Ellsworth American. [volume] (Ellsworth, Me.) 1855-current, 1891-01-22

| flesh has fine appearance and he will
make a regal repast
| The women stand all around, the wives
| of Molleki at the head, washing their por-
ringers iniwhich they are TO gather the
blood. The small boys quarrel in order TO
get nearer, and sharpen their knives on
the great stone, while discussing the rela-
tive merits of the different portions of
BandZinga.
The old men are calmer as are the old
women, who even scold the younger ones
for their too apparent pleasure perhaps
1t is only to hide their own.
Here comes Mollek the great chief
Molleki lie brings the great sacriticial
knife-thc fetiche knife which comes to
him from his father All. how many
heads has this knife already cut of
1t was slowly passed back and forth be-
fore Bandzinga. Why he in hurry: Time
was worth nothing and the sun was not
yet above the horizon.
See how sharp the knife is 1t cuts a
hair in two from the top to the bottom.
The executioner approaches Bandzinga,
makes white line around his neck, and
then turns to scoli two children who get
between his legs; this takes ten minutes.
Bandzinga is still waiting.
lnsensibly the circle draws closer and
closer around the executioner, who is SIT
ting behind his victim Is he going to
strike: No. he has noticed a small end of
the bind weed which is dangling near the
lower jaw, and he lays down his knife and
le>urely arrange> H.
The eXecutoner raises his arm for the
first time and lowers it near the white
mark. Every one i>quiet. The knife is
again lifted and falls with such force on
the white mark. that the head is complete
ly severed describing in its fall bloody
half circle.
The eXecutioner is a dextrou> man. The
war songs resornd snd the glory Of Molle-
haste. the blood is being gathered, the
body di>mcmbered, leg throwA here, an
arm there. Mollekis wives carry of the
trunk and head. and the curious beg a
mouthful from the more favored ones.
Making an excursion on the river Oubaug-
hi" continues Father Augouard, Il saw
one evening something struggling IN the
water. The natives were CIrlOusly watch
ing it. | asked what it was. on" was
the answer, in the coolest manner posi-
bic. 1T Is only slave whom they have
cast into the water because he will not eat
and grow fat Tired If feeding him and
seeing him always sick, his master threw
him into the river to get rid Of him
| had the poor fellow rescued, clothed
and fed, TO the great astonishment of the
natives. who asked me what | was going
to do with that skeleton. Charity is be-
yond their Intelligence. and they could only
see the material loss wa. gong to suffer.
The poor hoy died in fifteen days after
and was sufficiently instructed to receive
baptism before departing,
During the same excursion | had oc-
casion to redeem child Of twelve years.
JOS. While making the bargain the boy
remained immovabie on the river bank but
when he understood the change was effect
ed he jumped lightly on board the Leo
XIII. the little steamboat which transports
our missionaries from place 10 place. re-
ceived with joy some bananas and pair
of snowy red cotton pants A few DAYS
training made him valuable help t. the
cook He is still at the Brazzaville Mis-
sion. and can hardly persuade himself that
he was once 50 near the boiling pot.
Another child escaping in the same W
aud on the same conditions, gave u- in The
most cold blooded manner, ,hc most mln-
ute details of those horrible feasts imita-
ting the terrors of the victims and the joy
of the conyives especially at the moment
when the blood issues from the neck, He
assured us that human flesh had pecu-
liarly good taste and that the smaller in
te,tine> were not to be desp>ed.
During the course of my voyages have
seen many sad trophies ornamenting the
public places as well as the inside of the
houses.
The great men are known by the num-
Der of skulls set in symmetrical rows
which ornament their dwellings
Mr. Dunod, captain of the gunboat
Djoue, made protectorate treaty one day
with chief of the upper On6anghi While
waiting till slave brought him mat, the
chief with the utmost coolness, took a
skull and sat upon it