The star. (Reynoldsville, Pa.) 1892-1946, 1896-05-13
KONGO CANNIBALS.
DESCRIBED BY A MISSIONARY WHO
KNOWS THEM WELL.
Their Appetite For Human Flesh Illus
trated by Scenes That Father Aiiaire
Has Witnessed A Life That Is Con-
stantiy Reset with Dangers.

stantiy Reset with Dangers.
Father Allaire, missionary apostolic
to the French Kongo, was recently in
France to order small iron steamboat
TO be used in visiting the mission sta
lions, and was persuaded while there
to contribute to lie Correspondent an
account Of his work and its field. The
courageous fathers Of the French Catho-
lie missions in Africa visit regions hith-
erto scarcely known to white men, and,
living habitually far beyond the bounds
Of the new African civilization, have
peculiar opportunities of studying un-
modified savage life. Father Allaire has
been for ten years in the French Kongo,
and for tho last six years at Liranga.
His home station Of Liranga Is sur
rounded by cannibal tribes, aud not on
ly has he time and again declined hos
pitable invitations to take part in a can
nibal feast. but more than once he has
discerned among his neighbors han
kering after his own flesh.
"You are wrong" said cannibal
when the father turned in disgust from
an offer Of human flesh. "You should
taste it, and after that you'd never turn
away; it is so good"
A cannibal, bearing aloft bloody
human head, said to the father:
"That is the head Of one you knew
well. We ate him three days ago. He
was delicious. You should have come
earlier so as to have taste.
Cannibalism is veritable passion
with some of the fathers black neigh
bors. Rescued slaves tell him, and he
believes it, that there are in the interior
and boys from 10 to 10 years of age.
He made journey up the Kongo to the
land Of the fierce Bondjos, strangers to
him, with the hope of buying children
out of slavery and taking them back to
the mission station. When he reached
Ngomboc, an agglomeration of six or
seven large cannibal villages, he was
constantly saluted with the words:
"Sell us children. We will buy, but
not sell them"
The cannibals had EVIDENTLY heard
Of his mission, and the journey was in
vain. When he was about to return, q
chief invited him to anchor opposite q
village, saying:
"Show your goods there, and my peo.
pie will fetch down the slave children
to SELL"
The father accepted the invitation,
climbed with difficulty the steep em.
bankment, more than 80 feet high, up
ON which stood the fortified village, and
entered the place with an interpreter
and few followers. Sixty savages sur
rounded the priest, and he and the CHIEF
went through the famous form of BLOOD
brotherhood, each making a slight
wound in his arm and permitting tht
outflowing streams Of blood to mingle
The father then discovered that ther,
We're no women or children in sight
and that the points of spears were trem
bling behind the houses. The chief sud
denly demanded gifts for himself an,
all his men.
There was silence in the village
while the blacks babbled ceaselessly il
the sun, and the lances peeped out herr
and there from behind the huts. Tn,
father answered that he wonld be glat
to pay handsomely for any slaves tina
should be brought to the boat. At thi
the chief seized his left hand and bad
him begone. When the father was read,
to make the steep descent of the bank
he saw stealthy giant just ready t,
lance one of the men from the steam
boat. His left hand still grasped by tn
chief, the father aimed his uncharges
rife at the negro below. and the latter
dropping his weapon, drew back.
The next instant the chief had pushed
the father over the bank. He lay stun
ned for second, but rose unhurt to fin,
the savage lancers attacking his owl
men, and the latter casting themselve
into the river for safety. Quickly load
ing his rifle, he turned upon the attack
ing party, but at sight of the loades
weapon the negroes fed. Once on th'
boat the father found that none of hi
men was wounded. One, the black In
terpreter, was missing, and he was sool
discovered making ready to storm thl
village. He declared that with two ri
fles the missionary party could sack TIN
place, and was disgusted when the IA
ther refused to undertake the task
lit is cnrious," said the interpreter
"that when these people were making
ready to eat you you are unwilling :,
be revenged ON them.'
He then explained that as the mis-
sionary party olambered mp to the towr
the negroes were vowing to have thu
goods as presents or by foroe. and tina
when the cannibal chief took the priest
hand the savage said significantly to hi
men:
ut is we'll; he has no skin and hi
hand Is fat"
Father Allaire says that slavery in
his part of Africa is not thing of con
stant blows. Its worst feature is the
possibility Of human sacrifice at the
death of slave owner. The slave at or.
dinary times may 60 and come an be
will. subject only to the possibility Of
being resold or Of being called to be sac.
rifoed In order that dead master may
have slave company in another world.
Slavery IL worse Tor children than foz