The true northerner. [volume] (Paw Paw, Mich.) 1855-1920, 1871-05-26
Cannibal Warfare.

The Bonny correspondent of the Liv-
erpool Courier writes as follows Z" For
some time past the New Calabar men
have been secretly preparing their for.
ces for a raid into the Ekreeka country
partly as demonstration of their
strength and partly to see whether the
Bonny men would come forward as the
protectors of he Ekreekas, which they
are bound to do by treaty. Accordingly,
about a week ago. the most powerful
expedition that ever left New Calabar
for Ekreella set out under command of
King Amachree. The expedition con-
sisted of above fifty large war canoes,
manned by over 1000 men. They eau
tiously approached the capital of the
Ekreeka country taking three days in
the movement. On the night Of the third
day they lay in wait near the city, hid
by the thick bushes that lined the creek
that leads to the residence Of King Phi
bia. About midnight some Ekreeka oil
and fishing canOes-about nine in num-
ber~-came by, manned by both men and
women. The war canoes charged out
from their respective hiding-places
few minutes of confusion, cries of tri-
umph and shriells of dismay and all
was over. The canoes were captured.
and with them about twenty-five men
and three casks of palm oil but the
women, with praiseworthy activity,
jumped into the creek and swan
ashore, and, in spite of all the efforts of
the CaIabar men, they escaped through
the bush to the town and gave the
alarm, the Calabar men, in their own ex-
presslve way, remarking, Them women
he be devilman to for run -. e.. very
swift of foot At daylight an advance
was made on the town, but the Eiree-
kas were too strongly posted behind
stockades TO warrant the Calabar men
carrying the place by storm. They,
therefore, opened fire on the position
with canoe guns, and bOmbarded it for
some homs. The slaughter in the crowd
ed town must have been very great, as
every shot told; and as the Calabar
men guns were heavier calibre than
those OF the Ekreekas, their fire was most
affective at range that was quite out
ot the power Of the El<reella guns.
The lalabay men. being satisfied with
the damage they had done to the Ekree
kas, drew off their canoes and returned
10 New Calabar Town. Then commenced
the horrible orgies that are the usual Sc
quel to all the battles in this country.
Sixteen Of the prisoners were at once
slaughtered and portioned out like so
much beef or mutton, to the principal
families in the town, for the purpose OF
being cooked and eaten. One scene will
suffice to give an idea of the horrible
practices. About 10 a. No., one Of the
unfortunate captivcs was bound hand
and foot in the center Of the courtyard
of one of the most wealthy and enlight.
ened of the chiefs. The prisoner, bag
gard and worn, was surrounded by the
wives, children, head men and slaves of
the chief The chief himself stood in
front coolly instructing his youngest
and favorite son, good-looking boy OF
about six years old, how to execute the
prisoner with sharp knife. After a few
minutes the young savage seized the
prisoner by his wool, pulled his head
forward, and struck him on the back OF
the neck, causing the blood to squirt
forth The yells of the men and women
were deatening. The miserable prisoner
was struck to the ground and cut up in
pieces with large knives. The youngs-
ter who commenced the slaughter way
ed his hand, reeking with blood, on
hgh, and gave shout OF triumph. In
ten minutes after the head and hands
of the late prisoner were in an iron pot
boiling i'm the chefs house for his break.
fast. carefully tended by one OF his
wives, and the young executioner greed
lily awaiting the repast he would share
with his father. Six of the the canoes
taken were destroyed before leaving the
Ekreeka country, and, to the astonlsh,
ment of the King of Calabar, eight OF
the prisoners denied that they were
Ekreeka men, and asserted that they
were Bonny men. They were according
ly placed in safe keeping till the Bonny
King could be communicated with,
which was at once done through the
Chairman of the Court of Equity, New
Calabar. 1t has since transpired that
the Bonny people claim these men, also
two canoes and three casks ofpalm oil.