"Thrilling experiences among savage natives...more than once the peaceful naturalist was in danger of becoming food for his neighbors." -Boston Evening Transcript, October 26, 1906
"Two Years Among New Guinea Cannibals by A.E. Pratt is an interesting narrative of an interesting people who may not be pleasant...about human flesh." -Sydney Morning Herald, May 5, 1906
"The evil repute of these barbarous folk rests upon a firm foundation, and, at least one European missionary has been the victim of this practice...Pratt depended solely upon their helpfulness." -NY Times, Nov. 10, 1906
"A.E. Pratt...passed two years in New Guinea, much of the time in the interior, in unexplored country...his record of his experience, Two Years Among New Guinea Cannibals." -The Butte Daily Post, Jan. 31, 1907
"Cannibalism, witchcraft, sorcery, murder, licentiousness, and robbery are too common to cause comment in these savage lands." -The Missionary Review
"A very entertaining narrative." -The Spectator
For 30 years prominent Victorian naturalist, explorer, and author Antwerp Edgar Pratt FRGS (1852 - 1924) had traveled and collected specimens on behalf of a number of prominent people. In 1903, Pratt was sent on two-year collecting mission to New Guinea, after which he penned his popular 1906 book "Two Years Among New Guinea Cannibals."
In his first chapter, Pratt notes:
"My work has led me to the Rocky Mountains, the Amazons, the Republic of Columbia, the Yangtze gorges and the snows of Tibet. None of these has aroused my interest and curiosity in so great a degree as the still almost unexplored Papua."
The book's title would suggest that the explorer of the volume went armed for such frays as depicted by Rider Haggard. On the contrary Pratt is preoccupied with the inoffensive pursuit of birds and plants, butterflies and moths. However his account avoids dry scientific data, and gives the personal experiences of the author and his observations on the character, customs, and dangers posed by the native population, dangers as exemplified by his following narrative:
"One day three natives came in from the village of Mi-Mi, six hours' journey higher up the mountains, on the top of a ridge. They came from the chief of Baw-boi, a fierce warrior, who kept all the small villages round him in abject terror. His emissaries conveyed to me a most agreeable message, that if we and our followers should honour him with a visit at Mi-Mi, he would have the pleasure of cooking and eating our heads—a compliment, presumably. I had fully intended to visit him, but after this token of cordiality I refrained...."
Pratt describes the tropical agricultural pursuits of the natives which included planting and harvesting mangoes, palm cabbage, taro, sugar cane, and yams.
New Guinea has a rich biodiversity of life, including over 730 species of birds. The bower bird, the blue bird of paradise, a new variety of orchid, a magnificent scarlet creeper, spider's webs and wonderful butterflies are observed and collected by Pratt. An interesting discovery was the very ingenious utilization of spiders for making landing-nets used in fishing.
As noted in The Outlook magazine's review, "Readers may rely on passing some pleasant hours with Mr. Pratt's discursive book. He writes in an easy, readable style and, as a trained observer, he unearths much curious information wherever he wanders."
About the author:
Antwerp Edgar Pratt was born March 6, 1852, and died January 4, 1924. He was a Victorian naturalist, explorer, author, and renowned collector of plants, insects, and other animals. Species named for Pratt include three mammals and two reptiles.
Other books by Pratt include: "To the Snows of Tibet through China."
Notable species discovered by Pratt:
Pratt's roundleaf bat Hipposiderous pratti, 1891
Pratt's vole (Alt. the Sichuan Red-backed Vole) Eothenomys chinensis, 1891
Pratt's crabapple Malus prattii 1895
Pratt's snail eater Dipsas pratti, 1897
Pratt's rocket frog Colostethus pratti, 1899
Sphenomorphus pratti, 1903
Pratt's tree frog Litoria pratti, 1911
Green acouchi Myoprocta pratti, 1913
Ceram bandicoot Rhynchomeles prattorum, 1920 (Named for his sons)
Spiny Ceram rat Rattus feliceus, 1920
Buru opalescent birdwing butterfly Troides prattorum, 1922
Delias pratti, 1922
