Rock Island daily Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1886-1893, 1889-01-17
WITH THE CANNIBALS.
EXPERIENCE or A SOLDIER WHO
WAS FATTENEo FOR THE FEAST.
Two of His Comp anions Go Fishing and
Never Return-In Constant Dread of Be-
Ing Roasted and Devoureti-Rescued al
Last by Beiligercnt Arabs.

Last by Beiligercnt Arabs.
A Haussa soldie. named Alakai. ins the
service of the Congo State, had a thrilling
experience while ago, which Capt. Coquil-
hat says Is one OF It's most dramatic incl
dents that has come to his notice in Africa.
he was one of three soldiers whom Capt
Hanssens left at tho mouth of the Aruwimi
TO man little station which Hanssens estab-
llshed there. The captain steamed away, leav-
ing these men alone among the worst canni-
balls in the Congo basin, and several months
later Alakai told Capt. Coquilhat this story
of what happened:
''The chief of the village" he said, ''told
Capt. Hanssens that he would protect US as
he would his own children. He asked us
not to leave the village, as he could not an
swer for what his neighbors might do. BE
prudent he said Several days passed qui-
etly, and then about noon one day several of
the villagers asked my comrades to go with
them over to an island to fish l opposed
the excursion, bGt it WAS no use, as much
pleasure had been promised the men, and Sc
they went away with tie fishers. A little
after nightfall the canoes of the returning
fishermen touched the shore, but | did moi
see my two comrades among them. Fear
ing treason, hid myself III an abandoned
hut.
HE SAW HIS COMRADES COOKING.
Soon after a fire was built near the place
where l was concealed, and after while
could s!cei! the odor of cooking meat. | be-
lieved they were roasting the flesh of my
friends and the thought filled me with hor
ror. / crept out into tho darkness, and
lying i'll the tall grass, could see everything
that was going on at the fire Large pieces
.Nff,
soon the cannibals took out of a large ja1
two human heads, which | recognized a:
those Of my comrades. Many men were
laughing around the FIRE, and others were
attending to the cookery.
81 crept away through the grass and hiG
in the forest, but cid not go very far from
the Basoko villages, for hoped that one Of
our steamers would come there before a great
while. For weeks l lived on roots and wilc
fruits and a little raw manioc that in the
night time | took from the fields In about
month | was discovered by woman who
was looking for medicinal plants. She gave
the alarm and 1 was seized, taken back K
the village and delivered to the chief whC
had made the alliance with Capt. Hanssens
When | was alone with him | told him ht
had terrible account to settle with thu
whites for what hs had done. The chief sale
he was not responsible for the death of my
friends, for if thev had followed his counci
they would have been safe. He told L thai
| If | would promise to tell the captain my
! friends had been accidentally drowned hC
would protect NE. promised to do so. Tht
| chief put a guard over me, but aid not con
fine me, and for some weeks | hoped K
escape the fate of my friends
Then the people of the village went to the
chief and demanded my body for feast. II
is useless they sad, TO hope to satisfy tht
white man by restoring to him only one o.
his men. Since We have killed the other mer
it is better to make way with this witness o.
the act For day the chief refused to give
inc up to his men, but l saw at last that l.,
was certain to yield to the solicitations which
were becoming m ore and more pressing. 81
| seized an oppol tunlty one dark night Il
take refuge d second time in the forest. Be
| leyiug then that our boats would not reacl
the Aruwimi aga for three or four months
| buried myself l.. the interior. Not daring
to approach the fields mo longer had maniot
to eat, and my strength diminished day by