The daily morning journal and courier., 1902-10-09
soUDAN DEVIL woRsHIPPERs
Barbarous Marriage Customs of These
 Savage Africans.

Barbarous Marriage Customs of These Savage Africans.
 This is true story of the devil wor- shippers of the dark Soudan of Africa
 as told by Miss Mary Mulln, who has lately returned from the Momaligee mission.
 s"There are so very many things to be said about this country in which have been engaged in mission work" said Miss Mullen, "that hardly know where to begin. Then, too, there is so very much that I could not tell of what the natives do in their so-called re-
 Hgious rites that the matter of giving
 anything like an adequate description of their life and customs is most diff ficult one. Then, too, I dare say I will at times seem inconsistent, for, not Iithstanding the practice of polygamy and the awful methods of marriage or | what corresponds to marriage, it is a | fact that among those so married the husband or owner of the wives has but little cause to fear inffdelity. Such &C., tion is often punished by death, and
 the result is that in certain ways the devil worshippers of the Soudan are in reality more moral than some of the highest classes of civilization.
 Perhaps it would be well to start
 with this subject of marriage and right her is fact that I dare say will be interesting to readers. The old men for the most part have all of the young wives, while the young men must con- tent themselves with old women and widows. This is easily explained. Sem timent rarely enters into the matter of
 matrimonial alliances.
 "It Is a pure question of trade. and as wives are considered more or less of an
 expensive luxury the rich old men get the pick, while the poor young men
 have to take what is left until they have anlassed 6 sufficient amount of wealth to make the purchase of more and younger wives possible.
 Tobacco and rice are the mediums of exchange, and I should say that about $15 was the average price set up- on the head of young and attractive
 girl. Very often these girls are con- tracted for while they are still little
 more than babes.
 "The selection of marriageable girls
 is one of the most awful in all of the
 customs of the devil worshippers. The
 Bundoo devil, woman, takes all of
 these young girls into some sequestered
 spot in the bush, and it would be worth
 any mans life to be found in that viz
 cinity. I cannot go into the customs
 and rites to which these girls are sub
 jected by the Bundoo devil. But after
 certain ceremonies this devil selects
 certain ones. who are permitted to
 wear a small girdle, which proves that they are the kind of girls, prospective
 husband would want to buy.
 "Others who are not so fortunate come from the ordeal with the string
 trailing along the ground after them
 This is a sign that the Bundoo devil
 has found them to be other than vr- tuous. As matter of fact, I have been told on the very best of authority that this selection of the girls really has
 nothing to do with their previous life, but that it is means for the woman devil to get vengeance on some of her neighbors, an opportunity that she nev- CT overlooks.
 "The young girls who are taken into the bush are carefully protected. and no man ever dares to venture in the neighborhood. This place is called the