The Sun.
London, England, 1861-07-08 00:00:00

faco of your cousin from the bush I lie is Dearer to you
than gorilla is to us."
And another roar.

" Gorilla no got woolly hair liko we. 'This one straight
hair, like ycu."

" Yes," said I ; " but when he gets old his face is black ;
and do you not see his nose how flat it is, like yours ?"
Whereat there was a louder laugh than before. For, so
long as he can laugh, the negro cams. little against whew
the joke goes.
As the dry season advanced, and the nights grew cooler,
he became exceedingly fond of sitting near the lire with the
men in the evening; and Master Tummy seemed then to
enjoy himself wonderfully, and quite as much as any human
being. From time to time he looked up into the faces ,
those round him, as if to say, "Do not drive me away
and the very white colour of his face contrasted singularly
with the black heads around him. His eye was intelligent,
and when left to himself his whole countenance a look
of sadness, sometimes painful to behold. Many times I
tried to penetrate and read the inward thoughts of this won-
derful little creature, which not only excited my wonder,
but that of the natives. Tommy had a reputation quite as
great as mine throughout the country. But alas l pi,or
Tommy I One morning he refused his food, seemed down-
cast, and was very anxious to he petted and held in the
arms. I got all kinds of forest berries for him, but be re-
fused all. He did not seem to suffer, but ate nothing ; and
next day, without a struggle, died. Poor fellow 1 I was.
very sorry, for he had grown up to be quite a pet com-
panion for me ; and oven tho negroes, though he had given
them great trouble, were sorry at his death.
With the exception of the Fans, the habits and cur-
toms of the negroes are much the same in this
neighbourhood, all believing in _Fetish and Idols.
The Fetish man is the greatest villain that can pos-
' sibly be conceived. He holds the lives of the people
in his hand, for an accusation of witchcraft will be
certain to cause the execution of the party denounced.
But other writers have dilated on this subject, so
let us accompany M. Chaillu to the unexplored
region of the Fan, where hitherto the foot of white
man never trod. The first native he met in this
country nearly fainted on seeing him (he being in
advance of his party), believing him to be the ghost
or spirit of some dead relation. However, their
minds were soon set at ease, and he was well enter-,
tained. The reader may fancy if he can the dis-
gust which the traveller felt when he found that.
his entertainers were professed cannibals ; not eat-
ing an enemy now and then out of revenge, but
making dead bodies a marketable article, salting
down what was to spare and purchasing corpses
from neighbouring nations.
While I was talking to the king to-day (9th), some Fans
brought in a dead body which they had bought in a neigh-
bouring town, and which was now to be divided. I could
see that the man had died of some disease. I confess I
could not bear to stay for the cutting up of the body, but.
retreated when all was ready. It made me sick all over.
I remained till the infernal scene was about to begin, and
then retreated. Afterwards I could hear them from my
house growing noisy over the division.
Eating the bodies of persons who have died of sickness is
a form of cannibalism of which I had never heard among:
any people, so that I determined to inquire if it were in-
deed a general custom among the Fans, or merely an excep-
tional freak. They spoke without embarrassment about
the whole matter, and I was informed that they constantly
buy the dead of the Osheba tribe, who, in return, buy
theirs. They also buy the dead of other families in their
own tribes, and, besides this, get the bodies of a great many
slaves from the Mbichos and Mbondemos, for which they
readily give ivory, at the rate of a small tusk for a body.
Until to-day I never could believe two stories—both well
authenticated, but seeming quite impossible to any ono
unacquainted with this people—whith are told of them oir.
Gaboon. A party of Fans who came down to the sea-
shore once actually stole a freshly-buried body from the
cemetery, and cooked it and ate it among them ; and at
another time a party conveyed a body- into the woods, cut
it up, and smoked the flesh, which they carried away with
them. The circumstances made a great fuss among the
Mpongwe, and even the missionaries heard of it, for it
happened at a village not far from the missionary grounds,
but I never credited the stories till now though the fades
were well authenticated by witnesses. In fact, the Fans,
seem regular ghouls, only they practice their horrid custom
unblushingly and in open day, and have no shame about it.
I have seen here knives covered with human skin, which
their owners valued very highly.
The author considers the Fans to be an intelligent
race, and supposes human flesh agrees with them ;
at all events they are the finest race of negroes ho has
met with, making their own knives and building
substantial houses after the African kind. There
exists a curious notion among the natives that the
white people eat the slaves they purchase, and there-
fore being sold to the coast tribes for exportation is
considered a terrible punishment among interior
nations. (in his last voyage up the Fernand Vas
river, a certain chief, after receiving him most
hospitably, sent him to his horror a slave for supper.
After some conversation he said—
" Be glad, 0 spirit, and eat of the things we give thee."
Wherupon, to my astonishment, a slave was handed over
to me, bound, and Remandji said; "Kill him and eat him
for your evening meal ; he is tender and fat, and you must
be hungry." it took me a moment to recover from my
astonishment; then I shook my head, spat violently
on the ground, and made Minsho tell them
that I abhorred the people who ate human flesh, and that
I and my people never did so."
To which Remandji replied, "We always heard that
you white men eat men. Why do you buy our people ?
Why do you come from nobody knows where, and carry off
our men, women, and children ? Do you not fatten them in
your country and eat them ? Therefore I gave you this slave
that you might kill him and make glad your heart."
M. du Chaillu experienced great kindness from the
natives in general ; of course, many tried to impose
upon him, but, by coolness and moderation, ho
always succeeded in carrying his point and having
his own way; and although he was unable in many
cases to prevent wanton murder, still he was
able,', from the influence he had over the head
men, to prevent many atrocities. After nearly five
years' absence he returned to America with his
numerous collection, and after all his toils and
dangers he has the satisfaction of knowing that his
name will go down to posterity as one of the most
successful and daring of African explorers.
We wish, in conclusion, to make a few
remarks on a controversy which, from the
sensation it has created in all circles, should
not be passed over in silence. We refer to the
attempts which have been made by a few
scientific and many ignorant individuals to
cast discredit on M. du Chaillu's narrative.
But that so much has been said and written
upon the subject we would remain silent, for
the calumniators' arguments defeat themselves.
The work under consideration is compiled front
notes taken at various finite; during a period of
four years, and the detractors seize upon every
slight incongruity to be met with in its pages;
a grand stand has been made in regard to dates
which do not altogether agree. Is this a proof that
the work is a fiction ? Why, it proves the truth
and honesty of the writer, for had the book been
written in Mr. Murray's back parlour, as some
wiseacres would insinuate, the author would have
been careful to be correct in even the slightest de-
tails. Again, having no other ground to stand
upon, they must fall upon the engravings, because
they do not always represent the letterpress in every
detail. We should like to find any illustrated work
which will be found to do so. The plates are well exe-
cuted, and give the reader a very good idea of the
situations which they purport to represent. His
description of the eannible Fans is said to be ex-
aggerated. Well, M. du Chaillu may content
himself:.-he is no worse off than Bruce was when
he related how the Abyssinians cut steaks off a live
bullock. Nobody believed him, and he suffered
ridicule instead of reaping praise. Time, however,
proved him to be right. So will it be with M. du.
Chaillu. And after all, this very detraction, while
it acts as an advertisement for his book, cannot in
any way impeach the author's veracity, supported
as he is by Profeasor Owen, Captain Burton, and
other distinguished men; for—
" Envy will merit, as its shade, pursue,
And, like the shadow, prove the substance true."

