The daily morning journal and courier., 1899-09-21
CONGO CANNIBALS.

Victims Led About that Prospective
 Purchasers May Select Choice Cuts
 Of the numerous instances that
 might be recorded in illustration of the
 organized traffic in human beings
 which exists, reference may be made
 to the conditions which hold in the dis 1 trict through which tho Lulungu
 River passes, This river, which con- 1 stitutes a considerable affluent of the | Congo. emptiee into the latter river,
 on the south bank at point some
 eight hundred miles from the Atlantic | Coast Within a short distance of the | confluence is to be found a series of strongly fortified villages. representing
 the headouarters of the Ngombi wherein numbers of slaves are 'mpris-
 oned pending the periodical visits of traders from the Ubangi country, which is situated on the opposite side
 of the Congo A visit to one of these slave depots at the mouth of the Lu lungu River reveals a condition of savagery and suffering beyond all or
 dnary powers of description. At the period to which these remarks bear 1GIGTP0Cp, II WdS no uutb1ilIllOu eADc- rience to witness at one time upward of hundred captives, of both sexes and of all ages, including infants in their wretched mothers arms, lying in groups; masses of utterly forlorn hu- manity, with eyes downcast in a stony stare, with bodies attenuated by stay vation and with skin of that duli gray hue which among colored races is al- ways indicative of physical distress.
 In case when a suspicion existed of an individual captive's intention or ability to escape, such unfortunate creature was doomed to lie hobbed with one foot forced through hole cut in the section of log, while a spear head was driven into the wood close beside the limb, rendering it impossi- ble to move except at the expense of laceration. Other means to insure the prisoners safe custody consisted in binding both hands above the head to the kingpost of q hut, or in binding the arms and plating the hair into braid, which was made fast to a branch over- head At intervals these villages were visited by the Ubangi, who came in large dugout war canoes, and the pro- cess of barter commenced, elephant tusks being the medium of currency used in the purchase of the slaves Upon the conclusion of this unnatural transaction, the visitors retired. taking with them as many of the individuals as had been transferred to their pos- session in the tedious process of bar gaining. Upon reaching their destina- ton the captives were, in most cases, subjected to many further ordeals, be- ing exchanged into other hands, until eventually, after having been deliber- ately fattened they met their tragic fate, and their bodies were consumed.
 There is a prevalent belief among many of the rivefine tribes of the Up per Congo that the flavor of human flesh is improved by submerging the prospective victim up to the neck in the water for two or three days pre- vious to sacrifice Indeed, upon two two separate occasions it was my priv ilege to release several poor creatures who were bound hand and foot to stakes in the river. In certain native market places, notably in the vicinity of the Ubangi, it is an ordinary occur renee for captives to be exposed for sale, in most cases with the sinister fate in view of being killed and eaten.