The St. Johns herald., 1891-10-15
HAITIAN voupoo ORGIES.
Horrible Rites and Sacrifices Practiced
 in the NeEro Republic.

Horrible Rites and Sacrifices Practiced
 in the Negro Republic.
 At dusk of Christmas Eve many of the lowest of the blacks left Port au Prince on foot for the valley at the foot of the Lascelle mountains, some twelve miles south of the town. where several thousand of the believers in voudooism were found assembled, the greater portion being from the vicinity of Jacmel, the most barbarous portion of the island. The correspond ent, disguised and blackened. under the protection of a literally paid guide. arrived on the spot just before midnight. There each of the per- formers put on a pair of sandals and fastened around his otherwise naked body number of red handkerchiefs. the King of the Voudoos having an un- usually large number, with 8 blue girdle, and red handkerchiefs bound around his head and worn as dia- dem. The Queen, clothed in the charming simplicity Of 8 single broad
 
 large box, where the fangless ser- pent representing the Deity was kept.
 Then began the horrible adoration of the serpent, lasting about thirty minutes, and ending in wild satur- nalia of delirium. The scene, amid the glaring of burning torches and bon fires, can hardly be described. All present took part in dancing around a large altar, erected in :he center of an open space. Between the dances abundant potations of the vilest native rum and gin, favored with herbs and roots tending to increase the delirium, were indulged in by all. After the dancing the crowd separated and, ac- cording to seniority, approached the serpent in the cage. Dropping on their stomachs they crawled forward imploring the aid of the voudoo for blessings on themselves and friends and unknown. The answer to these appeals was interpreted to the im- beetle crowd by the Queen, they never doubting the most mOnstrous absurd ity, and only knowing how to obey what is despotically dictated to them. They then bound themselves by the most execrable paths to obey the dictates of the Queen and minor priestesses until the next annual assemblage. On this occasion white goat was sac- rifced, but my guide informed me that last year he was present at the same assemblage, four miles north of Jac- mel, where Q female child was stupe- fled by drugs, it's veins opened, and the blood sucked therefrom by the King, Queen and minor seniors, while the rabble tore the corpse limb from limb and devoured the flesh, still warm, tho boao3 and alhering slips of flesh. with the head, being thrown into kettle of boiling water with the bodies Of small snakes. The broth. seasoned with herbs and rum, was eagerly partaken of by all present This seems iIcre iible. but we'll au- thenticated cases where recently buried bodies have been cXhumed. cooked and devoured by tho almost complete ly barbaroUs inhabitants of the south ern departrHent-the brutalized de- scendants of the lowest tribes of Africans been heard of.
 In February, 1881. at St. Marc a cask of so-callei pork was sold to a foreign ship. Fingers and ingernails being discovered, further investiga- ton proved all the flesh therein to be human. An English colored clergyman near Capo Haytian re- gently found that his wife had pur- chased human flesh instead of pork in public market Four people were fined in the cape for eating corpses.- Cor. N. '. World.