Bradford reporter. [volume] (Towanda, Pa.) 1844-1884, 1861-09-05
Life in Africa.

The recent work of NJ du Chaillu, in which
he narrstes his experiences and observations
in Africa is full of interesting matter. We
clip from it the two following passages
cAYNIBALIsM AMONG THE FANS
Eating the bodies of persons who have
died of sickness is q form of cannibalism of
which had never heard among any people,
so that | determined to inquire if it were in-
deed a general custom among the Fans, or
merely an exceptional freak. They spoke
without embarrassment about the whole mat
ter, and 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 be-
sides this, get the bodies of great many
slaves from the MbichoS and Mbondemos, for
which they readily give ivory, at the rate of
small tusk for a body. Until to-day never
could believe two stories both we'll authenti.
Gated but seeming quite impossible to any one
unacquaiuted with this people-whch are told
of them on the Gaboon. A party of Fans
who came down to the sea shore once actual.
ly stole a freshly buried body from the GENE
tery, and cooked it and ate it among
them and at another time 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 IL village not far
from the missionary grounds. but / never
credited the stories till now, though the facts
were we'll authenticated by witnesses. In
fact, The Fans seem regular ghouls, only they
practice their horrid custom unblushingly and
in open day. and have 10 shame about it. |
have seen there knives covered with human
skin. which their owners valued very highly.
To-day the Queen brought me some boiled
piamiain, which looked very nice but the fear
lest she should have cooked it in some pot
where a man had been cooked before-which
was most likely the case-made me unable to
eat it. On these Journeys l have fortunately
taken with me sufficient pots to do my own
cooking They are the finest, bravest looking
set of negroes | have seen n the interior, and
eating human flesh seems to agree with them,
though | afterwards saw other Fan tribes
whose members had the fine air of those noun
tains As everywhere else location seems TO
have much to do with it, These were living
among the mountains, and had all the appear
ance of hardy mountaineers."
AFRICAN MORALITY.
OF African morality, little praise can be
spoken
Their women they keep only to minister
to their pride, influence, and sloth. A maB
pays goods or slaves for his wife, and regards
her therefore, as a piece of merchandise-
Young girs-even children in armS-are mar
red to old men for political effect. The idea
of love as we understand it, seems unknown to
these people. The inhabitants of the sea
coast has no hesitation in barteriDg the virtue
of his nearest female relative, nor arethe wo-
men ayerse from the traffic, if only they will
be we'll paid. And | will add, that many Of
the whites who come to the coast do more to
debauch and demoralize these poor, ignorant
natives than even their own ignorance aud
brutality would do.'
There, (as eseW here, women are the pro-
life cause of trouble
Unlawful intercourse with the women of
a Heighboring tribe or village, is the cause OF
nearly all the paiavers,' and wars and fights
in Africa If tribe wants to fight, they
make this the cause, by getting one of their
women to intrigue with a man oil the other
village and if they do not want to fight, then,
they are even forced into it. Then the system
of inlermarryiDg involves half dozen tribes
in the quarrel Each chief calls on his father
in.law to assist, and in this way the country
is thrown into uproar property is unsafe, and
becomes almost vaueleSS to them agr icultural
operations are impeded, and whole villages
gradually disappear from the scene of ccnten-
ton, either by migrating, starving out, or being
killed OUT