Springfield globe-republic. (Springfield, Ohio) 1884-1887, 1885-07-27
MAN-iIATIIleS.

NuN
Any white man who visits the few
tribes in Africa that eat human flesh is
| likely to have a hospitablc reception
and is certain to find himself among
natives who in their Intelligence. arts.
and physical and moral qualities are
not cIuacd by many pt the native
tribes. This f3ct, indeed. is true of
mcn-catcrs the world over, notwith-
standing the popular impression that
cannlbalism characLCr!HcS only the
lowest levels Of savage life. 1t was
] true in Columbus time, when he wrote
to Queen Isabella that the cannibal Car
ibbccS filled the natives of llayti with
nbjcct terror. The word cannbal siu-
| niles brave or valiant man, and is
| derived from the name by which the
Caribbccs called themselves.
A few hundred miles northwest of
Lake NyanHa, on the banks of the river
Wcllc, lives II great tribe whose cann-
balism Is the most pronounced of any
of the natives Of Africa. They are the
Monbuttus. Il rcd-skinncd race, physi-
cally line specimens of manhood, and
far superior to the black tribes around
them in arts Of war and peace. They
inhabit II beautiful, fertile country,
where forests alternate with rolling
downs. They engage in agriculture,
and human flesh. though a frequent, is
not IA regular article of food except
among the wcalthcr families. Schwcin-
furth, who lived among them for SOW
eral months, says they are not, like
very many African tribes, childish in
speech and in their processes of thought,
but that they understand reasonable
questions, and give reasonable answers.
The specimens of their pottery, decor
atcd with ornamental figures, that are
now in the EthuOgraphlcal museum Of
Berlin. are said to equal the best cx-
amplcs OF Egyptian art. They are in
gcnlUus wood-carvcrs, and the greatest
housr-huildcrS in Africa. One rooted
building described by Schwcinfurth,
built OF timbrrS, was 100 feet long. 60
feet wide, and 80 feet high, and held an
audience OF nearly loo persons.
1t is characteristic Of cannbal tribes
to conceal their practices rs much rs
possible from those not addicted To
them. Neither Schwcinfurth, Junkcr,
nor Casati has seen the Monbuttus on
many occasions preparing or eating hui
man flesh. During his months Of resi-
dcnce among them, Schwciufurth on
just two occasions saw women OF the
tribe preparing human flesh for con-
sumption. lie came upon them ashley
were boiling suudry arms and legs, but
his presence was unexpected and un-
welcome, and he was invited to 90 else
where. In conversation, however, the
Monbuttus made no secret OF their prac-
tices. of which, indeed. there were
abundant evidences in the heaps Of
carcfully-pickru human bones that were
scattered about all their settlements.
Their victims are the prisoners they
take in the wars they are almost in
ccssantly waging with one or another
of the tribes about them. "Ihe canal-
balism of the Monbuttus,' says
Schwenfurth, "is unsurpassed by any
savages in the world. But, with all
that, the Monbuttus are II noble race Of
men, who display a certain national
pride, and arc endowed with intellect
and Judgment such rs few Africans can
boast"
Stanley thought he found evidences
of cannibalism among some Of the
he first descended the river, and his
suspicious have since been amply con-
| iirmed by his associates, who have
founded white stations among the Ban
gala and at the mouth of the Aruwimi
! river. The Congo natives, like the
Monbuttus, try to hide from the whites
the evidence of their practices.
Next to the Monbuttus, the African
| tribe that are most notorious rs man
| eaters are the natives of Novo Rcdondo,
in Portuguese Angelo, whom j. Mon
| teiro described aS the finest race of
blacks in every way that he had met in
| Africa. He said there was no question
OF the superior physique and mental
qualities of this cannibal tribe, and he
| thought their superiority might actually
| be the result Of the horrid custom by
which they supplied themselves with II
| larger amount OF animal food than
| other tribes used. 1t is far more likely,
however, that their superiority, instead
of being the result Of cannibali,m,
made il possible for them to be canni-
balls by enabling them to prey with i'm
punity upon weaker tribes. The great
est cXccsscs of cannibalism have al
ways DccH IouHu among INC HlpntT
savage tribes OF nations, like the an
cicnt McXicans and Pcruvians. The
most encouraging fact with regard to
| peoples addicted to this custom is that
us they rise toward the middle and up
per levels Of civilization they voluutar-
| lily abandon the practice. If the mis-
sionaries had accomplished nothing
more among the islanders Of the Pacific
it would be to their lasting credit that
they have induced many thousands OF
the natives to give up this practice.
There are many tribes in the populous
island groups Of Oceauica among whom
cannibaism is now only tradition.
The one signal result thus far of mis-
sionary labors among the Terra del
fuegans is the fact that they have in-
duccd the natives to give up the prac-
tice Of eating human flesh.
The march Of civilization il rapidly
reducing the number Of cannibal pco-
,..es. They are still numbered, how
ever. by many thousands, and arc