The Lutheran Pioneer St. Louis — 1926, Page 46

Transcription machine transcription, uncorrected

⤓ Download .txt · copy text

46

THE LUTHERAN PIONEER.

limbs. “How fat they are,” said one. Another
drained the saliva from within his mouth and swal-
lowed noisily.

“ ‘Now that he is dead and his spirit has gone
to Jesus,’ they argued, ‘it is not likely that it will
return to harm us, so why should we waste such
fine fat meat?’

“T cannot fully detail the scene that followed.
It was described to me with a wealth of words and
acting. ;

““Makem big one fire — fill him up hot stone,
all same kankaroo. Eatem face; everythin.’ These
are the least revolting details. The bones were
crushed between stones and were bared of marrow
before they were burned in the fire. Hardly a trace
of them was left. When the friends returned with
first-aid remedies and a stretcher, the blue smoke
curled from a smoldering heap and mingled with
the humid air.

““These histories of cannibalism are no sordid
flights of imagination or ancient myths. The inci-
dents related happened during the months of Sep-
tember and November, 1924.”

To the above account the Australian Lutheran
adds the following remarks: —

“A few questions will suggest themselves to us
as we read this. Are these cannibals of the same
origin as other members of the human race? Some
are inclined to think that in primitive and degraded
people we have the evidence that a process of evo-
lution from the lower order of animals into intel-
lectual man is still proceeding and that in such
people as Captain Wilkins tells us of the process
got a later start. But ‘God, who made the world
and all things therein, hath made of one blood all
nations of men for to dwell on all the face of the
earth” Acts 17, 26. These aboriginals of the Far
North are also descendants of Adam and Eve. But
to what depths has man fallen, whom God, in the
beginning, made after His image! Even the Gen-
tiles in St. Paul’s days, whom God had given up
into vile affections, who wallowed in every filth of
immorality, who were filled with all unrighteous-
ness, whose throat was an open sepulcher, who with
their tongues used deceit, having the poison of asps
under their lips, and whose mouth was full of curs-
ing and bitterness, and whose feet were swift to shed
blood, — even they would have been shocked to hear
how like veritable hyenas some of their own race
scratched a decomposing corpse out of its grave in
order to feast thereon.

“Another question: Is it possible to reclaim a
people, that has sunk so Mons Christ died for all.

He came to seek and to save that which was lost.
His grace and salvation availeth also for these can-
nibalistic heathen. Captain Wilkins speaks of the
good work Christian missions are doing in the Far
North in spreading culture among the native tribes.
To the scientist that would appear to be all the
missions are needed for, to teach such people the
manners of civilization. He does not in any way
speak disparagingly of the work of the missionaries; *
on the contrary, he pays them a high tribute of
acknowledgments. ‘I am not qualified to suggest
means for the effective teaching and administration
of Western civilization to these wild men of the
North, but with an observer’s experience I can truth-
fully say that under the direction of the Rev. Mr.
Watson the effect of the work of the Methodist
Missionary Society of Australia is most conspicuous
to the benefit of the natives at Milingimba, Croco-
dile Islands, and at Goulburn Islands.’

“Just so. The Gospel of Christ is a power of
God unto salvation and shows its power also in these
primitive dwellers of the bush. “The Gospel of
Christ Crucified is the only remedy to save such
people from their moral degradation. It will pro-
duce faith also in their hearts, and in them also
faith will bring forth holiness. Those aboriginals
who have already become Christians look with loath-
ing upon that vain conversation received. by tradi-
tion from their fathers,.and although many, or at
least some, of their old superstitions may die hard,
yet their faith must eventually overcome their old
heathen practises.”

Rev. Peay’s Lecture Tour.

Have you read the touching poem of Rev. C. T.
Spitz on the second page of this issue? It will
probably interest you to know how Pastor Spitz. came
to pen these lines. This is what he writes to the
editor: “The enclosed lines were written after hear-
ing a lecture by Rev. Ch. Peay on our work among
the colored people. He spoke of the value of the
mission-schoo] and told us how nicely the colored
children sing our Christian hymns. Thus I con-
jured up in my mind a picture of colored children
singing the Gospel-message into the hearts of others.
The poem was the result.” °

Here is what one of our pastors wrote to Director

"Drewes about Rey. Peay’s lecture: “Rev. Peay made

a favorable impression in this community. His
good lecture was well delivered and equally well
received. I wish to thank the Board for, sending