Today I was looking out former enquiries on John Renton for a Museum of Scotland employee.
John Renton was a 21 year old Stromnessian when he was stranded in the South Seas in 1868. His boat washed ashore on Malaita, one of the Solomon Islands which was inhabited by a tribe of head hunters. The islanders made John very welcome, teaching him how to live in their environment and learning skills from him such as net-making.
Eight years later John returned to Stromness. He brought with him a spear and a necklace of 59 human teeth. It is thought that he became a head hunter himself whilst an islander, attacking members of rival tribes and collecting trophies from his victims.
No comments:
Post a Comment
Are you delighted by what you have just read? Are you revulsed and appalled? Do let us know, we'd love to hear from you.