The Middlebury register. [volume] (Middlebury, Vt.) 1850-1882, 1882-04-14
SAVAGE ATROCITIES.
A Missionnry's Account of Ghastiy Scenes
Witnessed by Him In Afrien.

A Missionury's Account Of Ghaatiy Scenes
Witnessed by Him in Africa.
The Cincinnati Gazette says: Father
Joseph Zimmerman, Catholic priest
who has been acting as a missionary in
equatorial Africa, in reply TO inquiries
rs to his own experience among tho
savages Of that region. gave some inter-
esting particulars. There is an almost
universal custom Of making human
sacrifices to the idols or fetiches Of the
different tribes. Father zimmerman
has himself witnessed the preparations
for these horrible orgies, but was com
pellcd to Withdraw before the slaughter
commenced, not, however, sufficiently
for to be out OF carshot Of the blood
curdiing shrieks Of tho wretched vic
Tins. He showed the Gazette man rev
eral pictures, copies Of those taken on
the spot by one Of the fathers,
who is all artist. In one OF these
weird works Of art the human
sacrifice is represented in fearfully
mutilated condition. Tho head haTil z
been completely severed from the body,
is nailed high up ON the trunk OF q
palm tree, the feet of the body are
nailed just under it, and the stomach
and chest are ripped open, tho skin
being pinned back by iron skewers. At
the right Of the picture sits tho fetch.
with the still palpitating human heart
laid before it. Another picture, tho
original scene of which was actually
witnessed by the father, portrays the
tall trunk OF palm tree bending to.
ward tho earth, having suspended at
lis extremity tho writhing body OF
hrTwn l,os., -
ing several vnitures, buzzards and
other beastly birds OF carrion. Another
picture represents a human Holocaust
The fends are heapipg on the gathered
fuel more palm Gil. tho lu1id fame and
dense smoke leap up toward heaven
like the rock Of he'll. Thousands OF
human lives are annually thus sacrificed,
and the missionaries are powerless to
stop the carnage.
On ono occasion several of the fathers
stationed ut the mission of Adjsie,
while walking with the pupils Of their
school, discovered small hut in tho
woods short distance from the mission
house. Curious to know who inhabited
so queer a structure, the missionaries
entered the place and were Mortified to
discover the body of full grown man
nailed head downward TO beam. Hor-
rifed beyond description, the fath.rs
fled the SPOT, and becoming fatigued
shortly afterward sat down in the shade
TO rest. Scarcely had their little party
been seated than great shouting and
rush of feet were heard in the adjoining
wood. Presently a number of savages
appeared, dragging young girl by the
feet on the same footpath which the7
were about to take. The sayages ran
as if possessed, aud when the body of
the pGcr girl vas nearly torn TO pieces
they left it hanging to tree before an
idol.
The most bitter opponents OF the
Chris'iIn missionaries are the idola
trous priests, the upper class of whom
form perfect caste, transmitting their
faculties from father to son. These
poor barbarians preserve the vague
tradition of one god, named Olleron,
who created the world, and was good
to men, but becoming angry he went
away behind the clouds, and hence
forth concerned himself no more with
humanity. The tribes have, therefore,
transferred their allegiance to a second
class OF gods, whom they style
"Oreesha." OF these they treasure e
perfect mythology. The gods to whom
they make human sacrifices are
Shongo, the god OF war, an idol formed
OF iron Elecba. the unhappy god or
devil, represented in clay; Oggpn, the
god OF water, aud several others. 1t
Adiaej. where he was staying for some
time, Father Zimmerman at one time
saw no less than Six victims, ell bound
ready for sacrifice. He quickly retired
to the mission house hard by, but even
there the horrid yciis penetrated, as he
fell on his knees to ask Gods pardon
for the act.
The present king of Dahomey, named
Tofa, has been warned by the English
to discontinue the practice, and he now
hesitates to perpetrate the horrid act
publicly, bat it is still carried on at
night. The missionaries have to be
very careful in speaking against the
act, as open opposition would be sui
cidal on their part, and at once put
a stop to their work. They study
medicine, and practice gretuitously.
They gain the confidence OF the native
by receiving the sick into their hos
pitals, and taking charge OF cid and
worn out savages.
These poor old people are thrown
out of the huts and allowed to starye
to death. The missionaries also buy
numbers Of children exposed for ssle
in the regular slave trade When the
tribal ohiofa arc unablo to obtain cap-
tives In their rails upon rival.tribes,
they buy these children and slaughter
them instead. The unfortunate little
ones have learned by experience that the
white men will not kill them, and conse-
quently when they appear in the market
they are Immediately assaiIed By piteous
cries: "Oibo ramii" "Oibo ramif' White
man, buy me white man, buy me i'')
And they buy them to the extent OF
their limited finances. The mission
aries usually pick out boys and girls Of
about six to eight years OF age, take
them to the Christian colonies and
train them until they are old enough TO
marry. Some pictures shown TO the
GGsetts man Of these Christianized bar
barians were inexpressibly funny. One
young gentleman in a very scant
blanket, but crowned with an exceed
ingly battered stovepipe hat, seemed
to be fully impressed with the impos.
ing dignity Of his newly donned COS
tune. Hundreds of these children are
bought by the Catholic missionaries
every year. They pay for them in
couries or sea-shells, old guns and
glass. The price fuctuates from the
vaiue of S5 M to Sl5.