The following is my translation of an article called: Kannibalismus auf Neu Mecklenburg von Ludolf Kummer. It appeared in a German popular science magazine, Kosmos Handweiser für Naturfreunde 1914, Heft 6, Seiten 275-277.
In 1914, several islands offshore from New Guinea were parts of the modest German Empire. Among them were Neu Pommern und Neu Mecklenburg (now New Ireland). They're slightly different in terms of landscape and climat compared to Old Pommerania and Old Mecklenburg, both of which lie in northeast Germany. For example, the Pacific isn't quite like the Baltic, the weather tends to be slightly warmer, the mountains have far more ambition than occasional low hills, and the plants are a touch more tropical. Dietary habits were apparently very similar in both places.
When I started reading the article, I approached it with caution. Claims of cannibalism were frequently made at the time in Europe, despite many of them being based on little credible evidence. However, this author goes into quite some detail. I was tempted to break the original paragraphs up, seeing as their length isn't to my taste. I resisted doing so.
I'm not aware of any previous translation.
Trevor Dykes.

Cannibalism on Neu Mecklenburg (New Ireland) by Ludolf Kummer

The shortage of mammals on New Mecklenburg brings the natives to view anything that walks on legs as being a desirable roast. So, as well as the fish and few birds that the natives catch, humans in particular are seen as a tasty bite. For many people, the enjoyment of human flesh becomes a passion. At the start of this century, eating people was still anything but unusual on this island. Usually, it was the bodies of killed warriors that were consumed with great satisfaction and passion by the victors, if they were able to gain possession of the deceased, But a trade in people even prevailed within the village society. Once, a native of Torochei was condemned to be killed and sold on to Lamachott, so as to ensure peace between the villages of Fisoa and Lammachott. Only betrayal and my intervention prevented this wicked deal. I took the 16 year old to work on my plantation. The local residents held this event against me for a long time, and I am strongly convinced that a later attack on me resulted from my intervention. The so very much loved flesh was not only obtained from battle, but also came via secretive, crafty attacks. Men, women and children, young and old, are killed and then, mostly by canoe, carried away. A number of villages unite for common raids so as to gain the cherished roasts from distant areas. Most of the attacks occur in the early morning. The natives paint the body, so as to make themselves unrecognisable, with a black dye. With incredible speed, the bodies are carried off and taken back to the home village. The lifeless bodies are then tied fast onto wooden platforms and, with the help of free growing (Luftwurzel) roots, they are lowered onto the floor of the boats and covered with fresh branches. The purpose of the fastenings is to hold the body straight. The empty houses deserted by the fled residents of the village are then plundered, and everything of use easily comes into the hands of the victors. I recall a lively chase of one such canoe but, with my hard to steer boat, I could not catch it. When near to their village, the returnees blow various tones on trumpet-like shells, and this informs those in the village as to how many dead bodies are in the canoes. When they reach their destination, the returnees and their horrible cargo are greeted with loud screams and celebrations by those who had remained behind. Usually, preparations begin immediately. These firstly proceed with the head being cut off from the body. This is then put into salted water or a nest of large red ants. Other tribes bury them on a beach. When the meat has rotted or been eaten away, the bones are then laid in the sun to bleach, and the skulls will be turned into masks to use for purposes of dancing. At least, I have seen these skull masks in various places on the north coast between Munewel and Katempu, and also obtained some. The headless body will now have all of its hair removed. It will be rubbed with sand and then washed. The cleansed bodies are then laid on an already prepared or quickly newly made coconut mat and left on display for a while. This can only serve the purpose of allowing the children to get used to the sight. Friends living nearby are then informed by beats and signals on drums, and they quickly assemble to celebrate the victory of the warriors or also to get a piece of meat, for which they must pay. The following operations on the bodies are things I have never seen for myself, and I can only repeat that which has been told to me by natives. I have seen the beheading of bodies, but I was always informed that the deceased was a tribal member, and the head was to be used as an idol. The body was then always covered over. Reportedly, the body will now be cross-cut open with sharpened shells. The innards are removed and cut up and cleaned in sea water, and are then wrapped in leaves and placed onto pre-heated stones, and these will then be eaten as a first breakfast. The heart, lungs, spleen and the thickened blood from the spine are received by the women. The liver, a great delicacy, is roasted on an open fire and then mostly immediately eaten on the spot by the men. The rectal intestines (Mastdarm) are removed from the body to be stretched, and then refastened and manipulated. After this has been done to the body, hot stones will be placed inside the torso near the joint of the tail bone and back bone so as to achieve strong steam in this region. Bananas, taro and so forth are placed in through the opening of the body, which is then resealed, and the whole corpse is wrapped in matting and securely tied; it is now left to cook on hot stones until ready. This cooking usually lasts for three to four hours. At about 4 in the afternoon, the armed men of the village will assemble for their atrocious meal with boundless satisfaction. The cooked person will be placed on a platform in their midst, from which the women must maintain a distance, and the tragic meal will commence after a speech by the chieftain has been met with an applause-like cheering. Many of the people believe that the consumption of human flesh brings them great courage and bravery. It does transpire that a few people will not partake in the feast; they have mostly answered my questions as follows: that is a brother of mine, or I am a relative. But, from another I heard: "I have already eaten some human flesh!" I have never received a readily informative answer, and this is despite the fact that I can make myself understood in their language. In earlier times, a few tribes kept slaves, and these were ceremonially maltreated and tortured to death. At my requests to see such a war and torture dance, human figures were made from bundles of ulang-ulang, and these represented slaves. On a beautifully moonlit evening the models were taken to a sing-sing, a usual evening dance and, before my eyes, were murderously processed with axes and spears during a war dance. The dancers grew riotous during this demonstration, and I was glad to have followed the advice of a number of people, and to have attended the event both heavily armed and in the company of a few of my people.

