Iron County register., 1899-04-06
CANNIBALS OF AFRICA.
How the MpOngweS of the wcst
Coast Prepare and Eat
Human Flesh.

Reuters Liverpool CORES pondent has
had an interview with Mr. =. \. McCann.
who has resided for 19 years in West
Africa. He recently returned from n
Photographic expedition III the Gold
Coast Hinterland, extending over an
unbroken period of four years. Nh
McCann's seven years trading and resi-
dence with the cannibal tribes of the
French Gaboon probably form the most
exciting part of his experiences in West
ern Africa. After Sir William Maxwell
returned to Coomassie from Bantukr
and finished his Hinterland tour, Mr..
McCann, with his carriers, penetrated
country much of which had hitherto
never been visited by white men.
In his seven years dealings with the
cannibal Mpongwes Mr.. McCann got
friendly with them and thoroughly
studied their habits and customs. They
quite believed that the white men ate
white men. as they themselves eat their
fellow-blacks. \ big chief offered Mr.
Mccain the smoked thigh of native.
This was considered a gracious act.
To refuse it would be unfriendly. Mr.
McCann was in a dilemma. But he
feigned illness, and said he was not eat
Ing just then. The chief eventually
put the matter off good-humoredly by
saying he supposed the white man pre-
ferred white man to eat instead of black
man.
The Mpongwe cannibals of the most
pronounced type thickly inhabit the
banks and forest regions of the Gaboon
and Elobey rivers. Although they kill
game or food they much prefer human
meat to any other. When questioned
about the practice they speak freely
about it without any embarrassment.
Human flesh, they say, has a rich fla
vor about il which is entirely absent
from any other kind of meat. They eat
all enemies they kill or capture in war;
the latter are tortured before being put
to death. In fighting with an enemy
who has pressed them hard and caused
them much loss. the bodies are eaten
very soon after the capture and when
the heat of war is upon them.
The bodies of enemies killed by
stealth they generally treat different
ly for not being excited by hard fight
ing or losses they deliberate more over
the pleasure the eating will afford them,
and 90 more leisurely about the prep
aration of the meat. The flesh having
been cut up is cooked in plantain leaves
The method of doing this is as follows:
Several leaves of the plantain tree are
cut at the base of their shafts from
the trunk of the tree, and the midriff OF
the leaf. which is thick and full of sap. !
and so prevents the leaf from bend
ing easily. is dexterously pared down
with single cut of a knife. The Leaf
is then held over fire, and under the
influence of the heat softens and be-
comes as flexible as cloth. All the |
leaves are treated like this. and are
afterward put one on top of another |
and then gathered up so as to form
basin-like receptacle. A quantity of |
human meat, cut into small pieces, is |
then placed in this, some water and |
dika fat made from the fatty kernels |
of the seeds of the Mangifera Gabonen- |
sis are adden, after which the leaves are |
gathered together at the top and tied |
round with the fibrous strips cut from /
the midriff when preparing the, leaves
The bundle is then placed over slow
fire for seven or eight hours, and the
flavor of the meat thus cooked, accord, !
ing TO Mpongwe connoisseurs- sur
passes everything in the worlds bill |
of fare.-St James Gazette.