Evening star., 1899-03-18
WEST AFRICAN CANNIBALS.
How the Mpongwes Prepare and Eat
Human Flesh.

Human Flesh.
From the st. James Gazette.
Reuters Liverpool correspondent has had
an interview with Mr.. p. A. Mccain, who
has resided for nineteen years in west
Africa He recently returned from a pho
tographic expedition in the Gold Coast Hin
terland, extending over an unbroken period
of four years. Mr.. McCann's seven years
trading and residence with the cannibal
tribes of the French Gaboon probably form
the most exciting part of his experiences
in western Africa After Sir William Max
well returned to Coomassie from Bantuku
and finished his Hinterland tour. Mr.. Nc
Cam, with his carriers, penetrated country
much of which had hitherto never been
visited by white men.
In his seven years dealings with the
cannibai Mpongwes Mr.. McCann got friend
ly 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. A big
chief offered Mr. Mccain the smoked thigh
of native. This was considered gracious
act. To refuse il would be unfriendly. Mr..
McCann was in a dilemma But he feigned
illness, and said he was not eating just
then. The chief eventually put the matter
off good humoredly by saying he supposed
the white man preferred white man to eat
instead of black man.
The Mpongwe cannibals Of the most pro-
nounced type thickly iuhabit the banks and
forest regions of the Gaboon and Elobey
rivers. Although they kill game for food
they much prefer human meat to any other
When questioned about the practice they
speak freely about 1t without any eUbar-
rassment. Human flesh. they say, has
rich flavor about it 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 differently, for not
being excited by hard fighting or losses
they deliberate more over the pleasure the
eating will afford them, and go more leis-
urely about the preparation 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 plan
tain tree are cut at the base of their shafts
from the trunk of the tree, and the midrih
of the leaf, which is thick and full of sap,
and so prevents the leaf from bending
easily, is deXterously pared down with
single cut of a knife The leaf is then held
over a fire. and under the influence of the
heat softens and becomes as flexible as
cloth. All the leaves are treated like this
and are afterward put one on top of an
other, and then gathered up so as to form
a basin-like receptacle. quantity of hu-
man 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 Gabonenss are added,
after which the leaves are gathered togeth-
er at the top and tied round with the ibrous
strips cut from the midriff when preparing
the leaves. The bundle is then placed over
slow lre for seven or eight hours, and
the flavor of the meat thus cooked, accord
ing to Mpongws connoisseurs, surpasses
everything in the worlds bill of fare.