During my many years of residence on Neu Mecklenburg, I never heard of a white person being murdered and eaten. A European was murdered at my station, and supposedly cut up with body parts being sent to distant villages. Whether these parts were consumed was something I was unable to find out. In response to my questions as to why the flesh of whites was not used, the people thought it would be too salty or that whites contained too much spirit. In any case, the blacks maintained their superstitions and a measure of worry concerning such a pleasure. I have found parts of human bones in many huts and chalk bags used for betel consumption. It would be misleading, however, to conclude that this is always associated with cannibalism. These remains are often memorial pieces for the deceased, and serve to convey the qualities of the dead to the bearer. The influence of whites, especially the missionaries, will only bring a change in later years. When, in the year 1900, I landed on Banarodo, I surprised the natives during their preparations for such a festive meal. A short while previously, Petersen, a white trader based in Kapsu, had been taken by two boats of these people, killed by the black crew and was eaten. After this occurrence became known of, the traders south of Kapsu agreed to punish the people; I also wanted to join the campaign. To my luck, I was prevented from taking part by an illness, then I would otherwise never have been able to reach Banarodo. On my first landing there, a large number of people were assembled on the beach, and I took care to lie low for a time in the boat. When we touched land I stood up heavily armed. Women and children fled into the bush -a bad sign as only the men armed with spears remained. There then began a loud exchange of opinions. But I had a good representative to speak for me, a known and greatly feared Banarodo man from Lessu, Bili-Bilis. After exchanges of betel nuts, a sign of friendship, I and my people could go onto land unhindered. As it happened to be meal time, the chieftain Keindot invited me to dinner, and I did not wish to miss out. We went to the other side of the peninsula where, suddenly, load trumpeting sounded in the thick forest, and a company encountered us carrying a platform supposedly containing a roasted pig; however, as I learned later, it was a cooked bushman. Before I could reach them, the bearers tracelessly disappeared along a neighbouring path. As we arrived at the other side everything was already prepared for the meal. Only the head of the pig lay on a mat, and my experience tells me it must have already been a day old. There was a large quantity of warm, cut up meat, and I was served a piece that was very similar to pork. Without wanting to think further, I prepared to bite into it, but I was nudged from behind and my "Tambu", Lumbei from Potthilack, commented: Eat it not, that is human flesh! At that moment, I felt like trying something different, but the spirit of our age did not leave me. I gave the yellow-white piece, run through with fat, to Keindot sitting next to me, and explained that I would prefer a piece of cold pig ear rather than hot meat. My request was met and I was handed some. And that is how I was served my first piece of human flesh. In future, I investigated what I was served more carefully.

An index of more of my translations of old Kosmos articles can be found at:

Kosmos Translations Archive
kosmostranslations.htm

A number of Mesozoic (and post-Mesozoic) location summaries can be found at Localities.