The Bryan daily eagle. (Bryan, Tex.) 1895-1898, 1897-11-20

III
WHhR ashland against
TAN\ the slave traders.
/<IyNLA His evidence as to
~ W what he saw In
Congoland Of the
treatment Of the natives by the Bel
CLAN administrators Is valuable.
January 2lth-Reached Rlba-Riba;
found Lieutenant Rue "A non-commis-
stoned officer In the Belgian army,
and a fine fellow: his companion. Van
Ri. Is absent on business 10 arrange
quarrel between chiefs. Rue
has built excellent dwellings; he pro-
duces stores OF rubber a month. and
one thousand pounds OF ivory There
Is good discipline In the station. Tho
chalngang Is always a disgusting
sight 20 me In the stations on the
Zone Arabe. as those confined are gen
orally old women reduced TO skeletons
by want Of liberty. hard treatment by
the nego sentries. and hunger. The
policy Of the Arabs il being rather too
closely followed. and the natives are
treated with the utmost severity. Five
women who had deserted we're IN
chains at Riba-Rlba: all we're cut very
badly. having been most severely chi
cotted. or fogged. Lemmery does no,
fiog much. and uses only the basiinado
for women. Women ought not 10 be
logged: this Is the one thing 10 and
fault with.
The native villages are attacked n
they won't work In some way for the
good OF the land. Some are required
to cut wood for station purposes. Others
TO search for rubber: others for ivory.
some TO serve a. soldiers for six OF
seven years. This Is good. for when
once broken In, the natives continue
TO work. II Is no crime. but kipdness.
10 make them work by the system Of
forced labor they gain cloth. etc. and
by a little hard work can soon be-
come rich. The state also makes
profit. increasing its finances 40 a. 10
enable Il TO continue the occupation
Of the land. which means the saving
OF the natives from the slayers For
what Il has done for the natives the
Congo Free State has a perfect right
TO get some profit out Of the land. The
measures adopted are severe. but the
native cannot be- satisfactorily handled
by ooaxing. he must be governed By
force Hangings are now quite fire.
quent on the State stations In the Zone
Arabe: the administration IA quite an.
ierent from the treatment of the ma
lives on the Congo. At Kabamharrc
there Is a tree upon which a lot Of
people have been hanged natives.
wanEwana. and soldiers. Al Kasongo
saw no construction for this purpose
Al Nyangwe and Riba-Riba there is
a wooden frame which has often served
the purpose.
Here AZ Rltari's there Ia one Of those
ugly constructions for hanging. Il
Is said that three natives we're hanged
by Rue because they would not work
salt for the Congo Free State. The
natives have not a very gay time Of
Il. Before the whites came the Wang
wana and Arabs were their masters.
but nov the Congo Free State author
tiles favor the wangwana element Far
more than the natives. and the Wang
wana and the Arabs have accorded 20
them the authority Of by-Eone days.
with tremendous power. which IL most
numerically employed. when a vii
lage does not consent 10 make rubber.
the mgwana o; that particular distr'e.
h empowered 20 hght the offending
village. and TO XIII and take prisoners.
which Il quite general
The Chlcot,e OF raw hippo hide. es-
pecially a new one trimmed like a
corkscrew. with edges like knife
blades. and a. hard as wood. IL ter
rible weapon. and a few blows bring
blood: not more than twenty-five blows
should be- given unless the oncnse 10
very serious. Though We persuade
ourselves that the Africans skin o.
very tough. u needs an extraordinary
constitution 10 withstand the terrible
punishment OF one hundred blows.
generally the victim is In a state Of in
sensibility after twenty-five OF thirty
blows. After the Art blow he wells
ihomlnably. then qule,s down. and Is
a mere groaninT. qu.ycring body tIl
the operation Is over. when the oulpri,
ctumhles away. often with gashcs
which will endure a lifetime. Il ls bad
enough. the nogglng OF men. but far
worse this punishment inflicted ON
women and children Small boys OF
ten or twelve. with cXciahle. hot-tcm.
porcd masters, are often most harsh.
ly treated. Al Kasongo there o. o.
great deal OF cruelty displayed. saw
two boys very badly cut At NyaaFwc
and Rlba-Riha bows are punished hy
beating on the hands conscientious.
BY believe that man who receives one
hundred blows is often nearly KILLED
and his spirit broken Tor lifc.