and at one
time, when I was doing shore duty, I lived for six months in a large
cannibal village on the north coast of the great island of New Britain,
or Tombara, as the natives call it I had not the slightest fear of being
converted into "Long Pig" (_puaka kumi_) for the chief, a hideous, but
yet not bad-natured savage, named Bobaran, in consideration for certain
gifts of muskets, powder, bullets, etc, and tobacco, became responsible
for my safety with h