, 1896-10-21
Barbados Agricultural Reporter October 9nd)

About two or three years ago a large num-
Der Of emigrants left here under a contract
arranged by Mr. ]. Massiah Gaskin to labour
in the Belgian State Of the Congo, aud a short
time ;lftor their arrival at Bona news reach
I'd Of the uIbarIc reception which they
mot and the cruelty to which they were
subjected at he Ii mdS of the Belgian autho-
litieA and soldiers. Outhclr arrival at Bona,
believing that they we're sent to work among
an EnSlish.speat ing people, and finding that
II base drc, ton had been plactised upon
them, they refused to quit the steamer which
had conveyed them thither unleS3 they were
permitted conference with the British Consul.
Their reno istrAnccs were UNDECIDED, and af-
ter considerable larleymg, In response to
their fervent appeals and wild g%estues a
company Of belgian oldieIs were brought
down and ordered to fire upon them, which
order was obeyed with the result that many
Of the olnigruntS were SHOT DOWN, and the re-
mainder Of them having been dragged ashore,
were manac.ed and driven through the
streets like so many wild beasts. Arriving
at their destination, their contracts were dis
regarded; many Of them were merci!essly
beaten and left to die in the forests, and after
several months the few who were fortunate
enough to sulvive the bdrbarities which,
6QQSQ 10 Tie lHbdluUIllE VI lAO Slinlh'C, h"N
brought an u~ntimely end to their fellows,
were sent back hore by the Belgian Govern
ment in a half starved, emaciated and
wretohed condition. They told q sad and
horrifying tale Of the brutality to which
thor were subiect-a tale which was received
here with amagement and incredulity, as
every one was loath to believe that III this
century of enlightenment and civilization
such horrible brutality as they were said
TO have suffered could be possible even in the
Congo. But that their story as TO the cruel
capabilities of the Bel2ians was was not ex-
sggerated is shown from The cnnfrmatory
statements made by Mr.. A fred Painter and
published in the Mail of the 9Th ulto. Mr..
/ armiter is all officer who has been III the
service of the Congo State, aud Of he Societe
Anonyme Beige since 1884, and his statements
are published elsewhere. AS to The cruel
ties invariably p~ractised by the Belgian Off
GERS and soldiers, he says that although per.
sonally he did not know of all the ban bari.
ties spoken of, he was sorry to say that, not
withstanding denials from state officials Oh
the spot aud frOmBrussels, they are, as a whole,
ouly too true. After showing. cause why the
Belgian officers are addicted to such
barbarities, Mr.. Parmiter proceeds to
narrate q few of the most horrible
instances Of cruelty that ever came to
his knowledge, and from a perusal OF his mar
rative it will be seen that 1t is no unusual
thing for tie unfortunate victims of the Bel
qian soldiers to have their hands and ears
cut of, their feet hacked off, and their bodies
lacerated by the "chickotti, > an instrument
Of torture described as q strip Of dried hippo
potamus hide about five feet long and an
inch wide at the but enl taperin8 down 10 a
thin cruel lash.
We have referred to this matter because it
seems to us strange that people of this is
land should be duped aud led astlay to a
foreign country and be subjected to The hor-
rible cruelty which they related on their re-
turn here, and that no steps should yet have
been taken to bring the matter Iorclbly to the
notice of the British Government with Il view
of having a thorough investigation made.
No attempt has been made to ascertain whe-
Their the sufferings Of these unfortunate
people were as they had represented them to
be. and, if true, to follow the example Of the
British Government i'll the case OF Mr.. Stokes;
that is, to demand u compensation to the
families Of those who had been shot down by
the sanguinary Belgian soldiels.