Audubon County Republican. [volume] (Audubon, Audubon Co., Iowa) 1885-1894, 1889-08-22
NEW CANNisAL TRIBES.
Tho discoveries OF capt. van Co

Tho Discoveries or capt. Van Cello
Along tho Great Mobangi River.
Last fan the Congo State sent Capt. Van
Gcle, one Of SANKEY'S favorite officers in the
steamer Henry Reed, to make further explo-
ra:ions upon the Mobangi river, the great
afiiuent OF the Congo, whose importance Mr..
Grenfell was the first TO discover. Van Gele
did not ascend the riv,r quite a. far as Gren.
fell, being prevented by rapids through which
Grenfell had been able to push his steamer at
low water when the current was slower. He,
however, took time to explore, while GrenfelPs
journey was nothing more than hurried re-
connossancc. Van Gclc made some very In
terestlng discoveries He found, for Instance,
three little tributaries, up which he pushed
his steamer, for total distance Of 2O7 miles.
1t Is only three years since Stanley estimated
that the Mobangi itself added only about $50
miles TO the navigable waters of the Congo
basin. Now the problem Is, wether the Mo.
bangi or the Kassai deserve distinction as the
Congo's greatest tributary.
On the Nghiri affiuent OF the river and also
on the Mobang about three hundred miles
from its mouth, Van Gele found the most
densely populated districts he had seen in
Africa. The left bank of the great river was
an uninterrupted succession of villages for
about seventy miles Those who imagine that
the depths OF Africa are an almost voiceless
solitude shoall read Van Gele's brief account
Of the animation aud hustle he witnessed all
along this pepulous river
The scene on the river 10 the morning, he
says, 10 one Of extraordinary animation. He
often met as many as three hundred canoes
swiftly blowing through the water. The ca
noes were chiefly filed with women and chill
drcn. The women were leaving the Villages
to go to the fields and begin the agricultural
labors OF the dar. Other parties in the ca
noes were setting out for the Ash nets to gather
In the fnny harvest that had collected since
the previous day The river swarms with
fish, the land yields rich returns of all tropical
produce, and thousands OF natives along the
river do not know what famine means. They
have, besides, food resources upon which
most OF the world can not count 40 these
natives are among the greatest Of caunibals,
Quite number OF men accompany the
women to the fields, but not TO take part In
filling the soil. They let the women mouop
Ollie the rude iron hoes, while the men stand
around with weapons IN their hands to protect
WV 'O"~'os V"hOus HotCStiuu Is IL
ways danger that the women WIN be surprised
and dragged of by hostile tribes.
All these river tribes send expeditions against
one another for the sole purpose of procuring
victims for their cannibal feasts. Capt. Van
Gcle says that all the enemies they kill In bat
tie are eaten, and that the same fate soon
overtakcs the prisoners they carry home with
them. Before the exploration of the Congo
valley the belief was widespread that cannL
bali in had greatly decreased, and that there
were comparatively very few people whs
were still addicted to the horrid practice. u
oil his trss "els. Livingstone never saw csnuL
bal tribe with the possible exception of The
Mauyema. But the opening up Of tSe Congo
basin has revealed tho fact that the world
never knew before where canniballsm was
most prevalent. There are undoubtedly hun.
dreds Of thousands Of people In that region
among whom cannIbalism Is . confirmed and
most cherished habit.
Capt Van G.le says that nowhere in Africs
has he seen fisheries Of equal extent except al
Stanley falls All these tribes are tall and
powerful, and In form they are splendid specL
mems Of ply sical beauty.-NeW York Sun