The States and Union. [volume] (Ashland, Ohio) 1868-1872, 1871-05-24
Cannibal Warfare.
Fearful Atrocities in 1frica-Prisoners
CIT zip and portioned Ont to the Fam
lies efhs Frtors.

The(Bonny correspondent of the
Liverpool Courier writes as follows.
"For some time past the New Cal
abar men have beeen secretly prepar
ing their forces for a raid into the
Ekreeka conntry--partly as q demon
stfatiot Of their strength, and partly
to see whether the Benny tnen would
stand forward rs the protectors of the
Ekreekas, which they are bound to do
by treaty. Accordingly about o week
ago the most powerful expedition that
ever left New Calabar for Ekreeka,
set out under command of King Am
achrec. The expedition consisted of
Fifty large war canoes, manned by
over two thousand 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 laid in wait ear the
city, hid by the thick bushes that
lired the creek that leads to the house
of Hing Phibia. About midnight,
some Ekreeka oil and fishing canoes,
about nine in number, came by, a
ned by both mel and women, The
war canoes charged out of their re-
spectivc hiding places; a few minutes
of confusion, cries of triumph, and
shieks of dismay, ana all was
" The canoes we're captured, and
with them about twenty-five men and
three casks of palm oil, but the WON
en- with praise sorthy activity. Jumped
into the creek and swan ashore, and,
in spite of all the efforts of the Gala,
bar men, they escaped through the
bush to the town and gave the alarm,
the Calabar men, in their own ex-
pressiye way, remarking: Then
women he be devil man for run" At
daylight an advance was made on the
town, but the Ekreekas were too
strongly posted behind stockades to
warrant the Calabar men carrying tho
place by storm. They therefore open
ed fire on the position with canoe guns,
and bombarded it fer some hours
The slaughter in the crowded town
must have been very great, as every
shot told; and as the Calabar mems
guns were of heavier calibre than the
Ekreeka's, their fire was the most cf-
tcctive at a range beyond the range
of the Ekreeka guns. The.C alabar.
men, being satisfied with the damage
they had done, drew off their canoes
and returned to New Caiabar town.
Then commemorate the horrible orgies
that are the usual seqael to all battles
in this country. Sixteen of the pris.
oners were at once slaughtered and
portioned out, like 90 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. NJ, n of
the unfortunate captives was bound
hand and foot in the centre of the
courtyard of one of the most wealthy
and enlightened chiefs. The prisoner,
haggard and worn, was surrounded by
the wives, children, head nen and
slaves of the chief. The chief HIM
self stood in front, cody i%nstructing
his youngest and favorite son, a good
looking boy of about six years of age,
how to execute the prisoner with a
sharp knife. After q few minutes,
the young savage seized the prisoner
by the 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
we're d~eafening. The miserable pris-
oner was strnck to the ground, and
cut up in pieces with large knives
The youngster who had commenced
the slaughter, waved his hand, reek-
ing with blood, on high. and gave
of triumph. In ten minutes
after; the head and hands of the late
prisoner were in an iron pot boiling
in the chiefs house for his breakfast,
carefully, tended by one of his wives,
and the young exicutioner greedily
awaiting the repast he would share
with his father. Six OF the canoe ta-
ken were Destroyed before. leaving the
Ekreeka country, and, to the aston
isnment of the King of Calabar, eight
of the prisoners taken denied that they
were Ekreeka men, and asserted that
they were Bonny men,. They. were
accordingly placed in safe keeping I'm
til the Benny King could be commu-
nicated with, which was Mt once done
through the chairman Of the court Of
New Calabar. 1t has since
that the Bonny people claim
these men, also two canoes and the
three casks Of palm oil.H