Huntington advertiser. [volume] (Huntington, W. Va.) 1874-1921, 1875-12-09
Human Sacrifices at Ashantee

A correspondent, who appears TO
have occupied an official position in
West Africa, sends TO the London
Times "a sketch of the benifcent acts
which attend the death Of a Cabo-
cecr in Ashantee. lie says:
Immediately after demise, the body
Of Caboceer is washed, and anoint
ed with sweet oils and grease, and
sprinkled with gold dust to stick to
the corpse, which, being jet black,
throws oil the bright color Of the gold
to perfection. The beard is trimmed
into knots, and upon each knot are
tied small beads Of glass and thin par
ticIes OF gold. The Ashantees, you
perceive. are "a dainty in the deco
ration of the boards OF their dead
as the Assyrian dandies were Of their
own while living. In cloth Of costly
silk, embroidered damask, or in vel
vet, or in other rich garments, the
body is dressed, and ornamented with
armlets and necklaces Of gold and sill
yer. Very often pure Jumps or un,
wrought nuggets Of gold, bored
through and through, are strung up
on a piece Of hempen string and twist
ed round the tore arms in the form OF
bracelets Thus gaily bedizened, and
perrumed and cleaned, the body is
placed upon chair in a sitting pos
ture, or is shown rccumbent on bed
trimmed with gaudy drapery. When
this combined rite of publication and
earniture has been completed, the
relations and friends assemble and
begin to dance and sing.
While the relations and friends
are making merry, fetihsman or
priest is lei slowly into the midst OF
the festive throng, and the female
slaves Of the dead Caboceer are
brought before him. Alter the ut
tarance OF The various incantations,
he prctcnds that the fetish has demo
tcI bv means Of his mediation, a
certain slave for election to follow
her dead master to the next world; ;
but | need not be at much trouble
10 suggest to you that the members OF
the family always decide beforehand
among themselves which unfortunate
wretch shall accompany the deceased
chicf. Being chosen, and by the
choice condemed to die, the slave Is
stripped naked. Around her neck
whisp of hay is wound, and her arms
are rudely piuioned with rope Of
straw. She is now roughly dragged
4 second time to the presence of the
fetishman, who recommeds her, i'll a
speech full of blasphemous rhodo-
montaie and parade, to serve her
master dutifully through the mazes
of the unknown sphere To which he
is summoned on a journey. During
the delivery of this portentious ex-
h.rtatiou he is busily employed in
daubing white colored earth over, the
face Of the weeping slave; and Mhsn
the admonitory harangue has been
exhausted, he strikes her severely
with his open palm on either cheek.
In benighted zeal the company snatch
up the sacerdotal cue. They try to
rival one another in repeating the As
sault with the harshest violence, and
in dealing the kccnest pain on her
nude and trembling person.
The executiOners. moreover, are
blessed, and the congregated band of
Cabccecr> manifest their profound res
pect by raising the foot Of each exc
cutioner with both hands, and by
rubbing the sole upon the crowns Of
their heads. The natives Of the Gala
Coast have loose conception Of
state of pureatory or probation, and
entertain the idea that the soul Of
tn dead Iders unrcsting for MA
nv year, about the world, and re-
qu re- Il servant tor tie performance
Ut meniai duties IL lis long and