The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1884-12-07
LIFE ON THE SLAVE COAST.
THE HUMtN SACRIFICES WITNESSED
ny 4 MISSIONARY IN LIRfCi.
wives and slaves In,m"inted mt the Graves
OF Ch,-n-The Bloody Rites Fetish W"r.
shIppers- Dragging Peep lat" B"ndngc.

wives and slaves In,m"Inted mt the Graves
OF Cst-n-The bloody Rites ct Fcush w"r.
.hiuvers Dragging Peope lat" Bondage.
A bropzed aud pleasunt-featurcd traveller,
with n long flowing black beard and n tassclicd
turban of red cloth over his curly back ha-.
ant I'm an easy chair Ia Father Drulnsooles
study In Lafayette place recently. ana chat.
ted about tho many curious things no had seen
In Africa. He was the Rev. Father Ferdinand
Merlini. a missionary OF the Catholic society OF
African Missions. who has come home to Sc
cure funds to establish new missions among
the Fetish worshppers OF the West Coast OF
Africa. He has spent seven years among the
native tribes. and has seen many exhibitions
OF their barbarous rites.
1T mystery" he said. to our mission
aries on the Slave and Gold Coasts and along
the Niger why these negroes indulge in such
hideous cruelty as the Offering OF human sacri-
flee. Ii can only be accounted for by their
slavish allegiance to their fetish priests. be-
cause. naturally. all the 2oOOOOOO negroes in
our mission territories are OF mild disposition.
and our Catholic missionaries during tho reign
OF Guezo. late monarch OF Dahomey. succeed.
ed in generally suppressing the barbarous
rites. But King Grery. his successor is n slave
to fetishism. and makes lavish sacrifices OK
human life.
These sacrifices" Father Merlini contin.
ued, aggregate many hundreds Of persons
annually II a great parsonage dies his wives
and slaves are slaughtered indiscriminately
and tossed into the grave OF the dead man
along with Il quantity Of food At intervals
afterwnrd other persons are slaughtered in tho
superstitious belief that they will ascend to his
new abode as messengers to tell him tho news
from his late dwelling place and attend to his
personal wants. The Wet inns OF this super.
stition are usually young slave girls.
fetish-servin. ruler Dahomey has had for dec
to capture slaves. The eaptives are divided
Kings ss ,erri,ory One class is sold to the slave
merchants OF the Interior Another d, Sr, class.
in their shops tor sale rs food. The third class
bs for Of n sske
Grand Customs. These ceremonies have a
god d war. and other ieii ties. and also that Of
recalling the memory Of dead kings and send
There exists a belief among the savages that n
man passing into the future life takes with him
dies ali his women. slaves and Ministers OF
state must fol low him.
died Of poison. administered to MIN By q rival
claimant OF the throne. his funeral lasted nine
sacrinced every night in the fetish forest. des-
tined for the " Grand Customs" The mission,
aries from tnetf nelHnDOrlng dwelling cOuil
hear the cries OF the sufferers. whose mutila,ed
bodies were seen every morning in the public
square OF the town arranged in lines.
At o'clock on the morning of the ninth
day. the, new King and his suite. preceded by
his fetish priests, moved to the wood where the
riice began. seven slaves we're s ain. and their
blood WAS mixed with earth to form kind OF
seven heads of the victims. with provisions Of
| all kinds. we're deposited at the bottom: tho
| seen approaching nine OF his women in their
brightest coiored garments; rprposely intoS.
Smiles e on every sdS Whes hey raehed
| the edge OF the open grave they were made to
| blow on the head before they had any suspi-
con Of what was going to happen. and thrown.
Earth WAS naly auny in In to- cover the piIe Of
At distance of few steps stake was
| were to be burnt. But these astute persons
had dressed up some slaves in their robes of
office and the substitutes were burnt In their
| stead. while they themselves escaped.
"Fanatiesp makes brutes Of men. When
years ago I saw Mohammedans slaughter the
Christians IKE dogs from sheer hatred OF their
death OF many OF our missionaries and Catho-
lie Sisters. For refusing command to en-
chains in the soudan.. There men are hunted
Villages 50 re- S1 BY ' ocks Of radsT;
and burned; The sick infants. and the aged
are tnroWn INTO the names. wnle the robust
are chained and dragged to market, These
markets of human beings are principally along
| the left bank OF the White Nile. 1t is COM
puted that the slave trade takes every year
| from their native. country a million souls. and
| that eight hundred thousand of these poor
creatures die on the road from exhaustion and
bad treatment
We have been able to do much to advance
civilization in those regions: We have five
missions already established ON the Slave
and Gold Coasts and on the Niger. The Parent
rouse is az Lagos, where nre three mao
schools and two female seminaries beside scv.
eral hospitals for the sick cared for by the Sis
ters OF the mission. 1t il no rare thing to find
the hs children OF negroes carrying of prizes
o. Europeans domcied at the missions.
The sexes marry between the ages Of 10
and ~, When boy has attained the age OF l3
ne is advised by the mission priests themselves
| to select a wife from among the girls OF tho
| convent school. The children are Obtained by
the missionaries from their parents without
them. seeing. the advantages which the chill.
dren derive from learning how to read and
nov to work. The natives yield to the doctor
shown to their King. He has only to threaten
toleave and in most cases he obtains anything
ron tne sovereign Ia may demand. Patients
oeesiege MN every day. Neghborine monarchs
often make months journey to see. and con
suit with the phys clan. If he should visit the
little bamboo huts, where. the native lives in
the greatest simplicity. he receives quite AS
muen honor rs II he were a royal parsonage"
Mor linen NV VIII yo4 return to Africa ?" Father
Co., LII hope to be able to collect enough funds
per we Intend to spend the money We raise
sent to 81. Josephs Union. Lafayette place
eral irotestants are among those who have al
ready answered our appeal in behalf Of the OK.
tension OF our missionary field"