The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1902-09-02
AFRICAN KINGS MUST NOW
TAKE LAST JOURNEY ALONE
Formerly Hundreds of Women and Slaves
Killed at Chiefs Death.


1t has been crime punishable with
death for years past to kill slaves in the
territory of the Congo Free State upon
the demise of great person. This had
been the custom because it was thought
necessary that he should have plenty of
company on his journey into the other
world. Kings and chiefs and other inn
portant persons now have to make the
journey alone This law is being strictly
enforced, as far as tie authority of the
state extends; and as the practice of
human sacrifices is gradually being wiped
out.
1t was a horrible evil, and the fact
that the whites are insisting upon it's
abolition is a blessing to Africa. Eu-
ropean influence is not always for the
good of Africans but the war the whites
are waging- with some Of the hideous
facts of barbarism, such as human sacri-
fees, cannibalism, fetichism and slave
raiding, foot up a large balance in favor
of the Caucasian in his account with
Africa.
The British are following the example
of the Congo Free State in dealing stern
ly with these evils A recent instance
to which a Roman Catholic missionary
has called attention, is very interestirr as
showing the potent influences for the
protection of the people that are getting
firm foothold in the heart of tropical
Africa
In 1889 the government of the British
was established over the large country
of Ubema, which extends between Lakes
Tanganyika and Bankweolo. One of the
most powerful chiefs of the tribe was
Mwamba, who lorded it over a large dis
trict near Bankweolo. He was finally
gathered to his fathers; and the trouble
the ruling family have been put to in the
matter of his burial is regarded as i'm
portant in the history of his country, for
it is, believed to mark the end of one of
: the savage customs that have been depop-
ulatng the country.
Mwamba had been dead for fourteen
months, but he was not yet buried. His
friends kept his body above ground all
this time in the hope that they would
finally soften the obdurate hearts of the
British, who for some undoubtedly bad
reason were opposed to permitting the
dead ruler to enter the next world with
an escort BETTING his Importance. For
Mwamba was really great monarch.
He had been a tyrant whose name was a
terror. He had mutilated a great number
of his subjects. His crimes were more
numerous than the hairs of his head. 1t
was not reasonable to let him go into
the other world without an escort worthy
of his rank in the world from which he
had departed.
From time immemorial in that coun-
try the graves of defunct chiefs had been
the scenes of veritable butcherieS. 1t
was the custom to drag the victims to
the tomb Of the late important person
age; each enc of them received on the
head a single terrible blow from an ak
or club. If the victim succumbed as was
almost invariably the case, this was a
sure sign that his or her nreSence was
agreeable to the dead person. If he sur
yived this showed clearly that his room
was preferred to his company and he
was allowed to get we'll and thank his
lucky stars.
The British were on the ground keep
ing a careful lookout to see that no one
should lose his life simply because Mwam-
ba had died. Members of the ruling fam
ily repeatedly went to the white men and
reasoned with them. Mwamba certainly
needed women to cook his food in the
other world. He required slaves to brush
away irnportunate flies and wives to of
fer him the tribute of their adulation.