Telegram-herald., 1889-06-26
IN THE NIGER DELTA.
Horr16le SoDsrsEEicns Prsyaa.,s
- thai Part " Africa
Lt<-<s z.s s-@<s H~Esn2z-A a-12~< a..
Sss<l-4x - SEQ Hsr cana iS@soassa :.
kyti.sa-ss-Sd .SE2 Ds@. -
Skxisl.s. Missionaries.


Il ths l4st iss1s II sae Proceed i. z. 4
t1S A-@y-- Osegrayhlc4l Seciety. Laa-oa.
t1cre - a. 4lasAa-llg interesting 4frlols Ga
lie Niger bcll@ Ia Afr-.4. ~ Nb1ea tae
fs.-0Nl4g sFDepsls LIS 1G1a ua-as for ia
sez fark Ledger
Tue 90 represents today ne ruling u..o-
Pc u t1e ex-r-ruS lover y xsr. u br.ss
II ee~ Ca-214r. B8nny 4aa Opooo Ia
times pas l4ey were f.a4L.c aaaereu.s az
savage type " 4liullst,c rsl.xioa. Ike
the IA !oTlty - tie Afrscaas. tEe, ID nst
xno~ or ccaeelvs of ths sxlstsrcs Y one
sgprem= G-d, bas embodied = uamoer II
E2tgr-l prInclP.es Ia ths fsrus n certz u
Aniaais, or Ia = coacTsss representation of
"tetls1ss or IDOLS
Zach little community had 10 totem. - or
s2cred az lL1-sl. IA whose species The ances-
tral sglrI--tce sol of tbs tribe, 20 u
speaz was supposed - dwell THIS Il
Brass they ~Orshiped the python snake "a
so1ay tAs mOGltOr lizard Only nine or
tea years ago this animal worship WAS 80
reAi that The British authorities Ia tie Oh
Rivers were compeles ~ a10rd u a Ger
t-la amount Of recognition. Europeans
were Forbidden 20 Xii the sacred lizard OF
boany, or the stll more sacred serpent Of
Erass, and were heavily nned by their Con
sul Il they Infrlagod tbs prohibition
Ga one occasion, IL Brass, some ten or
twelve years ago, an agent Of Messrs. Hat
ton & CoOksOa's tirm found a large python
in his house aud killed u When the mis
deed became known ths Brass people made
descent On the factory, dragged the agent
cut ot The house on ~ the beach, tied him
up 5y his thumbs, spat ia his mouth. and
nricted other indlgaILies On him Then
they broke open the store, and took out
feO worth " goods, which they coniscated.
TIE British consul, hearing Of the disturb
ance, arrived Ia Brass, considered the case,
snd WAS unable % afford the agent any re-
dress, because he WIS supposed 20 have
brought the punish hment upon himself
a. Bouny the monitor lizards became q
sicGeniag nuisance. They devoured the
Europeans' fowls, turkeys, ducks and geese
with lmpunltyi they might le across the
road or dOorways OF houses with their six
feet Of length, and sayagely lash the shins
OF people VINO attempted 10 pass them with
their whip Ike serratsd tails, and II YOU
wounded or killed one Of them. there was
no end Of tO-do. You were assaulted or
ROBBED oy the natives, harangued by the
Consul On board OF a man Of war, and DOS
sibly fined IN 10 the bargain
Ia other parts Of the delta 10 might be the
shark. or the crocodile, or some water bird
that was wOrshiped, but now here was this
zooiatry carried 10 greater lengths than at
Bonny and Brass For its effectual abolish
meat, which has bcen'of the greatest benefit
so the welI-Delng OF Europeans and natives
alike, We owe our thanks not 70 the inter
yention or naval or consular oflicials nor 70
the blufT remOn strances OF traders but 10 the
quiet unceaslng labOrs Of the agents OF the
Church Missionary Society, VINO, bv win
ming tho natives from these absurd prac-
tees, have brought about such a change Of
affairs that now the python is promptly
killed at Brass whenever IT makes its ap-
pearance, and the monitor lizard IS rele-
gated 10 the woods aud swamps Indeed,
~ rcsSr1ls the latter animal, there was
rather curious revolution Of feeling
About four years ago. when Bonny Town
was II tested with numbers OF these great.
sluggish lizards, the missionaries screwed
the courage OF the BOnny converts (who
then meant almost the entire population of
the place. 10 the sticking point. A grand
slaughter OF lizards was arranged 10 take
place o. Easter Sunday As soon "a the
morning pclls OF tho mission church rang
out a large number Of Bonny men aud
boys armed themselves with matchets and
sticks and commenced the slaughter of the
hzards. By the end of the day there was
not one left alive in the town, aud 50 great
werC tho numbers slaughtered that the
stencil almost brought about sickness, and
for four or i've days the town was unap-
prO9chabie.
But IN slagghtsring the lizards much else
OF the old superstition seemed 70 go, and
that event marked the real revolution, and
a turning towards better things on the part
OF The BOnny people A change almost sim
Iarly abrupt put an end 10 the python wor-
ship At Brass. Before that time, il
python seized IA child in she street in its
coils and siavered II with its vicious saliva.
the mOtAer-so far from interfering 10 save
i--must stand By and call out her thanks,
and summon her frie~ts and relatives 70
rejoice with her that the god-python had SO
honored her family a. 70 devour her child.