Semi-weekly south Kentuckian. [volume] (Hopkinsville, Ky.) 1883-1889, 1885-07-21
Cannibals.
New York Sun d

tribes in Africa that eat human flesh
is likely to have hospitable recep-
ton, and is certain to find himself
among natives, who in their intclli-
gencc, arts, and physical and mora
qualities are not equalled by many
of the native tribes. This fact, in.
deed is true of mcn-eaters the world
over, Notwithstanding the popular
impression that cannibalism charac-
terizes only the lowest levels ofsavage
life. 1t was true in Columbus time
when he wrote TO Queen Isabella
that the cannibal Caribbees filed the
natives Of llayti with abject terror
The word cannibal signifies brave
or valiant man, and is derived from
the name by which the Caribbees
called themselves.
A few hundred miles northwest OF
Lake Albert Nayanza, on the banks
of the river Wclle, lives great tribe
whose cannibalism is the most pro-
nounccd of any of the natives OF
Africa. They are the Monbuttus, Il
red-skinned race, physically fine
specimens Of manhood, and far SUI
perior to the black tribes around them
in arts of war or peace. They inlabit
beautiful, fertile country, where
forests alternate with rolling downs.
They engage in agriculture, and hu-
man flesh, though frequent, is not a
regular article of food except among
the wealthicr families. Schweiniurtll
who lived among them for several
months, says they are not, like very
many African tribes, childish in
speech and in their processes of
thought, but they understand reason-
able questions, and give reasonable
answers. The specimens Of their
pottery, decorated with ornamental
figures, that are now in the Ethno-
graphical museum of Berlin, are said
10 equal the hest examples of Egyp-
titan art. They are ingenious wood car
vers, and the greatest house builders
in Africa.
1t Is characteristic of cannibal
tribes 10 conceal their practices as
much as possible from those not ad-
dicted TO them. During his months
Of residence among them, Schwein-
furth on just two occasions saw wO-
men OF the tribe preparing human
flesh for consumption. lie came
upon them as they were boiling sun
dry arms and legs, but his presence
was unexpected and unwelcome, and
he was invited TO 60 elsewhere. III
conversation, however, the MOnbutt-
us made no secret Of their practices
of which, indeed, there were abun-
dant evidences in the heaps of care
fully picked human bones that were
scattered about all their settlements.
Their victims are the prisoners taken
III the wars they are almost incessant-
ly waging with one or another Ofthe
tribes about them.
Next to the Monbutts, the African
tribe that are most notorious as man
eaters are the natives of Novo Red
Ondo, in Portuguese Angola, whom j.
Monteiro described as, the tinestrace
Of blacks in every way that he had
met in Africa. lie said that there
was no question of the superior phys
ique and mental qualities of this can.
nlbal tribe, aud he thought their SUI
perior.ty might actually be the result
Of the hOrrld custom by which they
supplied themselves with larger
amount of animal food than other
tribes used. 1t is far more likely,
however, that their superiority, in-
stead Of being the result Ofcannibalism
made it possible for them to be can
nibals by enabling them to prey with
impunity upon weaker tribes. The
greatest eXcesses of cannibalism have
always been found among the higher
savage tribes or nations like the an
cient MeXicans and Peruvians. Tie
most encouraging fact with regard to
people addicted 10 this custom is that
AS they rise toward the middle and
upper levels of civilization they vol
UNFAIRLY abandon the practice. II
the missionaries had accomplished
nothing more among the islanders OF
the Pacific, it would be to their lasting
credit that they induced many thou
sands of the natives 10 give up this
practice. There are many tribes in
the populous island groups of Ocean.
lea among whom cannibalism is now
only a tradition. The one signal re.
suit thus far of missionary labors
among the Terradel Fuegans is that
they have induced the natives to give
up the practice of eating human
flesh.
The march of civilization is rapid,
reducing the number of Gambia
peoples. They are still numbered
however, by many thousands and ar,
probably far more numerous in oul
own hemisphere than in the eastern
half of the world. In Matto Crosse
province Of Brazil, recently visited b,
German explorers DIR. Clauss ant
Herr Won den Steinen, give ten canni
bal tribes, numbering some seventy
or eighty thousand souls. Fot many
hundred miles from the district occu
! pied by these modern cannibals wer,
found, about twenty-five years ago, ,tht
tirst conclusive evidences that man be
fore the age of history ate the flesh o
his fellows. In a neap of refuse oil
the Suquassu river, such as accumu
lated everywhere around the dwell,
ings of prehistoric man, were found
mingled with shells and bones of an
imals, numerous human relics, the
bones showing cleally that they hat
been broken TO get at the marrow
This was the beginning of a series Of
discoveries revealing human bones
broken into pieces Il few inches long
in exactly the same way as the bone,
Of the deer, moose, beaver, and Other
animals with which they have becl
found mingled in hundreds of heaps
of prehistoric kitchen refuse, from
Maine to the La Plata river. Canni
balism has, therefore, the distinction
of being one Of the most venerabl,
of human customs.