The Carolina Spartan. [volume] (Spartanburg, S.C.) 1852-1896, 1857-07-09


language agains; Koi, because he does not
sacrihce one OF his own children; and hesi-
tated not TO say that it was because he did
not do this, that the attack upon Dunka.
seen was not more successful. would fain
have rescued this poor little fatherless boy
from the unmerciful grasp of these wild
baIbarlans, by giving a handsome present
Tor his redemption; but even had succeed
| ed, another would doubtless have imme-
diately been substituted in his stead"
Alter the account Of the home practice OF
tue Ashantees, we cannot be surprised at
the barbarlaties they exercised upon the
British prisoners who fell into their hands
during The war in which we were engaged
with them. After.the battle in which Sir
Charles Mccarthy was unfortunately killed.
Mr.. Williams, an officer, who was taken
prisoner, said, that whenever the Ashanlees
beheaded prisoner, they made him sit on
one side Of large war drum, while they
took otftheir victims head on the other. Mr..
Jones, merchant and captain of the mill
TIA, having received five wounds, was i'm
media,ely sacrificed !; this, however, would
have happened 10 him, had he been an
Ashantee; for any one who has received
live wounds in any action, whether friend
or foe, Is devoted 10 the fetish. II is said
that the Ashantee chiefs ate Sir Charles
MCarthys heart, that they might embibe
hls valor; and that his dried flesh aud bones
were divided amongst them rs charms to
inspire courage.
In the Landers' narrative, instances Of
similar atrocity are to be met with. We
informed tbat NJ -, =.
Tor two of the governors wives to quit the
world on the same day with himself; and
that the governor of that place, himself Of
necessity goes down to the grave on the
demise OF his sovereign, the king Of Var
riba.
Mr.. Laird speaks OF the deccase of an
aged chief while he WAS al Fundah. who
left Is wives; and he tells us that on the
night this man was 10 be buried, the king
went to the womens apartment and select
ed one, who was to be hung, in order to
accompany her husband 10 the next world.
Of the other barbarous customs Of Afri.
ca, the continual appeal TO the order OF red
water" or poison, is one of the worst This,
too, also shows the very low rate at which
human life is valued AT lddah Mr.. Old
held saw procession of the wives of the
kings son, just deceased, who were pro-
c,eding to establish their innocence of his
death by drinking poison; and he says, that
out OF sixty of,hese poor infatuated wretch,
es, thirty one died"
shall close ,his gloomy catalogue of
barbaritles with an account, extracted from
Lander, Of some of the atrocities perpe,ra.
ted in Badagry. He says, The murder of
n slave is not considered even in the light
of a misdemeanor among them. BadaSry
being Il general mart for the sale Of slaves
TO the European merchants, it not uulie
quently happens tha: the market is over
stocked with human beings; in which case
their maintenance devolyes on the govern
inent. Thieves and other offenders, togeth.
or with the remnant Of unpurchased slaves
who are not drowned along with their com
panions in misfortune and misery, are re-
served 10y them 10 be sacrificed 10 their god:
which horrid ceremony takes place at least
once a month. Prisoners taken in war are
also immola,ed, to appease the names Of
the soldiers of Adoilee slain in battle; and
Of all atrocities, the manner in which these
wretches are slain is the most barbarous
tree, flask OF rum is given him to drink;
whilst he is IN the ac, Of swallowing it, a
fellow steals imperceptibly behind him with
heavy club, inilicls violent blow on the
back of The head, and, as ii often happens,
dashes out his brains. The senseless being
is then taken TO the fetish hut, and a Gala,
bash or gourd having been previously got
ready, the head is severed from the trunk
with an axe, 5 ! the smoking blood gurgles
into II. While this is in hand, Other
wTetches, furnished with knives, cut and
lnangle the body in order 10 extract the
heart entire from the breast, which being
done, although it be yet warm and culver.
ing with blood, It is presented to the king
first, and afterwards 10 his wives and gen
erals, who always attend at the celebration
Of these sacrifices; and his majesty and
suite, making an incsion into il with their
teeth, and partaking of the foamy blood.
which is likewise offered, the heart is ex.
hIbIted to the surrounding multitude. 1t
is then affixed to the head of small spear,
and with the calabash Of blood, aud head.
less body, Paraded through the town follow.
ed by hundreds Of spearmen, and a dense
crowd ofpeople. Whoever may express an
inclination to bite the heart or drink the
blood, has it Immediately presented to him
for that purpose, the multitude dancing aud
singing. What remains OF the heart is
flung 10 the dogs, and the body, cut in
pieces. is stuck on the fetish tree, where i,
is left till wholly devoured by birds of prev.
Besides these butcheries, they make grand
sacrifice once year, under their sacred fet-
ish tree, growing in wood, few miles
from the city. These arc offered to their
malevolent demon or spirit of evil, quarter
ed, and hung on the gigantic branches Of
the venerable tree, and the skulls Of the VIC
Tins suffered to bleach in the sun around
the trunk of it. BY accident, had an op
portunity of seeing this much talked of tree,
a day or two only after one Of the yearly
sacrifices-its enormous branches literally