Edgefield advertiser. [volume] (Edgefield, S.C.) 1836-current, 1855-08-01
THE HABITATI0N OF CRUELTY.

in the extreme, Notwithstanding the numerous
triumphs of the Gospel there. A few Incl.
dents given in Wesleyan Missionary Notices
by an eyewitness, illustrates the actual con.
dition of the islanders: -
Stranglng of widows has engaged our
frequent attention, and called forth .ourutmost
energies. Six or. eight women have been
directly saved from this inhuman practice by
our interposition, and several others indirectly
and principally by the influence ofwhat we
have done. Some of these bsve subsequently
latued. These scenes require no ordinary
promptitude and sacrifice. We have to adopt
the Feejeean national custom of presenting
property when requesting favor, and hitherto
each life has involved the expense of about
FL.
But sometimes our interference is prevented
and sometimes it is spurned and Intellectual.
A few months ago man died in heathern
town within a mile Of ours Mr.. Malvern
and hastened to the abode of death but the
people fearing our arrival, and having heard
of our success in other quarters, had already
strangled the widow. We entered the house
and there were the husband and wife both
sleeping in death. We examined the woman's
body but the last spark of life was extin.
guished. All ! and there stood the son of
those now dead, who, with fiendish. expression
lifted up his hands, and told US that by those
hands his mother died
."Ahw was our language, this is seen in
Heaven this will not be forgotten in Heaven /;
its punishment will follow"
A few weeks afterwards stood by an
open grave in that town. had gone in pur-
suit of the widow of young mar, brought
home corps from war. Her friends had
consigned her to our care, and she had es.
capped from US. stood by the open grave that
I'might witness the ceremony Of heather
burial; the corpse was brought out shrouded
in mass q bullet had pierced the brain. |
looked upon the dead; recognized the fea.
lures it was the matricide
"AhT exclaimed, as the corpse was laid
in its last resting place, "did we not speak
the truth when we said: "His sin was seen
in Heaven /; its punishment would follow"
Several women have, in spite -four efforts
been strangled; and wherever there is ason
be is chosen to be the principal agent in the
murder of bis mother. Within my own
knowledge, father has, with his own hands,
sufocated (by choking or gagging) his own
daughter who was sick. One day, standing
by the corpse of warrior painted and black
ened as if for war, the club lying by his side,
| turned round.to his brother and inquired
the tEs cause Of bis death. The reply from
suffocated him p 80 -. =,
Infanticide is written on another page of
Feeieean life. lwish to con6ne myillustra-
tions as much as possible to cases that bear
directly upon the point, and that have passed
under the immediate notice OF myself or
other missionaries, or credible informants.
Nothing do state on mere rumor.. A woman
brought me child, who from want of prop.
er treatment was nearly dead. undertook
to prescribe for it, if the mother would reside
for time in the house Of one Of my servants,
so that might see that it met with proper
attention. My treatment was successful;
the disease was subdued; the child could
again run about, talk, and eat; in o dayo or
two the mother could have returned to her
friends, but maternal patience was exhausted,
and one night she suffocated it.
A man was informed that his, wife had
given birth to a daughter. Hearing OF it's
sex, he at once directed it to be strangled.
Again female child was spared for several
months; its death was then resolved upon by
the parents. They dug deep hole in. the
centre of the earthen floor of their house,
the father flung into the grave his helpless
and innocent babe. He then cast some heavy
stones with violence upon it, and filled up the
grave with earth. These inhuman parents
still occupy that house. They daily tread
over the decaying remains of their murdered
child.--Such is Feejee at the present day
Our GRAIN MARKEr.-Our market this
season will present the unusual feature OF a
large foreign export Of wheat: We learn
that single house in this city has
received notice of consignments to the
amount of two hundred thousand bushels.
This, though large item in the business, is
far from embracing the whole. Nearly all
of East Tennessee, the Northern part OF
Georgia, the Western part Of North Carroll.
ma, and the Upper Districts of our own
State, an immense region, admirably adap.
ted for the culture of wheat, will furnish their
contingents of our market during the present
year, and promise an indefinite inc, ease in
future years. With. proper arrangements
on the part Of our merchants and proper
facilities on the part of our railroads, we
have every right to expect that hereafter the
expectation Of wheat and -four from Charles.
ton will form ono of the leading features in
our commercial records. .
Thus far, our, exports of wheat have been
mostly to Northern portsi but we learn
that arrangements have been effected for
shipments to Europe, where, we have reason
to believe, the superior quality of Southern
grain will make tia favorite.-Charleston
Mercury. =
>, ImponrANT HINT TO. P PARENrs.-Few
parents realize how much their children may
be taught at home, by; devotinga a few mo.
ments to their instruction every day, Let
parent make the experiment with his son
of ten years old, for single week, and only
during the hours which are not spent al
school. Let him make companion of his
child, converse with him Familiarity, put te
him questions, answer inquiries, communi
cate facts, the result'of his reading or obser
vation, awaken. his curiosity, explain diff
culties, the meaning Of things, and all this