Staunton spectator and vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1896-1916, 1900-12-14
IN DARKEST AFRICA
A Young American Sees Some
Horrible Sights.
Banquet Oh Hunal Brains.


s0SsSSs SsS0se0s
The Baltimore Sun last week prin
I'd thsfoilowing interesting story
the exfeIience OF an American wh
y = rstarping from Atfle.s sssee :.
21S ". Stamps phssry. who left hl
home In Chicago in the summer {
y 1885. Is now on his way to Americs
9 having had thrilling adven lures in th
! heart OF Africa.
For four years Mr.. Cherry has bee
g living among the Congo natives. H
, has been their companion, friend
leader and instructor. Unaccompa
MED by any men of his own color b,
; has penetrated TO parts where no othel
white man has ever dared to go. Il
has fallen to the lot of this plucky
American to make important geogra.
phical and anthropological discoveries,
pursued 20 unostentatiously and ad-
mItted SO reluctantly that scarcely
any one has yet heard OF them. They
have been reserved tor the Geograp phi
zeal Society Of America.
"Demba Cresey, !" as the native chose
to call Mr. Cherry, is a. much of an
American at heart as the day he de-
cided that African exploration wa
more fascinating than tho work of a
civil engineer. The French Gsogra-
phicai Society was anxious to obtain
the result Of his work. The coyerted
ribbon Of the Legion of Honor was
dangled before his eyes, but the de-
c0rations of foreign country had
small luster in the eyes OF this strange
mixture of student and adventurer,
philosopher and hunter.
IMPORTANT RESULTS OF TRAVEL.
Briefly summed up, Mr.. Cherry, |
while traversing over 10000 miles in |
the French Congo and SOudan, has ac-
complished the following results:
Explorotion Of the Upper Kotto riv-
or and surrounding region. The Kotto
is large tributary of the Mobaugi.
Discovery of thres native African
psople-the Bresa, Engassia and LIN
dAs-nOt previously known to white
mon.
Finding species of elephant much
smaller than hitherto known, which
has no tusks.
In addition to these practical results
Mr.. Cherry has collated invaluable
written and Photographic data deal
Ing with the anthropologieAl aspect of I
tho natives with whom he came in con-
tact. especially those which inhabit {
the territory between the Waday and
Mobangl rivers. Upon this he has t
formed the interesting aud novel theory 8
that all the countless native tribes of {
Africa, except. of course, the Arabs. q
sprang from common origin. 1t
This was Mr.. Cherry's second trip G
to Africa. but his former visit cannot L
be compared In Importance to the re- 7
Gently completely exploration. For l.
one year he did not see q white man. t
and for over three years not white b
woman. He slept for four years in his b
elothes, pistol strapped to him and q
rifle by his side. For a similar peri il
I'd he lived On the diet Of the country, e
) native in all respects except in color a
Ind In mind. Yet he is as healthy. hi
'trong and civilized as when be left
Jhicago
What ID, perhaps. more surprising is al
hat no geographical or other society G,
las been called upon to provide funds Of
o send this explorer on his way. BY u
lie own keen eye. indomitable energy st
nd hunting Instinct Mr.. Cherry has b.
0t only been able to supply himself, III
nut also to bring back with him such re
upply of ivory that he returns to
America comparatively rich. Over q
undred elephants have fallen to n
Demba Creecy's" gun. n,
STRANGE AND HORRIBLE SIGHTS. 10
Mr.. Cherry saw seyen native men and tn
hree women ESCAPED prisoner.) saot n
o death by the French. Yet he is not W.
the opinion that the French treat %
he natives worse than other nations nc
O.
There are, he says, mo more atroc
lies committed in the French Congo
han III the Belgian, German or Eng
sh colonies in Africa. Men and wo. in
leu are killed indiscriminateIy but it of
ssins necessary III order to keep the wi
atlves down. One gets accustomed Az
, 1t living out there. To the casual te
lsltor IL lS only horrible The newt ri,
ollity vi the thing does hot appeal TO d,
im.
Mr.. Cherry went from Bangul with no
atlVes Ill Canoes to the mouth OF the "a,
'BOmu river until he came TO the CO,
'rritory OF Bangasson, one OF the great fa,
It ot The N'Saccraw chiefs III tho nj,
hole Congo basin. The day Of Mr.. se,
herrys arrival Bangxsson had been sts
'dulglng in raid upon neighbor Se
X tribe, with the result that 5000 in
en, women and children had been CAD. hi,
lred aid brought 10 Bangasson as RI
avss. In addition to THESE slaves
angasson warriors brought back
undreds Of human heads; trophies Of
aeir prowess.
A BANQUET ON HUMAN BRAINS.
At night great banquet Was pre NH
'red. Ihe heads OF the slain were
'iled aud the brains were eaten. A.
rward the skulls were piled in heaps. 81
uek Oh tree branches aud otherwise
1t in places where they could be seen !
i'd adored, for, Mr.. Cherry says, no fri,
ttfsh is more In favor among the ma siz,
YES than the human skull. The the