The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1914-09-03
MANY CANNIBALs YET
 IN BELGIAN CONGO.
Also Large Civilized Population of
 Black Men.

.s .<s WaSh1nS1Onpt sept oe1SldAe3S go, in Africa soS frequently rraentt on-s ed in recent European despatchess as Ia possi ble objective point of, the Ger ,. man troops, is the home alike of the most progressive negroes of Africa and of the most progEessiyesneg of Africa. and of the most primitive and .savege cannibaIs. according to a statement issued by the National Geo graphic Society.
 'eThis African colony is so cut up by rivers and impenetrabIe forests that the tribes sinhabiting the country vary greatly in their customs and lan- guages says the socfety's bulletin "But a few miles distant from. these barbarous savages are endless plan tations of mfl1et and grain of their civilized countrymen.
 .'T,he cannibaI Bankutus of Belgian Congo make practice of removing the upper incisors. Their dress con sists of a pIeated skirt, which does. not quite meet on the right thigh, but the women in the south wear a hide gird1e with a deep fringe of palm fibre strine Among this tribe the slaves are compelled to wear a special dress which is, in fact, the ordinary cos tune of the Akela, to which tribe most of them belong. The Bankutu are great canntbals, 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 it is believed that if slave were buried his ghost would kill his master.
 ''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 lBankutu are almost the only tribe of this region who have been successful in resisting the ad- vance of the white man. This fact is due to their skill in forest war fare, The way leading to their viI Iage is defended by poisoned spikes and arrows set like traps in the form of primitive spring guns and are quite ready, if a white man is expected, to bait such traps with a live baby, be- ing sure that the European will be unable to resist the temptation to pick up an apparently abandoned child, The poison they use is absolutely deadly.
 '.Not far from the canniba1 region: peace and security reign. The end less plantations, clean villages and we'll kept houses make an impression of general prosperity. The Batetela also of Belgian Congo, is an excellent agriculturist and stock breeder and very Industrious. He is not at all sconservative; any innovation will tempt him. Rice, Madagascar potatoes and fruit trees imported Ny the white man are found in every village.
 Ravages of Sleeping Sickness.
 'fThe 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 iso1ating cases of this disease in the forest. The disease is most acute along the cara van routes. Here one finds villages of 100 huts with but ten sorry wit nesses 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 thenaselYes 1anguid- Iy about with the light of Insanity in their eyes, where one should see the delightful round bel1ied native chil- dren. 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 fear stricken village. is the easiest game to stalk.
 s'Ans interesting feature of BateteIa psychology lies in the fact that suicide appears not to be uncommon and is regarded as an act of courage. EDes- cent issreckoned on the male line, and children are considered as more close ly akin to the fathers side"
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