New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1894-02-25
LIFE AMONG THE CANNIBAL>.
THEODOR WESTWARD TELLS OF HAIR
ROWING EXPERIENCES IN AFRICA.

AN ANEcDoTE To PROVE LACK OF HEART IN
sTANIEY-A CHEF WHO ATE HIS
owN WIVES.
Fifteen Months With the Cannibals on the upper
Congo" was ,he subject Of lecture delivered iast
iob, o, S,eirwav Hall by Theodor Westmark. OF
Sweden He gave a graphic description OF 'ne
Dark Continent and It's inhabitants; maze ''o"h
plea for the abolition Of the slave trade ana Wow
pathos and humtr into his description WIN soou
effect. . .
.Tf on your return TO Europe" Stanley said 10
Westmark when they last met on the Congo you
fell ALL that YOU have seen here. relate all your eX-
periences no one will believe you. You must mod
fly all"
But this advice the lecturer said he intended 10
disregard. and 20 describe the people parucuid'P
the cannibas just as he found them WESTWARD
lof, Europe in April 1882 with six companions. ana
reached Stanley Pool after many hardships anu
adventures the following December. To illustrate
the fact that Stanley, in Westmarks OPINION -
MOI a humane man. though he may be an mUepiu
explorer and persevering scientist. the speaker
related that when he Ill and almost dead ana
unable 10 take the coarse nourishment provided by
the natives he sent TO Stanley asking FOR glass
of wine. Stanley sent word that MS WINE was i''
himself: Let Westmark drink tea or water.
The lecturer drew picture Of the trip up the
Congo and finally landed his audience IN the must
OF the Mangara people, who are cannibals ana
nolygamists The number of wives which man
possesses there is only limited by his wealth. re
huvs them from their parents and pays ior tiiehi
in keeping with their youth and charms
4 real frst-class beauty can be bought lot Two
empty bottles, which weakness with the
Deople one less comev Will bring her paterhai
ancestor only few beads, and some can De han
for even less. - =. ..
The women do all the work. The men sit about
and look on, and the wives. though they bt, an
expensive investment soon pay for themselves
The children receive little no care ana as soon
as they are old enough converted Into money
the boys becoming warriors, the girls wives OF
slaves a.. 800,
1t IS the belief Of the Mangaras that after death
they will become white, and that those VINO are
white before that time are devils ana so WeStHlirk
proclaimed after a party of Mansaras had
discovered him bathing in the Congo 80
"A chief whom ! knew said the lecturer mao
wives. seven OF whom he had sentenced 10 death
for various imaginary crimes. and after the execu-
ton of each ate them.
The attack on a hostile village by these people
was another one of the grewsome scenes portrayed
by the young Swede. . -
The tents were sacked. he said. Those who OF,
fered resistance killed. the bodies were carried
away and then the living were bound ana made
slaves The torch applied TO the ruined naDita,
lions and when the flames died out the captVes ana
corpses carried 10 the village OF the vlctors
where a great feast was prepared the principal dlsh
being roast captive go
Fifteen months close contact with these people
led the lecturer believe that European settle
ments would reclaim them. The country, in his
opinion. is beautiful enough to risk the experiment