The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1905-05-15
From the Chicago Free State.

~ ANNIBALISM has long been sup
W. pressed by the Congo govern
~ ment, just as murder is sup
pressed among civilized communities; but
the horrible practice is still INDUCED here
and there, as opportunity occurs for evad-
ing the vigilance of the authorities. SO
recently as 1898, and possibly to the pres
ent day, it was necessary to maintain
constant guard at the cemetery in Leo
poldville, the chief station on the upper
Congo, to prevent the Bangals unearthing
the dead and carrying them off to feast
upon. Several such cases were proved
against them, and capital punishment had
to be resorted to in order to stamp it
out. Not all the canniba1 tribes are so
repulsive and cruel as the Bangalas. Most
of them eat no other human flesh but
that Of their enemies slain in battle. That
source of supply will not suffice for the
Bangalas, who make up its deficiency with
prisoners or slaves. Having broken their
victims limbs they place him in pool
of water, with his head supported just
above its surface so that he may not
drown After having left him in that
position for three days Gf he survives so
long,. he is killed and eaten. Another
method is to behead the victim, SINCE all
the hair from the body over an ember
fire, and then cut 1t into pieces for cook
lag The portions not Immediately eaten
are smoke-dried and put aside for another
occasion. The teeth are extracted and
made into necklaces by the women Some
times the skin is used for drumheads.
Henry Wellington Wack of the New
York bar reports bit of conversation be-
named Kalonda. After speaking of the
tribal wars the missionary continued:
Then you have killed many people?
ITO be sure"
You have carried away and eaten quite
a number of women and children? OF
course said I. Immediately. in order to
prevent an explosion of wrath on his part,
you do not do so any more?"
No said he very deliberately ct 90
not do so at all now but formerly we ate
a number of men. We used to kill as
take away the rest to fatten. The flesh
OIL tne women anu cHhuTen is the pest.
How does it taste?' I asked of the
young boy. who was standing near the
chief (his father
He answered quite naturally: "It tastes
like boiled rice
The forest tribes, to whom cleanliness
ty water is impossible, smear their bodies
with palm oil and kind of red ochre.
which they afterward scrape off. The
original costume of a few leaves, or an
exceedingly small apron made from fib-
rous bark, for women, and a loincloth of
the same material for men. has yielded
to the superior attraction of common cot
ton goods, which now reach them from far
away Manchester or Saxony. These stuffs
ornamented by large patterns in flaming
reds or yellows, delight the eye and re-
joice the heart of the Congolese maid and
matron. while such of the men as desire
to stand well with the gentler sex will
also condescend to use them. In every
tribe, CHILDREN of both sexes are entirely
nude until they reach the age of puberty.
In at least one tribe, neither men nor
women wear any covering. In a few
tribes it is customary for the women to
remain nuut until lucy arc ihdtiitu.
Some women denote their married state
by covering their breasts with strange
ornaments. while others secure this object
by elat orately dressing their hair, which
they build up to a great height by aid
of palm fiber and gum. Both men and
women of whatever tribe. ornament
themselves with just as many collars.
bangels and anklets as they can obtain.
without exception. the possession of
few strings of colored beads is to them
source of great happiness. They gaze
upon such treasures with delight and
guard them with Jealous care
Among the Mangbettes, a dead chief is
buried in sitting posture, in the center
of new but specially built on the banks
of stream. Five of his widows are
strangled and their bodies laid out with
their feet towards their dead husband.
The bodies are then covered with bark
cloth saturated with palm oil. after which
the spot is held to be sacred and must