Morning journal and courier., 1881-08-27
VOudOu Horrors.

VOudOu Horrors. 1 Cannfba1ism Openly Practised in the Is
 Iand Of Hayti by Serpent-WOrshiper
 The Appalling Testimony on Thii
 Point of an English Traveller of Ranh
 and Intelligence.
 | From the New York worldl
 Some months ago an Englishman of rank
 and fortune, af;er thoroughly exploring the
 West Indies and visiting part of the Spanish
 Main in his yacht came to this country on
 his way home. While here he submitted
 certain entries in the vessels logs and certain
 passages in his own diary to the inspection
 of American friends who earnestly advised
 him to pursue the hints therein given with | an eye to concentrate public attention on the | progressive relapse into barbarism of society ! In the vast and beautiful and once splendidlv productive island of Hayti. This advice he
 seems to have taken, for we find in V1nitu
 Fdsr of August 13 the following resume of
 his painful but very important observations
 AFRICAN cANNIBALIsM REVIVED IN THE NEW WORLD. The religion of Hayti is ostensibly Ro-
 man Catholic. An archbishop, four bishops ! and nearly one hundred priests are estab l lished in the country, but they are really powerless in the face of a secret religion called ''Voudou" or serpent worship. The professors of 'Voudou, who have the serpent house" in each village-wood (as may also be seen on the west coast of Africa i originally came from the Congo coast and were of the tribe called Mandingoes cele brated for their skill as sorcerers and secret poisoners, and for being serpent nt-worshipers. child-slayers and cannibals. They appear to have brought their arts with them from Africa, but while Hayti was under French r1ln fhav Ivar nh1ina6 f0 tho, l.. secret
 It was, however, mainly owing to the power of "Voudou'' that Hayti was lost to the French. Many of the presidents have be- longed to it; the present president either cannot or will not suppress it, and it four ishes openly. It would be improper for me to give up my authorities. It is sufficient to facts are indisputable, being vouched for to me by eye-witnesses. Out of over TOO, GOO inhabitants of Hayti there are only 20, GOO who do not openly belong to "youdou"
 The priests of this religion have got abso- lute power, owing to their knowledge of herb poisoning and of the antidotes. Owing to this knowledge, which nothing will induce them to divulge, they can poison either slowly or quickly, painfully or the reverse, and can procure death like sleep. They are consequently resorted to by people who wish to get rid of others either for gain, rom jealousy, or the uKe.
 The secret poisoning is carried on to an enormous extent. It goes on, indeed, under the name of "Obi" wherever negroes are found. In Hayti, while the French had the island, it was sternly repressed-more so than either in Jamaica or Cuba-but since then it has increased to such an extent that a suppressed terror prevails among all classes in Hayti.
 The great feasts of "Voudou' are at Christmas, at Whitsuntide and at Easter, The drum is beaten at midnight and the people assemble. The ceremony commences by the most terrible oaths of secrecy. Then dancing begins, and the excitement is kept up by copious libations of rum till one or more of the performers fall down in fit, whom the spirit of "Voudou" is supposed to have entered into them. These orgies last three nights and sometimes longer. On the first night cock is offered up at the altar, and it's blood is drunk warm On the second night goat is treated in the same way But on the third night children are brought in their throats are cut by the priest; their blood is handed round and drunk warm, and their bodies are then cut up and eaten.
 Before the sacrifice takes place the priest orders as many children as he requires. They must be of pure African descent and not over ten yenrs of age. These children are invari- ably forthcoming, either by being voluntarily given up or obtained by being stolen by women who make Q profession of 1t. They arc expert at their trade Entering house 1t night, naked and oiled, they steal tho child, and by administering a narcotic poison rem der 1t insensible. It is then conveyed to n secret place until required for the sacrifice when an antidote brings 1t to; then it's throat is cut Children gre voluntarily given lp by their mothers for the sacrifice.
 In order to be initiated into 'Voudou" it is necessary to have killed human being a child is preferred.
 Another horrible custom in Hayti is the levouring of corpses
 So strong is the taste for human flesh that midwives have been known to devour the children they have just brought into the world The parts preferred are the knuckles and hands.
 Lest it should be imagined that these are not facts, I will give one or two instances.
 In May, 1879, two women were caught eating female child. It was proved that the child had been first drugged and rendered in sensible The parents supposinR it to be lead buried it. These women immediately lisinterred it, restored it to it's senses by idotes, and then inserted reeds through it's tide and sucked the blood from the heart. This happened at Port au Prince.
 A Haytian of good position also ,aught with his family eating small boy. mother was found tied to a tree close by. The man was pointed out to me.
 These offenses were punished, in one case y months, in the other by six weeks i'm the fear of Voudou not allowing greater punishment
 In January, 1881, eight people were fined or disinterring and eating corpses.
 In the same month the neck and shoulders if man were exposed for sale in the market t Port au Prince and were purchased and identified by an English medical man.
 In February, 1881, at St. Marks Q cask of Io1 an11 n n phin n if were discovered the fingers and finger nails if a human being. This "pork'' was all identified as human flesh.
 A Haytian assured me that the kidneys of z child were frst-rate eating. On my ask. ne how he knew he informed me that he had trange or at all out of the way.
 At Cape Haytien colored clergyman of he Church of England complained that 'Voudou" neutralized all the good he was oing, and declared that he had had human esh offered him for sale, and that his wife n February, 1881, four people were fined or devouring corpses.
 At Jacmel two corpses were recently dis nterred and partly eaten. Two men were in rison for this, not being able to pay the ne. man caught eating child was ar ested the day of my arrival. At Christmas ime 9,00O people assembled at the house of noted 'Voudou" priestess (pointed out to ne) living in the country and carried on youdou rites in the woods close by during he week.
 At AK Caves the child of an Englishman yas stolen from it's cradle on the 4th of Isrch, 1879. The thieves being hunted they hrew the child down a well, killing it, and scaped.
 These facts speak for themselves
 
 Kind Words do not Cost Much.
 [PascaL]