Farmers' champion. (Elgin, Okla.) 1912-1922, 1921-11-09

fcnSc, he declares himself willing TO
take poison to prove his innocence.
The poison. which Is derived from
the bark of native tree. Is usually
ground fine and mixed TO thick
paste. from which are made five small
loaveS aud these are administered one
after the other to the defendant. Dur
ing the next fifteen minutes. II II ls
case ~ witchcraft, the bystanders .
call on Molokl (the evil principle)
to come out.
The poison usually acts very quick
ly; IL NAV Kill the accused or cause
purging or vomiting The last.named
effect alone Is regarded as proof
Of Innocence. In the second case the
prisoner t. compelled To dig hole.
He Is ther given fowl to eat and
enough palm-wine to make him quite
intoxicated. After this he Is laid In the
hole. or possibly goes and lays him
self down. and Is then buried alive
| In order to prevent Moloki escaping
with his last breath. A large fire
Is kept allght on the gra". for two
days. and then the body Is exhumed
and eaten.
An innocent man Is carried around
the village, decorated with beads. and
his nccuser pays Il pig as compensa-
ton for the false charge.
Decorated With Sears.
| In color the Bambala are very dark
1 hrnktsn ha hut Ia ahGnlntaly N hluek
and the eye greenish black with
yellow cornea. The face Is not Of the
ordinary negro type, but much more
refined; thick lips, for example, are
quite exceptional, and only II small
proportion have fiat noses.
Tattoolng Is not common. but both
men and women decorate" them.
selves with ornamental scars. They
rise above the surface of the skin
sometimes more than an inch.
The ordinary food consists of manioc
-four made into a paste with water
nnd boiled. The leaves OF the plant
are also eaten prepared with palm
oil ana pepper Animal food is not
limited to goats, pigs, and other do
nestle small fry, for, frogs excepted,
everything helps to make stew. from
ants nnd grnsshoppers up to man.
Human flesh is. of course, special
delicacy, and Its use is forbidden 10
women. though they do not dlsdain
to indulge secretly. Other titbits are
thick white worm found In palm
trees, locusts, rats, and blood boiled
with cassava -four. Human flesh IL
not the only food forbidden 10 women (;
they may not eat goats flesh, hawks,
vutures, small birds, snakes, animals
hunted with weapons, crows, or par
rots. TO the rule against flesh killed
with weapons there are two excep-
tions-the antelope and small rat
Rich people, who indulge In luxuries
ent kola nuts in great numbers. A
kind OF native pepper Is known, and
oil is obtained from the palm-nut. But
the chief condment Is salt, which Is
made of the ashes of water plants.
There IL, however. strong preference
for the imported salt, which Is In
crystalline form as a rule, the crys-
tails being perforated and strung on
string, which Is dipped into the
food-pot ON journey salt Is eaten
as n stimulant and salt water is
also drunk.
As regards animal food, II there II
abundance II Is simply boiled and eat
en- with the fingers. II must be re-
membered that meat for the Bambala
Is simply a bonbon, much as choco-
lates are for US. Once when white
traveller killed nm elephant, which the
natives were at liberty to consume,
blood, skin. and bones, II they pleased.
after they had eaten as much as they
wanted they went to him and asked
for their dinner.
Cannibalism Is an everyday occur
renee, and, according to the natives
themselves. who display no reticence
except In the presence Ut state officials,
It 10 based on q sincere liking for