How 19th Century Sailors Embraced a Custom of Cannibalism
And what finally put an end to it
6 min readMay 30, 2022
Imagine this scenario: A handful of emaciated sailors look warily at their captain. They’re stranded in the middle of nowhere in a small whaling boat and the food ran out days ago. The captain holds out his fist, five straws poking out the top. “We draw lots and see who gets eaten,” he says, his voice quivering.
