The Caldwell tribune. [volume] (Caldwell, Idaho Territory [Idaho]) 1883-1928, 1885-01-09
MISSION LIFE IN AFRICA.
Terrible Picture Of Cruelty-Father Meshini'a
Description Of a Land Where Human
Flesh Is Exposed for Sale In
PuhlIc Places


Rev. William Connaughton arrived a
day ago from Africa, where they have
been converting the natives along the
| Gold coast, around the White Nile and
in the Soudan. The two fathers are
stopping at the House of the Immacu-
late Virgin in Lafayette place, and
their object is to collect money to
carry on the missions. The society of
which they are members is known as
the Society of African Missions. An
interesting history of the perils of
mission life was graphically related by
Father Meshini. From the reverend
fathers account human sacrifice and
slave trading are still extensively car
red on. Father Meshini said that at
Lagos, near Sierra Leone, where the
parent house is established, negroes
are quite we'll educated.
1.-The negroes of the second genera
tion," the priest said, ''may be called
members of a civilized community.
At Port Novo, Lagos, Abbeokoota and
other stations it is not rare to find
negro children carrying off the prizes
from the children of European parents
who are dOmiciled in these localities.
Tie fathers have great hopes from
the generation which is just rising.
A third generation may arise in
twenty-five years, as marriage is en-
tered upon between the ages of 10 and
IA. When a boy has attained the
age of Is years he is advised by the
missionaries themselves to choose a
wife from among the girls of the con-
vent school. Agriculture and the
various trades are becoming factors in
the community. The country was fire.
quently devastated by famine. When
ever the rain fell too abundantly the
fruits, which constitute the staple diet
of the natives, rotted and starvation
followed. Corn not being subject to
such damage, and bearing easily two
crops year, the people regard its in
PRODUCTION as gift of Providence.
''After the kings, the priests who
practice medicine are, perhaps, the
greatest personages in this region. They
have only to threaten to leave, and
generally they obtain at once any con-
cession they demand from these sover-
eigns. The huts of the common peo-
pie are made of bamboo cane, thatched
with palm leaves. Fishing and hunt
ing are but little practiced. as that
require bodily exertion, which is now
agreeable to the natives. The DISPOSE
tion of these people is so mild it is a
mystery how they can indulge in the
cruelties, such as human sacrifices, for
which they have become famous. The
belive that but for the fe-
itch priests, who are exceedingly |
shrewd, and who have a strong inter
est in perpetuating these bloody sacri- |
fees, as their power is based on them,
the country would be easily civilized.
Under the reign of Gneze, the late
king of Dahomey, human sacrifices had
become comparatively rare; but his
successor, Grery, a slave to the fetlch
priests, has revived them, and now
hey are practiced with greater cruelty
han ever. The number of slaves who
perish in this way is estima-
ed at several hundreds. The king of
)ahomey is, as is known, the most fero-
.iors and powerful ruler in the whole
egion. During ten months in the
ear he makes incursions into the
leighboring territories, capturing
arge number of slaves. In this work
lie is chiefly assisted by his two cele-
rated regiments of Amazons. The
prisoners taken during these expedi-
ions are divided into three classes.
)ne class is sold to the slave mer-
hants of the Interior; another. chiefly
are fattened and sold to butch
rs, who, revolving as the fact may be,
penly sell human flesh in their shops.
he third class is reserved for the sac I:
ilices which take place in August and ,,
eptember, during the celebration of
ne Grand Customs These ceremo-
les have a double purpose pacifying ..
,e god of war, Ognn. and other dei-
es, recalling the memory of dead
ings, and sending them supplies of )
len and provisions. .
Among these savages exists be- !.
ef that man passing into the fusure :
fe takes with him all that is placed in '
IS grave. For this reason, in Daho- =
ey, as in other savage countries, vic .
ms and prisoners are placed in the q q
NIB. Not long since the king of !.
orto Novo died of poison-adminis- - -
red to him by rival for the throne. "
he funeral ceremonies lasted nine Il Il
lys. During the whole of this time d a
Va NiSbihio, uOotihOu IVA Wiz | l.
rand CUSTOMS were sacrificed every y y
ght in the fetch forest. The mis- 7,
,naries living in the neighboring VI VI
It's could hear the cries of the suf- !,
rers, whose mutilated bodies, ar ~
nged in lines, were seen every morn 81
2 in tho public square of the town. r
le heads had been cut off and nailed y
)ng the walls of the palace. AT 8 y.
,lock in the morning of the ninth ~
y the new king and his suite, pre- ~ ~
1ed by the fetch priests, moved in 81 81
ocession to the sacred wood, where -. -
, grave of the late king had been '' ur
g. The sacrifice began. Seven W.
yes were killed and their blood on ~.
xed with earth to form a kind of ~ ~
4ster with which the grave was 'N
ed. The heads of the seven victims,
h food of all kinds, were deposited wa
the bottom. The body of the king W., WI
8 next lowered into the grave. In
On were seen approaching nine Of mt
women, draped in their brightest we we
pred garments, and purposely in iea