the relatives of the old gentlemen invite a large
dinner party, chiefly of relations, for a certain
day and hour, generally selecting some central
spot in a spice wood forest- a pleasant, shady,
cozy spot, such as we English people would
choose for a pic-nic. They all muster there at
the appointed time, every man carrying a
carved war club, and a bag full of pepper, salt,
and lemons. They then, after the usual bows,
greetings, and introductions, give the old
gentleman (who, dressed lightly for the purpose,
treats the whole matter as a peculiar
mark of respect, thanks every one all round, and
drinks their health in palm toddy) a fair start,
and run him up and down till he is rather warm
and tolerably tender. In half an hour or so
(even if the old gentleman has practised as an
attorney) he is sure to be "treed" by the younger
and more hungry men. A whoop is then given,
and the whole party collect, and sit round the
place in a ring—every man, with his leaf of salt,
pepper, and lemon by his side, his knife and
fork in his hand, and the leaf of a tallypot
palm for a table-cloth spread over his knees.
Every one then shouts at the same moment,"
Dinner time is come. Good night, Mr.——."
The chief mourner runs up the tree, shakes
hands with the old party, and drops him down.
He is instantly clubbed, and eaten, with "sauce
piquaute," or "sauce à la bonne femme." Such
is the remarkable custom of this very
interesting people.

Horrible as cannibalism is, we cannot
philosophically, Dreikopf says, regard it as proving
devil-worship or utter degradation. It has
only arisen from a craving for animal food in
islands like New Zealand, far from the main-
land, where the few indigenous animals had been
eaten out. When the pig and horse were first
introduced into New Zealand, we believe there
was not a single quadruped existing in the
island but some sort of small rat. By eating
only enemies taken in battle and slain in hot
blood, the New Zealand philosopher probably
first reconciled the matter to his conscience,
and conquered the natural repugnance of man
to such food, which is, however, said by the
natives to almost exactly resemble pork, and is
therefore generally known to them by the
agreeable metonym of "Long Pig."

SAILORS' HOMES.

NOBODY now needs to be told the value of a
Sailors' Home, but the officials of the Sailors'
Home Society have just been issuing a pamphlet
for suggestion to the public that, however
possible it may be, in some respects, to have too
much of a good thing, these homes are among
the good things of which we have not enough.
The crimp will never be extinct, but, escape
from him is not yet everywhere possible and
easy. Jack at sea lives in a floating monastery,
under strict discipline, and subject to unnatural
privations. He is effectually cut off from the
common life of the world, and when he runs
ashore, with all his restraints gone and his
pocket full of accumulated earnings, he is so
utterly inexperienced, and so naturally ready
to make the most of a few days, absolutely free
from all restraint, that to seize, beset, and rob
him, was the business in life of a considerable
number of persons who made that their particular
calling in all English ports. This is
the recognised and still prosperous profession
of a crimp, who seizes his prey often while
yet on board ship, hauls the unwary victim
to his den, provokes him to every excess, and
casts him out in a few days stripped almost,
or altogether, to the skin. A sailor, for example,
was laid hold of in Shields with thirty
or forty pounds in his pocket. A crimp and
sailors' lodging-house keeper took possession of
him, in the usual way, "took care of his money
for him," charging him fourteen shillings a
week for his lodging, and, at the end of sixteen
days, told him his money was all gone, and
claimed also his clothes. Here is a part of
the account produced to justify the claim:
Dec. 9th. Twenty pints of rum, two pounds
six shillings and sixpence; twenty quarts of
beer and fifteen ounces of tobacco, fifteen
shillings. 10th. Eight glasses of rum and two
shillings and sixpence borrowed money, four
shillings and sixpence, 11th. Borrowed money,
two shillings and sixpence; five pints of rum,
five gills of rum, and fifteen quarts of ale, one
pound twelve shillings and sixpence; six ounces
of tobacco, two glasses of gin, and two gills of
brandy, six shillings and sixpence. 12th. Cash,
two shillings; fifteen pints of rum, and twenty-eight
gills of rum, three pounds; four quarts,
half a gallon, and twenty-two gills of beer, one
pound three shillings and ninepence; fifteen
glasses of rum, and eleven glasses of beer, nine
shillings and threepence; pint of brandy and
sixteen glasses of gin, eight shillings; thirty-six
ounces of tobacco and three and a half glasses
of gin, twelve shillings and fourpence-halfpenny.
13th. Eighteen pints of rum, fifteen gills of
rum, and twenty-six quarts of beer, three pounds
four shillings; twenty-six bottles of lemonade,
and twenty-eight gills of beer, one pound;
fourteen ounces of tobacco, six glasses of gin,
six shillings and twopence; twelve glasses of
gingerade and cash, five shillings and eight-
pence; one week's board, fourteen shillings.
Paid for clothes, one pound two shillings and
sixpence; two pints of rum, ten gills of rum,
and four glasses of beer, sixteen shillings;
twenty-four glasses of spirits, nine quarts of
beer, and seven ounces of tobacco, fourteen
shillings and sevenpence. 15th. Sixteen half
glasses of spirits, ten glasses and two gills of
rum, and an ounce and a half of tobacco, beer,
two shillings and tenpence; fortnight's board,
one pound eight shillings; cash, two pounds
eighteen shillings: spirits, tobacco, and rum,
four shillings and three halfpence; cash, five
shillings. 17th. Cash, seven shillings; twenty
glasses of spirits and eight quarts of ale, nine
shillings and fourpence. 18th. Ale, spirits,
and tobacco, sixteen shillings and fourpence.