TAYLOR Merlin Moore
AMONG THE CANNIBALS
(The heart of Black Papua)
40 illustrations
cover drawn by Czerper
Poznan 1930, Polish Publishing House of R. Wegner, pp. 196, [3], format 16x23.5cm
An amazing account of the first white man's expedition to the very black heart of the Papuan Country in the 1920s.
, "Too sharply engraved in my memory are the experiences in that deep damp jungle and the mountain ranges stand before my eyes. Again I see myself surrounded by naked savages whose watchful eyes follow me, waiting only for a brief moment of distraction to strike me a blow. Again I notice the black silhouettes in front of me on the trail rise up as if from under the ground, with their bows taut, their spears raised...Such is this country of Papuans. It puts its mark on everyone who visits it. Some are struck only by its picturesqueness and these are delighted. To others, Mother Nature reveals herself there from the worst, most cruel, bloodthirsty side. They see cannibals with blood-dripping fangs, ready to storm, lurking to attack, to sow death and bloodshed, to sadistic saturnalia. One is either fond of the Land of the Papuans, or one hates it..." , "There is a law in Papuans that fuels constant murder. It forbids a young man to marry until he has earned the right to wear a badge of feathers on his head, and this is earned only by shedding human blood. And in this regard, the savage is not constrained in his choice of victim. It can be either an old woman or a helpless child."
PUBLISHER'S HARDCOVER OF THE PERIOD, PAPER WRAPPER
BDB-/ condition of the wrapper slightly damaged, otherwise a NICE piece
