Shepherdstown register. [volume] (Shepherdstown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1849-1955, 1895-03-21
Millions of cannibals.


commercial agent to the Congo Free
State, has Just returned 70 Washington
after two very exciting years in the
Dark Continent. he has brought
with him some wonderful stories of
battle and adventure, large collection
of trophies and curiosities, and much
interesting information. Just atpres-
ent he has desk at the State Depart
ment, where he is preparing a report
that will be submitted to Congress.
Twenty millions of people in the
Congo Free State are eaters of human
flesh, said Mr.. Mohun. THAT is
about four-ffths of the entire popula-
ton. Cannibalism is strictly forbid.
den by the government of the country,
but nine hundred white men are not
able to exercise very complete con-
troll over such vast number of savages
occupying 100000 square miles of
territory. individuals are caught IN
this act occasionally and punished
with death. One day in last May as
l chanced to enter a village that lay
on the route of my expedition the ma
tives fled precipitately. Twas alta loss
to know the reason why until ! dis
covered certain evidences of big fam
lily feast They had been cooking a
man, and one of his legs was in pot
over the fire.
Il lost no time in throwing pot and
all into the river. The mans head
was stuck on fence. Among these
people it is a custom to keep the head
of victim in this way for four or five
days, at the end of which it serves for
stew. The brain is highly esteemed
The chief of the village was tried on
the charge of cannibalism and after
ward hanged, believe The man
whom l found potted was slave and
had been purchased for food. Some
of the tribes commonly buy slaves to
eat, just like pigs or chickens, fatten-
ing them on bananas, palm oil and
other nutritious provender, and kill
ing them when they are in suitable
condition.
what do the slaves think Of it?
you ask. Well, they 90 not seem to
mind it very much. In Africa such
things are looked upon from a differ
ent point of view. | once saw four
teen persons buried alive, and they
exhibited the utmost indifference to
their fate. a great chief had died,
and, according to custom, it was nec-
essary that his favorite wives and
some of his slaves should accompany
him to his future abode.
"a hole was dug III the ground
about as large as a fair sized room,
and in the middle of it the corpse Of
the august defunct was placed. One
of his wives descended into the exca-
walton and squatted at his head {;
another wife squatted at his feet, and
two more wives disposed themselves
similarly on either side of him. His
body was done up in about thousand
yards of cloth. This was an evidence
of his wealth, for cloth is money in
savage Africa.
"In the hole, forming circle
around the corpse, squatted ten slaves.
Neither they nor the four wives mani
tested any concern about their ap-
preaching fate, which they evidently
regarded as a matter of course. Up to
the end of the ceremony, which was
quite elaborate, they did not utter a
sound or make a struggle. Alta signal
men began to throw back the earth IN
to the pit which was to be a grave
for the living as well as for the dead.
The operation was continued until all
of the unfortunates were covered up
and concealed from view While the
hole was being filled up there was &
continuous and unearthly hullabaloo,
with shouting and dancing and beat
ing of tom-tOms.
"Why did l not interfere? was
not strong enough. Ny escort num-
bered only few men, and | could not
have prevented the tragedy, while any
attempt on my part in that direction
would probably have cost my own life.
The living burial / have described
was on a small scale compared with
similar sacrifices that are made from
time to time at the funerals Of native
potentates 1t often happens that ex-
peditions passing through the country
find in the villages slaves with wooden
blocks on their ankles. They wear
these clogs to prevent them from es-
Gaping while they are being fattened,
for eating. When thus discovered by