The Study of the English Language an Essential
Part of a University Course; Extension of a Lec-
ture delivered at the _Royal Institution. By Alex-
ander S. D. D'Orsey, B.D. Bell.and Daldy.
We gave an outline of Mr. D'Orsey's admirable
lecture on the study of the English Language, im-
mediately after its delivery at the Royal Institu-
tion, but it was impossible to do justice to the ex-
tensive learning, :deep research, good taste, and
practical common sense by which it was characte-
rised, in the meagre abstract furnished by our re-
port. We are very glad, therefore, to find it is now
published in an extended form, copiously
illustrg-
ted with notes and coloured diagrams ; and at Nell
y
a price (2s. 6d.) as to plaee it within the reszh of
every one interested in the subject. And who is
not, or at all events, should not be Interested
in the subject? It is not, as Mr. D'Orsey
specialty, restricted to
tpriuolfyessisoanyasl,
ma mere
en
Tfoor
it
conceens us all to
able to say what We have to ssf, whether in speech
or writing, clearly, forcibly, and even elegantly,
so as to save time and trouble to our neighbours
and ourselves, and to please while we interest.
We think it better on the present occasion rather
to let M. D'Omey speak for himself, than attempt
to condense any of the sections into which his lec-
ture is divided. Here is a brief but excellent his-
tory of the genealogy of languages :•—•
GENEALOGY OP LANGUAGES.
Were our lecture on philology, the youngest but most
interesting of studies, it would be right to trace in detail
the connection between English and the great family to
which it belongs. That family is the Indo-European,
a term possibly new to some of you, but used to designate
the chain of languages, stretching from the Ganges to
Mount Hecla, and rapidly spreading over America and
Australia. Its Indian branch includes Sanscrit, Hindus-
tani, and at least forty dialects; its Medo-Persian, the
tongues of ancient and modem Persia, Zend, Parsi, &c. ;
its Pelaseic, Latin and Greek both old and new, with
Portuguese, and Romaunce ; its
I teaulitaonn, i
Dutch, Flemish, English, with.
Italian., French, S, p anerimsha
the Scandinavianbranch of Mcaso-Gothic, Swedish, Danish,
and Norwegian; its Sclavonic, Russian, Polish, Lithuanian;
its Celtic, Irish, Welsh, Gaelic, and Breton. The clearest
idea of the settlement of most of these languages may be
formed from the conception of peoples rolling from the East
in ',successive waves over Europe. First, in pre-historic
(a family distinct from the Indo-
European), ies, theFn
lienavoiTngaFrtianris,o
Laps,
and Magyars as its sole
representatives in our days; then Celtic, occupying at the
outset exteusiTe tracts, but gradually driven to the extreme