Wheeling Sunday register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1882-1934, 1890-08-24


one woman said to ne in the little Eng
lish she could muttsr:
1--WE never eat weself, " meaning that
If a person died in Il town he was not
eaten by his neightOrs in that town. out
was taken to another town and sold LOT
food. Others, too, have told me that IL
is no ACCOMMODATING to see human.heSh
carried in baskets TO a town to be Sold
like so much beef.
1.-The head is cut off," they explained
"and we never, never eat it. we thro"
it away"
An English Consul, whom met once
and who died shortly after at Benny,
told me that he was present
on one occasion on the lower
Niger when there were seventeen prls-
oners of war, bound, waiting and look
ing on, while the preparations were De-
ing made for great feast of which they
were to form the principal part.
Il pleaded with he victors" he SAID
land argued and entreated them to
spare the lines of these wretcheS. FL
nally, offered TO give them large
dash (all payments or presents are
called 'dash0 r.their ransom. 1t was
all to no purpose. .
"They make we too much trouble,
said the captors; "ye going to eat EN-
now. one time; den dey done.
And eaten they we're, spite OF the hu-
name efforts in Their behalf
Among the moe warlike savage
tribes, it is the belief of some that II
they eat the flesh If "a big war man
his strength and vslor are transmitted
to the feaSter hive had boys in my
mission who lave confessed to
me that they had eaten hui
man flesh. As general thing,
however. they would prefer not
to be thought cainibals. The hands,
they said, were a cloice morSel. They
further told me, What was afterwards
confirmed by othe,s, after they knew
that | was aware Of the fact, that the
flesh was cut up AMI dried TO preserve it
for future use, ant they explained the
method, which, however would hardly
be interesting tocivlized readers. These
people, think, wee cannibalS, because
they were "hungr for flesh, and es-
teemed it as deliacy.
The Iboes on tie river Niger are
quite addicted to cannibaliSm. They
are tall, well formed, brave, but cruel
race. do not think the fact OF their
eating human neSl has any thing to do
with their fine physique, more than
that all th' flesh eating
nations are people physically
stronger, more outrageous and more
enterprising than others. There are,
of course, exceptions even to this rule.
But the custom of cannibaliSm among
the native heather of Africa is gradu-
ally passing AVA, in this wonderful
period of TRANSITION among the people
of that most wonderful land-a land of
inland seas, beautiful lakes, majestic
rivers, cloud-calped. SnOw-covered
mountains, lovely valleys, brilliant
with flowers of vaied hueS and SOngful
with birds of brightest plumage; while
over all are clear, azure skies, riyaling
those of Italy. Y,t this vast country,
stretching through more than sixty de-
grees of longitude md latitude, crossed
by both tropics AMI by the equator: so
large that all Eurpe is contcnding for
slice. has been for ages the scene of
bloody tribal wars Il place of plumber
for the slave catcher and of rapine and
murder.
The railroads u the Congo and in
North and South Africa develop the in
duStries and resources of the country,
and bring in civilization with its bene-
fits and its attendant vices. Some of
the African railroads, it is but fair to
state, are rather mythical. | read in Il
publication recently that there We're
over eight hundred miles of railroad in
Liberia. whereas the fact is there IS
none yet even projected. This is on Il
par with the statement of some wonder
fully wise explorers, who tell us that
there are no Kong mountains Such
statements Simply mislead the map
makers. and it is not To be wondered at
that they are luSy readjusting their
maps after every new exploration.
Everywhere among the African ma
tiveS who have not come under the
influence of civilization polygamy pre-
walls. 1t is the universal custom. Men
have as many wires as they can afford
to buy. A girl baby is usually spoken
for" Immediately after birth, and often
by an old man, Who wishes to add to
the number of his spouSeS. He pays
for her on the installment plan. and he
dresses her meanwhile; that is he fur
nisheS her earrings, brass ankletS and
armlets. beads and leopard'S teeth.
\ common practice is TO take the
child and put her in training under
the head wife of her future nus
band. Ordinar.l7, when the last pay
ment is made. she becomes the wife OF
the buyer without further ceremony:
but there are different customs among
some of the tribes. After being bought,
the wife is subject to her lord and mas
ter and is virtually his slave. In those
places where the gospel is preached,
this state of matters has been changed.
however, and wonan'S status improved.
She is then treated more as an equal.
Still. even where this improvement
exists, she does most of the work; she
bargains, trades, aborS on the farm, or
oversees the other laborcrS.