The weekly miner. [volume] (Butte, Mont.) 1878-1881, 1881-09-06
HORRORS.
Cannibalism Openly Practised in
the Island of Hayti by Ser .
pent-Worshippers.
The Appalling Testimony on This
Point of an English Traveller
Of Rank and Intelligence.

Main Ill MS yacn, caIne W HIS ouiitiy IL lis
way home. While here he submitted certain
entries in the vessels log and certain passase
in his own diary to the inspection of Ameri-
cali friends, who earnestly advised him to
pursue the hints therein gwen with an eye to
concentrat' ng public attention on the pro-
gressive relapse into barbarism of society in
the vast and beautiful and once sp'endidly'
productive island of Hayti. This advice he
seems to have taken, for we find in Vanity
Far of Aug. 10, the following resume of his
painful but very important observations:
"The religion of Haytiis ostensibly Roman
Catholic. An archbishop, four bishops and
nearly one hundred priests are established in
the country, but they are really poweriess in
the face of a secret religion called "Voudou,"
or ser~pent-worslIip.
The professors of "Voudou,' who have the
"serpent-Iouse" in each village-wood Gas
NAV also be seen on the west coast of Africa)
originally came from the Congo coast and
were of the tribe called Mandingoes, cele-
brated for their skill as sorcerers and secret
prisoners, and for being serpent-wolshippers,
child-slayers and cannibals. They appear to
have brought their arts with them from Afri-
ca, but while Ifayti was under French rule
they were obliged to practise them in secret.
1t was, however, mainly owing to the
power of "Voudou" that Hayti was lost to the
French. Many Of the Presidents have b.
longed to it. the present President either can
not or will not suppress it, and it tourishes
openly. It. would be improper for me to give
up my authorities. II is sufficient to say that
tley are Of the highest, and that the facts are
indisputable, being vouched for to me by eye
witnesses. Out of over 100000 inhabitants
of HAyti there are only 10000 who DO not
openly belong to ~ oudou."
The priests of this religion have got abso-
Lutte power, owing to their knowledge of herb
poisoning and Of the antidotes. Owing 70
this knowledge, which nothing will induce
them to dlvulge, they can poison either slow
" or quickly, painfully or the reverse, and
can procu1s a death-like sleep. They are CON-
se1uently resortea to by people who wish to
get rid Of others either for gain, from ieal-
ouSy, or the like.
Tie secret poisoning ia carried On to an
enormous extent. 1t goes on, indeed, unde:
the name OF "Obi' wherever negroes are to be
found. In Hayti, while the French had the
island, it was sternly repressad- more SO than
in Jamaica or Cuba-but since then it has in
creased to such an extent that a suppressed
terror prevails among all classes in Rayti.
The great feasts Of "youdou'' are at Christ
mas, at Whitsurtidc aud at Easter. The drum
is beaten at midnight a d the people assem-
Bile. The coremony commences by the most
terrible oashs Of secrecy. Then dancing be-
gins, and the excitement is X 'pt up by cori-
Gus hbations Of rum till one Or more of the
performers fall down IN a fl. when the spirit
of "Voudou" is supposed to have entered in
to them. These orgies last generally three
nights aud sometimes longer. On the first
night a cock is offered up az the altar, and tie
blood is drunk warm. On the second night a
goat is treated in the same way. But on the
third night children are brought in; their
threats are cut by the priest; tleir blood IS
handed round and drunk warm, ard their
bodies az then cut up and eaten.
Before the sacrifice takes place the priest
orders as man children as he i~eutlircs. They
must be Of pure African Descent and not
over ten years of age. These children are in
variably forthcoming, either by being volUn
tarily given up or obtained by being stolen by
f women who make a profession Of it. They
are expert at their trade. Entering a house
at night, naked and oiled, they steal the
child, and by administering a narcotic
: poison render it iusensensible. 1t IS then
conveyed to a secret place TIL required for
the sacrifice, when an antidote brings it to;
then its throat is cut. Children are Otter
voluntarily given up by their mothers for the
sacrifice. 30 s..
In order to be initiated into 'Voudou" it i,
necessary to have killed some human being
T a child is preferred. a .
i Another horrible custom in Hayti is the
devouring of corpses. .= "t A..t.. .
So strong is the taste for human flesh tina
! mid-wives have been know to devour thu
world. The parts preferred are the knucklei
d and hands. - al'"a@
. Lest it should oe imagined that these arr
, not facts, l will give you one or two in
stances. YAH. ..- ,. an@
h III May, 1879, two women were caught eat
ing a female child. 1t was proved that tn
: child had been first drueged a~ndrendered in
. sensible. The parents supposing it to b
V dead buried it. These women immediNtel
disinterred it, restored it to its senses by an
n tidotes, and then inserted reeds through it
l. side ana st,cked the blood from the heart
a This happened at Port au Prince.
AHaytian of COED position was also caugh
n with his family eating q small boy. Anothe
!, was fnnnl tied ID a ttea clnse hu Ma ma