Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1888-07-21

cried Meat Nost." anu eetgeutuc whitcs
10 reward their friendship by making them
present Of the iran.
About thirty miles further down the river
the great MohSncf Makns, the largest north
ern tributary, poufe It's food into the Congo.
Roth near IL sources and its mouth dwell
some OF the NEST remarkable OF cannlbal
tribes. Probably two thirds OF the people
along It's 1900 miles OF river banks include
human flesh among their articles OF food.
Captain Van Gclc has not yet told us whether
the new tribes he discovered In Its middle
course seven months ago are antbropophati,
but the densely peopled lower part OF the
river is succession OF uan-cating tribes.
All the enemies who are killed IN their war
expeditions are eaten. Those who are
taken prisoners are killed at some later
time. according TO the requirements OF the
peoplc. All these river tribes make war for
the single purpose OF procuring meat.
Captain Van Gele saw war expedition oil
the Baatl which numbered fifty canoes.
Sometimes he saw 200 or 800 canoes on the
river In the morning, carrying women 10
their work In the fields, where they were
protected against the cannibal raids OF their
neighbors by armed guards.
on the upper course OF this great tribu-
tary are the famous Moubuttn, introduced 10
us by schweiniurth, who are In state OF
constant war with their neighbors. and
whose principal game is men. When
Schweinfurth visited them human flesh en-
tered very largely into the hab'tual resources
OF their cuisine. They had the greatest
contempt for the tribes on three sides OF
them, followed them simply "a game, killed
as mauy OF the enemy as they could, smoked
the flesh Immediately. and bore il away as
provisions. They reserved their prisoners
Tor future use. Schweiniurth collected
more than 200 skulls OF their victims. And
vet these canuibals are in the front rank OF
African peoples. Their friendship is dura-
bic, their pledges are faithfully kept, they
build houses that hold a thousand people,
and thoir surprisingly developed industries
have been deemed worthy in Germany OF q
costly book devoted to the description and
illustration Of their arts.
Some years ago the Arabs entered the
Monbuttu country and killed their famous
King. Munza. because ne refused to let them
have Monbutta girls for their harems. Since
the Arabs planted their stations in the
country canBibalism, according to the ERIN
Pasha, though still largely prscticed. Is car
ried on with the greatest secrecy, and the
good old times have passed when an ethno-
logist can buy for copper rings as many
skulls az he desires.
The neighboring Absngba tribe are as ac-
complishe5 in caubiballsnn ss the Moubuttu.
This tribe /, famous for feats OF tree--climb-
ing. one traveller said he could Think Of
nothing but monkeys as he saw these people
mountihg skyward, not along the tree
trunks, but raising themselves from branch
TO branch like sailors upon the cordage OF
ships. Reclus says that cannibalism is the
universal law among them, No person dies
who is not eaten. Children will not eat the
body OF their father, but they VIII sell or ex-
change II for another body. The Man. Nam,
who live north OF the Monbuttu, aud who,
Schweinfurth said, we're physically the finest
people he ever saw, are reputed TO
eat their csptves and those persons
who die among them without friends, but
they are much less addicted TO canniballsm
than the Monbuttu, and many of them do
not eat human flesh at all. Those curious
dwaris OF the Congo basin, the Akkas, are
scarcely able, IL is said, to acquire any lam
guage but their own, but they have learned
thoroughly the evil practice OF csnnibahsm.
WhenEmin Pasha asked an Aka, who bad
lived for years at one OF his stations in the
north, and who was about TO return to Mon
buttu, why he was going home, the little saw
age replied that it was because he had be-
come very tired OF beef.
Missionary Bentley SAYS that csnniballsm is
not met on the Lower Congo until the travel
Ter has assembled nearly TO Stanley Pool.
Two tribes OF the Bateke family living not far
from the pool are said TO eat human flesh oc.
casionally, but only those who have been
killed for witchcraft. It's not until BolobO,
about 500 miles from the rivers mouth, is
reached that cannibalism becomes tie cus>
tom. Some Of the tribes mentioned in this
article, knowing that the whites have learned
all about thelt horrid practice, no longer try
TO conceal il. Whit men have witnessed
The cutting up OF victims. aud have been
powerless to prevent it. When demonstrated
with the natives have replied: "Iou kill
YOUR goats and no one finds fault with you.
Lee us Kin our meat then" MIR. Bentley as
serts that when eatipg their meat the parents
give morsels OF the cooked flesh to the little
ones to give them taste for such food.
By far the most OF the tribes along the
southwestern tributaries Of the Congo abhor
the practice Of cannibalsm. Kund and Tap
pen beck, near the Kassal river, met few
small cannibal tribes, one OF which told the
explorers very plainly that when their friends
visited them they always brought few men
to eat, and as the white men distinctly re-
fused to follow this example they could not
be regarded in the light OF friends. But The
large tribes in the Kassal and kuango basins
as far az known, are not cannibals, though
some OF them are far inferior to few OF tb'
cannibal tribes in intelligence and in theii
arts.
Ii is q striking illustration OF the worlds
ignorance fer ages OF the Dark Continent thai
until within the pas. few years we have no
had the slightest conception Of the appalling
extent OF csnnibalism in Africa. This Is be
cause we have until recently known nothinl
whatever OF tho great Congo basin, TO which
the practice of anthropophagy In Africa II
almost wholly confined.