Daily Ohio statesman. [volume] (Columbus, Ohio) 1855-1870, 1867-07-29
THE OHIO STATESMAN. ].
.Amons nslCannibals.

.Anong Cannibals.
Mr.. Charles Livingstone, Her Majesty's
consul in the Blight OF, Biafra, sends to the
British Foreign Office the following narra-
tive of his interview with the King of the
Okfika country with view to terminate
war between that country and New Gala
bar; the consul was accompanied aby three
LOB 0krika, the chief town, Is built on a
dry ridge, part of which is adorned with
magnificent trees. A stoSsade, through
which peep some guns, defends the water
ffoatof the town, which seemed longer
than Grand Bonny. Dense masses Of peo-
ple-erewded.the beach at the public land
ingsplace. The Bonny chiefs, Prince
George, BRuigo, Calendusi, landed, but we
remained insthe boats until they had seen
the King, In fifteen minutes they return
ed and beckoned us to land. i The stencil
was terrible; all the stinks at the outskirts
of all the African villages I ever entered,
Enough mixed and shaken together, would
be weak compared to this.s After passing
through the crowd, we met some fellows
who tried to stop u.s.. ut was contrary to
juju sfors white men to enter the town.
The Bonnya chiefs seolded,a and we
pushed on, but soon met mob
OF hundreds and further progress was
dust scold and push, and even knock some
down; the others pressed closer together,
shouting, barking, and gesticulating fran
ticaily.T After king at rheq Performance
until we got tired of it. we returned to the
so,,, tbe 49, iny;.i, ~ - - co.,
esLo C,arJs--a,.e,od ,.,;ti. jon ,r,st;oLs
foS :. tba o1sr,,s,s sf ~. st-oots s,,J tbe
~ ~. W. 70 FL
Kings audience chamber, which had no
light except what came in by the door.
Chairs were brought, and the chiefs and
pLnels ttst ~. U;,t, e hs.,' ssooa 70 the
tS<ss,so to cc,,,s,,it fhe s,iritss shefore
y-SJaaoI;ras ~ tnS;ness Tn half ar, shon,.
E;rg Eih;s anneared. stronoiv-bnilt man
If 45. lg;rh 4 round. OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES
SSce,, He -shook, hands and sat down on a
Ehe rufie recention his neonle had given Ils.
he asked ms 10 remain tin the Following
,5sv al .lsdn,e of hissch;afs had not vet ar5
,iyed from their 'viIiaoes. 4 table Of ,na-
fivs man,,factnre was bro1oht in. + the
Oneey,i snreafj d taflecloth over IT, and
Stombo'' funintoxicating palm wine) was
i,resented.g Permission 20 see me town was
givsn.. and we Maid a visit to the iuiu-
6onse. a noisv lcisoyyd attemntefi tn r,isb IN
after ne h,it5a vigoroi,s annIication of tbe
Iongs ssficks of the cnarlis drove them hack.
Masses ~ hnmaf sknIls hang from the
waIis and nTimerous 10 Wa of skulls cover
e. r,@s Of a eort ofSaItar' In front of tbis
having fO0tSt0Ol
Of human sknils.s The .Okrika had eaten
tho victims whose skulls decorate the iuiu.
sSouse. An old man who accompani.d us
smoke with evident eusto of the different
cannibal feasts he had partaken of, and
mentioned the parts of the human BODY
which he considered the sweetest. 1t is the
first time have seen cannibals in Africa.
we saw men at work tarring ropes 9TH
ers retailed gin in the streets by the wine-
glass We had a GLIMPSE of the Okrika fil-
neral ceremony. Three young men.
facing the same way, had the corpse of a
boy. Gone up In mating on their Shout
ders. They twisted and tugged, and ap-
peared as, if struggling with unseen spirits
who wished to drag the body to a shallow
omen grave by the side of a house. AT
times the Young men bad the advantage,
and brought the body back from the grave
then 1the spirits prevailed, and dragged
them forward. Al man kept beating drum
The Okrika are well clothed, most of the
cloth being made from the palm. leaf. They
are acquainted with several vegetable dyes
two-a yellow and blue-are used TO pain
their persons. We slept in Ogobome, a
large village which has an oil market, and
about two miles from the capital. A good
dinner was provided, anu we were offered
9! choicesof sleeping apartments, close in.
ner rooms, or the open verandahi; my COM
panious preferred the latter. I was con-
the people very kind. My bed, small boxes
of unequal height unIuckily, was in the
best room, in which found good fire
thirty kegs of powder, and q considerable
Quantity of cloth and gin. managed to
sleep, tolerably well, but my compan-
ions were badly bitten by the sand.
flies. IA kings inessenger came for US al
sunrise, and shortly after seyen we were
seated with the King and his chiefs. King
Fibia remarked that in F5oany the King
and chiefs could settle public affairs, butiI
Okrika the people always wanted to bs
present. He Thought II would be better tc
have the Interview in public place. 81
that his people could hear all that WA,
said. and not have TO hester him with ones
tioDs after we were gone. Q We according.
~ adjourned TO: the street. There wa,
some disturbance at first. but nothing lik,
that of an excited political gathering in ;
civilized country. King Fibia requested
them to be silent and listen to what wa
said. His Prime Minister and orator hav
irgsbefore him specimens of two KINDS O
dried fish. a fish trap. and piece of net
commenced by remar<inr that, they were
glad to see me. They did not 5tlnderstai1t
the leiistonns of the evhiff mem. no whit.
man had ever been in their town before
ana I1ey shopeda woula exens.
them . II sneya pLocseoen IN elnelrzoasI Y,
Way..a ne tneh pickeG up ., tne,afleo l
tne Trap anu net, anu Hanqeu Saepi-toIne |.
saying: Donny ahu. yala0aF pANe SHIPS u