Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1884-12-02

r.rrIble Picture Of Cruelty Practiced
= bv Fetish Priests.

Tho Rev. Ferdinand MeShlM anu the
- william ConuaughtOn arrived day
80 ago from A frica, says the New
,-.-l- World. where they have been con-
- the natives along the gold coast,
- the White Nile and in the Soudan.
+rro fathers are stopping at the House
-. Immaculate Virgin in Lafayette
2, and their object is to collect funds
.o7rv on the missions. The society Of
..cb fbev are members IS known as the
W.. ~ If African Missions. An inter-
history Of the perils Of mission life
graphIcally related by Father
s,--t;ri From the reverend fathers
,+ human sacrifice and slave trad
a-s still extensively carried on.
la-.ser Neshini said that at Lagos, near
So Leone. where the parent house is
7.-b7ished. negroes are quite well edu-
Gated 1905 NJ the second generation, ,,
--fa=f said, ''may be called members
ll1 civilized community. At Porto
o., Lagos. AbekOuta and other stations
Nv. nj rare to find negro children carry
the prizes from the children Of
ll---ssu parents who are dOmiciled in
fI,.sIities. The Fathers have great
tl1s- e-or, the generation which is Just
-. A third generation may arise in
.--s-fv-ive years, as marriage is entered
~ ratveen the ages OF ten and four
When a boy has attained the age Of
.Fi-reen wears he is advised by the mis-
-.----.srias themselves to choose Il wife
80 among the girls Of the convent
nLoo1 Agriculture and the various
s-a9as are becoming factors in the COM
-,-1ifr. The country was frequently de-
s+a-ad bv famine. Whenever the rain
1i - abUndantly the fruits, which con-
-...-ta the staple diet of the natives.
.-+feI and starvation followed. Corn not
Inc subject to such damage, and bear
;-y easily two crops year, the people
lard its Introduction as gift of PrOyi-
a4ftar the kings, the priests who prac-
.iea medicine are, perhaps, the greatest
rers0uaees in this region. They need
llriv 10 threaten to leave, and generally
-bev al once obtain any concession they
demand from these sOvereigns. The nuts
ostba common people are made of bamboo
cane. matched with palm leaves. Fish
M and hunting are but little practiced,
estbev REQUIRE bodily exertiOn, which is
r0f agreeable to the natives. The dis
rositi0u Of these people is so mild il is
MYSTERY how they can indulge iii the
practice Of the cruelties, such as human
sserifces for which they have become
flr0us. The missionaries teiieve that
End for the fetish priests, who are exceed
molly shrewd and who have strong in
terest in peTpetuating these bloody sacri-
fcps. rs their power Is based on them, the
country could be easily civilized. Under
r1e reign Of GneZO, the late King OF Da-
r5mev, human sacrifices had become
comparatively rare; but his successor,
tIrsfy. a slave to the fetish priests, has
revived them, and now they are practlced
with greater cruelty than ever. The
number Of slaves who annually perish In
this wav is estimated at several hum
lreds. The King Of DahOmey, IS, as is
-noWn. the most ferOciOUS and powerful
ruler in the whole region. During ten
months in the year he makes incursl0ns
into the ncighbOring territories, captur-
ing a large number of slaves. In this
work he is chiefly assisted by his two
celebrated regiments Of AmazOns. The
prisoners taken during these expeditions
are divided into three classes. One class
IS sold TO the slave merchants Of the in
terror: another, chiefly women, are
attened and sold to butchers, who, re-
Waiting rs the fact may be, even to relate,
openly sell human flesh in their shops.
The third class is reserved for the sacri-
ices which take place in August and Sep
r4mber. during the celebration OF the
Grand CustOms.' These ceremonies
have a double purpose: Pacifying the
-0f of war Ognu. and other deities: re-
called the memory Of dead kings, and
sending them supplies Of men and prOyi-
SONS.
hat a man passing into the future life
ases with him all that is placed in his
rave. For this reason, in DahOmey, as
ir ether savage countries, victims and
prisoners are placed in the tomb. Not
long since the King Of POFtO-NOYO died Of
rris0n-alministered TO him by a rival
u- the throne. The funeral ceremonies
lasted nire days. During the whole Of this
tine numbers Of victims, destined for the
.Traud Customs were sacrificed every
ai.l- in the fetish forest. The mission
ares living in the neighbOring huts could
t-ar tie cries Of the sufferers, whose mu-
I.l-aI bodies, arranged in lines, were
ssa1 every morning in the public square
dt the town. The heads had been cut OF
and nailed along the walls Of the palace.
At- O'Clock on the morning of the ninth
1av the new King and his suite, preceded
b his fetish priests, moved in procession
u the sacred wood were the grave of the
Late King had been dug. The sacrifice
began. seven slaves were killed and
their blood mixed with earth to form a
Eud or plaster with which the graves
was lined. The heads of the seven VIC
tins with food Of all kinds, were de-
posted at the bottom. The body Of the
King was next lowered into the grave.
ILen were seen approaching nine Of his
women. draped in their brightest c0lOred
garments and purpOsely intoxicated with
British "tsGl.' OF rum. Believing them
selves % ce the objects Of an ovation they
east smiles on every side as they passed
through the thrOug. On reaching the
size OF the open grave they were made "a
aleel, and before they had any suspicion
we're stunned by a blow on the head and
lung. still alive. upon the body of their
royal spouse. Earth was then thrown in
q cover both living and dead. a short
distance from the .rave stake was pre-.
pared for the burning Of the Ministers.
.l- these dstute politicians dressed slaves
Ia their robes Of Office, and while the poor
creatures were perlshing made their
escape. The sacrifices to the gods are
marked by greater and more varied re
l-ements OF cruelty. The shrines resem
e Lighthouses appropriate dwellings fOI
--r IDOLS. which are demonstrating
Monsters. These ceremonies begin with
lance. In front Of the shrine a circle
.ounei by the leaders of the people
-Llng down. while the rude multitude
remain standing. Holding TUT O
--laH hair IN his hand, priest in the
-ATe- the circle uttering savage cries
tapping their hands or playing wild IN
si-ments resembling bells, tamDOrine:
-la eymlals. During the night the fetish
-l-sts provide the god with one or more
.elms. The most common form of sac
.--ce % Oguu, the god of war, is to beheaC
- llman Offering and nail the body up
le feet
AZ other times a young tree is stripped
- u.s. branches, bent down by means of I
e, and So held bv a kind of trigger
-.- lle exception of the head the vic
- Is mclosed in a wicker-wOrk globe
~ suspended. mead downward or hIi
80 IS incased in the stumps Of thi
Nes which form the crown Of the palm
-' me priest lOOsens the rope the
springs back and the victim is lit
--ls .n he air Birds Of prey sOOI
e Of his body
Issues the missions among thes'
a.eIs the Fathers seek TO plant the
Ines 20 Christianity in Egypt. Ill
r part % the inhabited world,
N.Y. .-- priest. sis immortality more
-- spread There woman is reduced
49, lowest degree Of slavery. Her life
- 10y duer from that Of the brute
-4 there IS no liberty, no religion
lmpeled by the fanaticIsm Of ;
-- Ielslou. is plunged into absurd
ylly TWO years ago. during th'
T-llec,ion Of Arab Pasha, the
lans- through hated o
4eHsl0u- slaughtered thOusaI
=. s-Llsuans. In the city OF Tan
-aFistiaus were put to death in
s- 1Is. Al q distance from this mis-