New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1856-11-05

with them. ] VII give The different o''eTVA''ohs
| made while ws- with that tnoc'
The sbckianee Tribe nhabit tho banks Of toe River
uoodob for .onoe distance and the territory between
-, C.boop River and the MoCndab, the banks Of the
caboon River. They Immediately ajjon the Mpon2 We
ole ,nd some Of their villages the Gsboon are in.
,e,1i,ed with those Of the Mpongwe. but on the
hitter river they entirely forbidden By the Mpongwe
tofrade directly with the whites while on the Moondah
as they are the masters Of toe mouth Of that stream
they trade directly with vessels which neverth less
have generally on board for tradin; VI Bngs
an Mpongwt. For many Of the people Of these two
tribes can speak English Spanish Portuguese, or
French while the Shekianee people do not know a
single word Of any white mans language
was astOnsbed at the small size Of the Skekianee
villages. Some OF them have than six eight
bouses and some Of these villages are very distant
from one another. II is possible that these people may
be found in other places than those mentioned above
but il must be in small rnmbers, tac main body re-
side between the MoOndah and the GaboOn. think
they are the least numerous African tribe have seen
until now, and they wTetched people, who have
been broken down by and the slave trade. For
no doubt fifteen or twenty years ago the slave trade
very brisk in this part Of Africa, which was, prob
ably Of the largest markets for the slave trade
and great many slaves were, no doubt obtained here
by the hpongw6 and the Binga tribes TO be sold to
the slavers. / am certain that human sacrifice was
much les. frequent formerly than now, FOX when they
had market they preferred TO sell the victims. But
savers have almost abandoned their traffic this
part coast and cary Oh further south or north
! believe the Skekanee tribe has not more than
three four thousand sous, and perhaps does not
reach ttat number but is impossible to form
rect idea Of their population it being scattered, and
their villages when trade does not draw them to-
getheI) being so far apart. But now The power Of
the Shekanee tribe departed aud the best of their
population have goue to be slaves in Brazil, Cuba
and other places. What remains of it will waste
away.
1t is remarkable that wherever / have resided or
visited during the few years OF my stay the African
coast, in returning to the places after two or
three years absence, have perceived noted de-
crease in the population.
The Shckanee people Of the river Moondah ore
enterprising than those who reside elsewhere;
trade stimulates their energy and when vessel nm
clors in the river there is general festival throughout
tie villages on the banks The next day the vessel
is surrounded by great many canoes and the deck is
crowded with people who come to see the goods. and
to have, at the same time, drink OF rum Of which
tbty dIt NtIy lODu' many oil tleU canoes are OF
great size. They made Of single piece of
straight tree Some Of them are twenty or thirty
fathOms long five Elk feet in width and three or
four, often, in DEPTH and mus require, as the natives
have no good tools TO work with, Immense labor.
And that is not althese canoes are sometimes made
few miles in the interior las the trees the
shore often not large enough and then they
must be brought TO the banks Of the river aud in the
track were the is to pass all the trees must be
cut down.
Their religion is the .ftcIism, and is about the
as that of the Mponswe. Polygamy is also prevalent
among them, but they have not 20 great a number of
wives as the Mpongwe, or NJ Binga people. They
not So ric and they try always tomary their daughters
to an Mpongw6 or an NJ Bitga. They consider those
two tribes much above them, especially the Mpongwe,
they hope by marriages, to receive many presents
from the husbands, who richer than themselves.
Their form Of government is very simple. Each vii
lage has s head man. and when some pa'arerS are to
be discussed the old men of the village meet together,
and decide the matter by ma jory.
The country they nhabt the right bank of the
River Moobdah, for distance, is beautiful and is
covered with magnfc, Mt forests Some of the woods
are Of great value in trade