The Detroit times., 1908-01-17
CANNIBALS
IN DARKEST !.
AFRICA
CONSUL SMITH WRITES INTER.
EsTlNo LETTER TO WIFE IN
GRAND RAPIDS OF HIS TRIP
INTO THE CONGO INTERIOR.

GRAND RAPIDS. Mich. Jan IT,
Mrs. James A. Smith, who came here
in September and Is occupying the old
Smith family residence at Lyon and
Barclay-sts., has received an interest
ing letter from her husband, James A.
Smith, who is American consul at DO.
ma, Congo Free State, Africa. Mr..
Smith is a son OF the late Rev. j. Nor
gan Smith. and previous TO his APP.
pointment to his present post was for
10 years consul at Leghorn. Italy. Mr..
Smiths letter was written after a
visit into the interior and is in part
as follows:
II suppose you would like 10 know
something OF my trip into the interior.
Well, it's hard to know where TO be-
gin. had so many experiences, but
II was all interesting, although terri
bly, hard work. got into one OF the
widest sections among a lot of can
nibals, and In one part the authorities
sent an escort of 80 soldiers to take
me through. IL they had tried TO
chop me they would have found that
was not much OF a>delicacy taken az
whole. although | may have q few
tid-bits. which would make fair eating
II one likes those sort of things. The
women where we went through were
all stark naked. not even a few beads,
and the men wore only loin cloth.
The whole push were about as filthy
lot as one would ever see.
Great Handwriting.
Whenever we went through their
l ils.r ArI ffx gtan txyif
about the entire population, and as
they were smeared over with red paint
and all sorts OF filth you can imagine
our condition when we got out | had
small steamer which | chartered OF
the missionaries. and we had all sorts
of weird experiences. Any quantity
OF hippos and crocodiles. and one herd
OF three elephants. monkeys ad infin-
itum. never supposed a monkey
could jump so far, but II any one asks
YOU you can tell them that they go
through the trees like the flyer on
the Rutland railroad, and occasional
ly make a drop from one tree to an
other of at least 30 feet We shot a
lot and the black crew chopped them.
These people will eat anything. One
Oiu Cultl CohiuC W Ilt Will q Ddohth VI
live caterpillars while i was having
my chop In his village. They are con-
sidered a great delicacy. as well . as
ants and all kinds of bugs. But the
limit is to see them chop crocodile,
or a hippo which has been dead about
a month and smells like all rotten
meat does. Armstrong, an English
vice consul, asked them how the dick
ems they could eat such stuff. Their
reply was that they ate the meat, not
the smell I expected TO prolong my
trip and go into the Kasai district but
found could not get back before Feb
ruary. and SO have postponed II until
later on. Have picked up Tot OF GU
rios. knives and spears. shields, etc.
They will all be useful In fixing up
den somewhere. During my absence.
from Bona the English consul general
died and the vice consul at Stanley
Vile. who came here to take his place,
came within an ace OF doing the same
thing with that fever, known as black
water by the rabble. but as 'hema-
turia' by the doctors. The English vice
consul at Leopardville is here just
now. His name is Armstrong and be
is a fine chap and very companionable.
am perfectly well and taking good
care OF myself"