Daily Ohio statesman. [volume] (Columbus, Ohio) 1855-1870, 1867-11-04
Something About CannfbaI..

The British Consul in the Blight OF Biafra,
Africa, furnishes the following highly in
teresting details of African affairs in the
interior:
: Op Okrika, the chief town, is built on a
dry ridge, part of which is adorned with
magnificent trees. A stockade, through
which peep some guns, defends the water
front of the town, which seemed longer
than Grand Bonny. Dense masses OF peo-
pie crowded the beach at the public land
ing. place. The Bonny chiefs, Prince
George, Banigo and Calendusi, landed, but
we remained in the boats until they had
seen the King. In fifteen minutes they
returned and beckoned to US to land. The
stencil was terrible; all the stinks at the
outskirts OF all the African villages ever
entered, though mixed and shaken togeth
er, would be weak compared to this. After
passing through the crowd we met some
fellows who tried to stop us. 1T was con-
trary to juju for white men to enter the
town." The Bonny chiefs scolded, and we
pushed on, but soon met mob of hundreds,
and further progress was impossible. In
vain did Biango and Calendusi scold and
push, and even knock some down; the others
pressed closer together, shouting, barking
and gesticulating trantically. After looking
at the performance until we got tired of it,
we returned to the boats. A canoe came
off with two messengers from the King,
inviting us ashore. Guards armed with
long sticks stood at the corners of the
streets, and the town was quiet. We were
conducted to the Kings audience chamber,
which had no light except what came in
at the door. Chairs were brought, and the
chiefs and others crowded in. A beating
of drums announced that the King had
gone to the juiu house to consult the spirits
before proceeding to business. In halt an
hour King Fibia appeared. He was strong
ly built man of 40, with round, good-na-
tured looking face. He shook hands and
sat down on low stool in the corner
ApolOgizing for the rude reception his peo-
pie had given us, he asked us to remain un-
Til the following day, as some of his chiefs
had not yet arrived from their villages. A
table OF native manufacture was brought
in, when the Queen spread a tablecloth
over it, and tOmbo, an Misunderstanding
palm wine. was presented. Permission to
see the town was given. and we paid Wis
it to the juju house; noisy crowd at
tempted to rush in after us, but Wig
orous application of the long stick
of the guards drove them back
Masses of human skulls hang from the
walls, and numerous rows of skulls cover
the roof of a kind of altar. In front of the
altar sat the juju man, having footstool OF
human skulls. The Okrika had eaten the
victims whose skulls decorated the juju
house. An old man who accompanied us
spoke with evident gusto 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; others
retailed gin in the streets by the wine glass
We had glimpse of the Okrika funera
ceremony. Three young men, facing tht
same way, had the corpse of boy done uI
in mating on their shoulders. They twist
ed and tugged, and appeared as if strug'
CLING with unseen spirits who wished tC
drag the body to shallow open grave by
the side of house. At times the young
men had the advantage, and brought the
body from the grave; then the spirits pre-
vailed and dragged them forward. A man
kept beating a drum. The Okrika are
all well clothed, most of the cloth being
made from the palm leaf. The are acquaint-
ed with several vegetable dyes; yellow and
blue are used to paint their persons. We
slept in Ogobome, large village which
has an oil market, and about two mile;
from the capital. A good dinner was pro-
vided, and we were offered choice o
sleeping apartments-close inner rooms ol
an open verandah. My companions pre-
ferred the latter. L was conducted to
neighb0ring house, and found the people
very kind. My bed-small boxes OF unc-
DUAL hight-unluckily was in the bes
room, in which found a good fire, thirty
kegs of powder. and a considerable guam
tity of cloth and gin. L managed to sleep
tolerably we'll. but my companions wer
badly bitten by the sand-tiies. The Kings
messenger came for us at sunrise, and
shortly after seven we were seated with thu
King and his chiefs. King Fibia remarked
that in Bonny the King and chiefs coul
settle public affairs, but in Okrika the peo
pie always wanted to be present. He
thought it would be better to have the in.
terview in public place, so tnat his people
could hear all that was said, and not hav'
to poster him after was gone. We accord
ingly adjourned to the street. There was
some disturbance at first, but nothing like
that of an excited political gathe ring in {
civilized country. King Fibia requested
them to be silent and listen to what wa
said. His Prime Minister and orator hav.
ing before him specimens of two kinds o
dried fish, a fish trap, and pieces o
net, commenced by remarking tina
he was glad to see me. They did not un
derstand the customs of the white men; NJ
white man had ever been in their town be-
fore, and they hoped would excuse them il
they proceeded in their own way. He
then picked up the dried fish, the trap anG
net, and handed them to me, saying Bon
ny and Calabar have ships to trade with
but Okrika has nothing but fish. 1t is or
fish we live; it is with fish we buy the ell
we have to sell, anu this has been the case
Yer since Okrika has been a country. II