Sunbury American. [volume] (Sunbury, Pa.) 1848-1879, 1855-06-23
OLD SERIES, VOL. 10. NO. 80.
THE uAnraTroNs OF CRUELTY.

The present state of Feejee is deplorable
in the extreme, notwithstanding the numer-
Gus riumphs of the Gospel there. n few IN
cidents given in Wesleyan Missionary Mott.
cos by an eyewitness, illustrate the actual
condition of the islanders =.
.Sfrangling Of cidous has engaged our ire
quent attention, and called forth our utmost
energies. Six or eight women have been d.
rectly saved from this inhuman practice by
our interposition. and several others Indirect
y and principally by the influence OF what We
have done. Some of these have subsequent
~ lmued. These scenes require no ordinary
promtude and sacrifice. We have to adopt
the Feeieean national custom Of presenting
property when requesting favor; and hith-
crto each life has involved the expense OF
about 81. ..
But sometimes our interference is preven-
ted, and sometimes it is spurned and iuelfec-
tual. a few months ago a man died in a
heather town within mile of ours. Mr..
Malvern and at once fastened to the abode
Of death but the people fearing our arrival,
and having heard of our success III other
quarters. had already strangled the widow
We entered the house there were the hus-
band and wife both sleeping in death. We
entered the house but the last spark OF life
was extinguished. All and there stood tho
son of those now dead, who with fendish ex-
preston lifted up his hands, and told us that
by those hands that mother died ..f
"Ahw was our language, this is seen in
heaven; this will not be forgotten in heaven;
its punishments will follow"
a few weeks afterwards / stood by an open
grave in that town. had gone in pursuit
OF The widow of a young man brought home
corpse from war. Her friends had consigned
bnr to our oorn opd rhn hol aCpnpnl from,
| stood by the open grave, that might wit
ness the ceremony OF heather burial ; the
corpse was brought out shrouded in mats a
bullet had pierced the brain. looked upon
the dead, recognise the features, it was tho
matrcide
"Ah y 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 it was written in heaven; its punish
ment would folow"
Several women have in spite of our efforts,
been strangled; and wherever there is a son.
he is chosen to be the principal agent in the
murder Of his mother. Within my own
knowledge, father has, with his own hands.
suiiocated (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
L luibcu lOullu W plolHcI
the cause of his death. The reply from that
brother was, "He was very i'll and l suiloca-
ted him." ID. -
Mtanticide is written on another page OF
Feeieean life l wish to confne my illustra-
tions as much as possible 30 cases that bear
directly upon the point, and that have passed
under the immediate notice of myself or other
missionaries, or credible informants. Moth
ing do | state on mere rumor. A woman
brought me a child who, from want Of proper
treatment. was nearly dead. / undertook 10
prescribe for it, if the mother would reside
| for time in the house of one of my servants,
so that might see ii met with proper. at
| tention. My treatment was successful tho
| disease was subdued, the child could again
run about, talk and eat; in day or two
the mother could have returned to her
friends, but maternal patience was exhausted,
and one night she suflocated it. a man was
! informed that his wife had given birth to a
daughter. Hearing of its SEX he at once di-
rected 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 hopeless. and innocent babe.
He then cast some heavy stones with violence
upon it. and filed up tie grave with earth
| These inhuman parents still occupy that
house. They daily tread over the decaying
remains of their murdered child. Such is
Feejee in the present day.