Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1889-01-10
AFRICAN CANNIBALISM
A Soldiers GreWs0me Experiences in
the Congo Free State.
Two of His Comrades We're Cooked ant
Eaten Before Bis El es.
His Own Life MiraeuI0usly Saved by
Some of Stanley's Men.
Atrocities in Africa,

SCENsCS VI ihO SOD&C STATE. nbQ Il tftR
experience while ago, which Captain
Coo unhs5 says, in the Memphis Ava
larche, is one OF the most dramatic Incl
dents that has come to mis- notice in At
RIGA. He vas one of three soldiers whom
Captain Hanssens established there. The
Captain steamed away, leaving these men
aioLe among the worst cannIbais in the
Congo basin, and several months later
AIakai tod Captain Cuqullhat tsis story
of what happened.
''The chief of the village,n he said,
'told Captain Hanssens that he would
protsc5 us as he would his own children
He asked Us not 80 leave the village, as he
could no6 answer for what his neighbors
might do. BE prudent he said. Several
days passed quietly, 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, bat 1t
was 10 use, as mucn pleasure had been
promised toe meE, and SO they went ava
with the fishers.
"a little after night fail the canoes of
the returning fishermen touched the shore
but | did not see my two comrades With
them. Fearing treason, hid myself in
an abandoned hut. Soon after fire was
built near the place where l WAS con
ceaieG, and after while could smell the
door of cooking meat. l believed they
were roasting thu flesh of my friends and
the tholght filled me with horror. | crepJ
out into the darkness, and lying IN the
tall grass, I could see every thing thst was
going on at the fire. Large pieces of
meat were roasting over the coats and
soon the canDibals took out of q large
jar two human heads, which l recogniz ID
as those of my comrades. Many men
were laughing around the fire, and others
were attending to the cooking.
Il crept away in the grass and
HID IN THE FJREsT
but did not go very far from the Basoko
village for 1 hoped that one of our
steamers would come there before long.
For week 1 lived on roots and wild
fruits and little wild manoic, that in TIL
night l took from the fields. In about a
month l was discovered by a woman who
was looking for medicinal pianrs. She
gave the alarm, and L was seized, taken
back to the village and delivered TO the
chief who made the alliance with Capt.
Hanssens. Wnen / was alone with him
told him he had terrible account to
settle with the whites for what he had
done. The chief said he was not re-
sponsible for the death of my friends,
for If they he'd followed his council they
would have been safe. He said if
promised to tell the captain that my
friends had been aceidently drowned, ne
would protect me. Z promised TO do SC.
The chief put d guard over me, but did
not corfine me. and for some weeks
hoped to escape the fate of my friends.
"Then the people of the village went
to the chief and demanded my body
for feast. 1T is useless, they said, to
hope TO satisfy the white man by restor-
iog to him only one or his men. Since
We have killed the other men it is better
TO make away with this witness of the
act For days the chief refused to give
me- up TO his men. but 1 saw at last that
he was certain to yield to the solicita-
tions, which were becoming more and
more pressing. So L seized an oppor-
tunity one dark night TO take refuge q
second time in the forest. Believing
then that our boats would not reach the
Aru wimi again for three or four months,
[ buried myself in the interior. Not
had manioc TO eat, and my strength
diminished day by day.
"After living in great misery for over
three months, [ cautiously advanced tC-
ward the village. One day l heard the
putting of a SIT amer,
IT WAS THE MISSIONARY VESSEL PEACE.
I went down to the bank, but the steamer
was far away and did not see me. l saw
the white men take come villagers on
board, evidently to get news of US. The
natives said, without doubt, that we had
gone away, for they were soon released
and the steamer went on.
''Some of the natives, who at sight of
the vessel had fed into the forest, discov
cred me, and | was again pounced upon,
and this time L was closely guarded. /
heard them say that was too shin to eat,
and that they wouldn't kill me just then,
After my trightfUi privasiors l was moth
ing but skin and bone. They fed me all
| could eat, and could not resist my ap
petite. As [ had no exercise and lived on
the fat of the land, ] rapidly increased in
flesh, and in few weeks I was regarded
as in fit condition to eat. | saw them
pre- pairing the maniOc and the beer for
the feat. l felt that my last hour was ap-
preaching. On the afternoon Of the day
when [ was TO be killed ny arms were tied
behind me. The sun was still hig b, WI en-
all Of sudden we heard a great noise in
the village, near the Congo. Tho Arabs
are coming everybody shouted, and the
men seized their spears. The women and
children hurried off into the woods.
Presently the Arab slavers came near
enough to pour volley of shot into the
town, and the men took to flight. Ia the
midst of the retreat the Basook said l
ought to be taken along, and warrior
was assigned to this task. All the Others
disappeared. My guard stepped into his
hut TO get his shield. Seizing this unex
pected opportunity, 1 leaped, tied as 1
was, into the naig hboring busa. The man
hurled himself after me, but just then
the Arabs broke into the village and the
warrior turned aud fed. 1 stuck my
head out of the thicket and the Arabs saw
and seized me. They thought | was a
Basook, but [ shouted, L am one Of an
Iey's men, I bore he tattoo mark of the
Hanssa, with which they were familiar.
They unbound me ana [ was saved. A
few days later Ca plain Won Geie appear
ed with his steamers and | was turned
over to him."
The HaUssas are natives of the Soudan,
many of whom have served in the Congo
state as soldiers. When Alakai was re-
stored to his fellows they bore him around
on their shoulders and had a great iobiia-
ton. Captain Coquilhat says he was fat
and sleek, ard laughed heartily when he
spoke of the good nOurishment the can
nibals had given him during the last
month of his captivity.
IN GENERAL.
SLAUGHTER IN THE SOUTH.