Idaho semi-weekly world. [volume] (Idaho City, Idaho Territory) 1875-1908, 1888-08-21
HUMAN SACRIFICES
aavare and shocking Customs stih u
Vogue In West Africa

.customs'' still survive in all their
horror. Again and again an Engiish
trader or traveller has had to look on
these "customs. but the horrors were
never fully described until 1873, when
the German missionaries, BounaI
Kuehne and Ramseyer. were prisoners
in Coomassie at the time OF the native
Crown Princes death. As soon as he
was seen to be dying, the executioners
began to scour the streets for victims.
When they caught any one TWO OF
them would come behind, and each
thrust knife through the cheek, the
blades passing over the tongue, ana
handle sticking out on each side. Ibis
is to prevent the poor creature from
swearing on the life Of the king
that is, swearing that if ne dies, the
King must die. too-in which case. IN
stead Of being killed, he would not
only be spared, but ranked among the
"okra' courtiers whose life depends
on that Of the King, and who-killed
when he dies-hold till his death places
OF trust ana 1OhoT.
Besides those thus caught every
great chief had to offer victim; but
the number was chiefly made up OF
slaves and prisoners Of war. The
wives-painted white and covered with
gold ornaments-sat around the coffin.
tapping off the dies They were
strangled at the funeral. So were six
pages. who. similarly painted and
adorned, sat by the dead man. They
had known their fate some days before.
but none ran away save three wives of
low birth. whose places were at once
supplied by other girls. For nine days
the slaughter went on, the people fast
ing. with shaven heads and bodies
painted red, but drinking all the more.
And this death wake was to be
repeated forty days after.
When King dies the victims are
slain at the rate of 200 week for
three months. But there have been
"grcater customs" than these. A
Kings mother died in 1916; her son
slaughtered 5000 people. 1000 being
prisoners just captured from the Fan
It's. To make up the tale, every big
Ashantee town had to give 100, every
smaller town ten victims
A royal burial is on this wise: AT
the bottom of a huge grave are laid
the heads of the slain; on them the
coffin rests. Then. just before the
earth is thrown in. one of the bystand-
ers-a freeman. if of some rank Sc
much the better-is suddenly dubbed,
a cash made in the back of his neck,
and he is rolled in upon the coffin.
The idea is to send along with the
crowd of slaves and prisoners some
one who shall look after them as a
ghostly "najor domo."
For King there remains yet another
"cust TOM" At the end of thirty moon:
the grave is opened, the royal bone:
fastened together with gold wire anc
the skeleton placed in a long building
divided into cells, the doorways tc
which are hung with silk curtains.
Then on his birthday the King o
Ashantee goes early to the house O
the royal dead Every skeleton i.
taken from its richly ornamented cot
fin, where it has lain surrounded by
the things which had been most pleas
ing to it IN life, and is placed on
chair to welcome the visitor. As tn,
King enters each cell with a meat ant
drink offering to the departed, tn
band plays the favorite melodies o
that particular King, and. unawares
the royal visitor signs to the execu
TONERS who have followed him, and al
attendant is pierced through the cheek
and killed. the King washing the skel
eton in the warm blood. The sam
work goes on at the next cell, and s
on, the fearful work going on far int
the night The band plays signal a
each victim is slaughtered. Two blast
of the horn mean death. death;
three drum taps, "cut it off," on
beat from a big drum. 1.-THE head ha
fallen" The signal is taken up b
other bands, and all through the cit
horn-blowing and drum beating goe
on increasingly. The Ashantees a
ways say of drum, ait speaks" an
every traveller admits that they mar
age to elicit from that unmanageabl
instrument most varied range {
sound. The sounds form words, tn
whole rhythm sentence. readil
understood by native listeners. Fac
chief has his own "call," just as eac
Highland clan had its own battle tun,
OF course this constant killing make
the people callous to suffering an
brutal to their prisoners. Their fee
ing in regard to death is not courae
but apathy. The spectators are q
delighted at these revolving customs
as the Roman populace was at tn
gladiators' show. Now and then
! victim is tortured. The missionarie
) watched one who, besides the kniyt
through his cheeks. had a couple {
forks thrust into his back. He WI
then dragged before the King. gashe
all over the body, his arms cut off, an
in this plight compelled to dance fc
the amusement of the royal savage.
All the Year Round.
In putting up trellises for grape
vines, wire is much better for strin Gel
, than hoarls Nv Stats ,f.O. .l w.