The Hawaiian gazette. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1865-1918, 1902-04-11
INTO THE
unknown
How pinnock Went
From Coast
to Niger.

Jane, Pinnock. the Afrioas sSpior.r
snd tracer. nov staying at The hohna
hotel. told an interesting stor, 81 DARK
est Africa 10 an Advertiser reporter
yesterday
THE slave trade exist. over the
greatest portion Of Africa much the
same today az II did any time during
the last thousand years. Benin and the
surros country included eaid
he.
when the transportati0ns OF slave
from Africa 10 the West Indies and
els ewhere became unlawful, trade in
the products OF the country had TO be
Iesorted to. and has developed into vast
proportions. l remember being the first
to chip home. from the Warri river,
palm kernels. This trade at present
amounts to thousands Of tons annual
ly
Il made what | believe was the first
voyage, undertaken by white man.
from the West Coast to the Niger river.
| was fired at from some villages where
the waterway was only twice the width
81 an ordinary canal. the natives think
ing that | had either come 20 steal
their country or to carry them away
for slaves. Many OF the inhabitants OF
throwing Jumps of clay and stones. ]
wondered why they did this. but soon
found that they were frightened at the
trail OF black smoke which the steam
Ell left behind, land were trying to drive
away what they took to be an evil
spirit.
After much journeying l came TO
the Niger and found water mile
across. The country was a wonder
fully beautiful one. with lofty noun
tains here and there.
while travelling some distance in
land from the eBnin river, l came
across race of people with long tails.
Investigation proved the tails tn be OF
artificial origin. The people thought
that they suffered a wrong in not be-
ing born with what seemed to them to
be necessary appendage, and made
good the deficiency by afiixing to the
lower part of their backs a natural
cows tail as it was several from the
animals body and dried. They said
that If the tail was useful to cows and
other animals from brushing flies from
their bodies, it was as useful to them,
and they gave me practical illustrations
in proof
Neither in Warri nor New Benin is
there or mas there been In all my eX-
perience. which extends over forty
years, any cannibalism. Neither New
nor Old eBnin, Warri, Sapeli or For
cados have ever had any English or
foreign missionaries. Scripture read
ers, or schoolmasters. white or black.
with respect to the religion OF the
inhabitants of this region. a rather wide
distinction must be drawn between that
of the now Infamous. horrible city OF
Old or Black Benin and the inhabitants
residing near European trading sta
tons. The former is system OF fet-
ishism, the fetish priest exercising an
almost unlimited power, over bot the
king and his subjects. The rite con-
ssts of the sacrifice of almost immune
iable birds and animals and very many
innocent human beings of every age
and OF both sexes. These sacrifices are
made for any and every reason, some
times to commemorate the death OF a
king, again as an Offering to him to
stop too much rain or to bring rain
when needed.
THE king having decided to close a
certain market or road leading to 1t.
the fetish priest advises the sacrifice OF
man, whose body is nearly split and
il stretched across the road to denote
that the road is closed"