Mineral Point tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1869-1938, 1896-06-18

a the French Kongo, was recently in
france 10 order small iron steamboat
- be used in visiting the mission sta
,iops aud was persuaded while there
- contribute to LIE Correspondent an
.cconnt Of his work and its field. The
Courageous fathers Of the French Catho-
III missions in Africa visit regions hith-
s,ta scarcely known to white men, and,
living habitually far beyond the bounds
II the new African civilization. have
peculiar opportunities of studying IN.
modified savage life Father Allaire has
been for ten years in the French Kongo
and for the last six years at Liranga
His home station Of Liranga is sur.
,ounded by cannibal tribes, and not on.
il has he time and again declined hos.
ritable invitations to take part in can.
nibal feast, but more than once be has
disoerned 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 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
we'll We ate him three days ago. He
was delicious. You should have come
earlier so as to have taste "
Cannibalism is a veritable passion
With some Of the fathers black neigh
bors. Rescued slaves tell him, and he
believes it, that there are in the interior
chiefs who eat no flesh save that of girls
and boys from 10 to 16 years of age.
He made d journey up the Kongo to the
land Of the fierce Bondjos, strangers to
him, with the hope of buying children
ont 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, a
chief invited him to anchor opposite a
village, saying:
"show your goods there, and my peo-
pie Will fetch down the slave children
10 sell.
The father accepted the invitation,
climbed with difficulty the steep EN-.
bankment, more than 30 feet high, up-
onwhich stood the fortified village, AND
entered the place with an interpreter
and few followers Sixty savages sur
rounded the priest, and he aud the chief
went through the famous form Of blood
Brotherhood, each making a slight
wound in his arm and permitting the
Outfowing streams of blood to mingle.
The father then discovered that there
were no women or children in sight,
snd that the points of spears We're trem-
ding behind the houses. The chief sud
ienly demanded gifts for himself and
All his men.
There was silence in the village,
while the blacks babbled ceaselessly in
the sun, and the lances peeped out here
and there from behind the huts. The
father answered that he would be glad
TO pay handsomely for any slaves that
should be brought to the boat. At this
the chief seized his left hand and babe
him BECOME When the father was ready
touake the steep descent of the bank,
he saw stealthy giant just ready to
lance one Of the men from the steam
beat His left hand still grasped by the
chief, the father aimed his unchanged
lille at the negro below. and the latter,
cropping his weapon. drew back
The next instant the chief had pushed
The father over the bank. He lay stun
ned tor second, but rose unhurt to find
We savage lancers attacking his own
NEIL and the latter casting themselves
ia'o the river for safety. Quickly load
ing his rife, he turned upon the attack.
hg party, but at sight of the loaded
weapon the negroes fed. Once OH the
oQat the father found that none of his
men was wounded. One, the black in
NFpreter' was missing. and he was soon
discovered making ready to storm the
Village He declared that with two ri
uss the missionary party could sack the
Place and was disguised when the ia.
yer refused to undertake the task.
1t Is curious. said the interpreter,
'aai when these people were making
.Sa9S N eat you you are unwilling to
Oeftyenged Oh them. ,"
ne then explained that as the mis-
a9aary party clambered up TO the town
wy negroes were vowing to have the
.9a' az presents or by force, and that
1afA tne cannibal chief took the priest
saaa the savage said significantly to his
nsn
Y " we'll he has no skin and h,s
aand is ut.
iat1et Alaire says that slavery 10
y % Arica is not a thing Of con
,.'4' blows Its worst feature is the
human sacrifice at the
re owner The slave at or.
.s1'y 'mes may 60 and come as he
4. fa. l.st nly 70 the possibility of
= 's'e#a of being called TO be sac
" that dead master NAV
''aFe lnpany in another world
10y i rse for children than for
"s ai parts Of the French KDn-
- re used as money A pi
zen Of as worth so many