Evening capital news. (Boise, Idaho) 1901-1927, 1914-08-21
BELGIAN kONCO
OBJECTIVE POINT
OF THE GERMANS
Country Is Populated by the
Most Progressive and Also
the Most Primitive Afri-
can Natives.

Washington. Aug. 81. - Belgian
Kongo. in Africa, SO frequently men
toned in recent European dispatches
as a possible objective point of the
German troops, is the home alike of the
most progressive negroes of Africa and
of the most primitive and savage can
nibals, according to a statement issued
by the National Geographic society at
Washington today.
This African colony Is so cut up by
rivers and impenetrable forests that
the tribes inhabting the country vary
greatly in their customs and language"
says the society's bulletin. But few
miles distant from these barbarous
savages are endless plantations of
millet and grain of their civilized
countrymen. The cannibal Bankutus
of Belgian Kongo make a practice of
removing the upper incisors. Their
dress consists of pleated skirt. which
does not quite meet on the right thigh;
but the women in the south wear
hide girdle with deep fringe of palm
fiber string. Among this tribe the
slaves are compelled to wear a special
dress, which is, in fact, the ordinary
COStuillc VI lle Ahpld, TO winch tribe
most of them belong. The Bankutu are
great cannibals, as far as the male
members of the tribe are concerned,
and the victims are always slaves. In
fact, all slaves are ultimately eaten,
since 1t is believed that If n slave were
buried his ghost would kill his master.
Use Poisoned Arrows.
Their chief weapon is the bow,
poison being used on the arrows;
shields are now obsolete. One OF their
most interesting points is their use of
a conventional throwing knife as cur
rency. The Bankutu are almost the
only tribe of this region who have been
successful in resisting the advance Of
the white man. This fact Is due to
their skill in forest warfare. The way
leading to their village is defended by
poisoned spikes hidden by leaves. They
use bows and arrows set like traps in
the form of primitive spring guns, and
are quite ready, If a white man is ex
pected, to bait such traps with live
baby, being sure that the European
will be unable to resist the tempta-
ton to pick up an apparently aban-
doned child The poison they use is
absolutely deadly.
Not far from the cannibal region
peace and security reign. The endless
plantations, clean villages and well kept
houses make an impression of general
prosperity. The Batetela, also of Bel
CLAN Kongo, is an excellent agricutur-
list and stock breeder and very indus
trious. He is not at all conservative;
any innovation will tempt him. Rice
Madagascar potatoes and fruit trees
imported by the white man are found
in every village. The people are
scantily clothed, but this is OF great
advantage in their hunting expeditions.
The havoc of sleeping sickness is
greatly limited by the native custom
OF isolating cases of this disease in the
forest. The disease is most acute along
the caravan routes. Here one finds viii
lagos of 100 huts with but 10 sorry
witnesses of it's once Importance here
are grass grown caravan routes, with
only the foot-deep tracks TO prove their
once Importance; and here ones heart
is torn by the sight of mere skeletons,
pulling themselves languidly about
with the light of insanity in their eyes,
where one should see the delightful
round bellied native children. And to
add to the horror of the disease, here
lions and leopards have become man
eaters. since the half-fed sick one,
driven from the fearsstriclsen village,
is the easiest game to stalk.
AN interesting feature of Batetela
psychology lies in the fact that sui
eide appears not to be uncommon and
is regarded as an act of courage. De-
CT Mt &c oil l. n
children are considered as more closely
akin to the fathers side"
e%H--