The Lehi sun. [volume] (Lehi, Utah) 1913-1949, 1921-11-10

SHmpino FaTeeite w tne Co"uo.
fense. he declares himself willing "a
take poison to prove his innocence.
Tho poison, which is derived from
the bark Of native tree, Is usually
ground fine and mixed to thick
paste, from which are made Ave small
loaves and these are administered one
after the other to the defendant. Dur
Ing the next fifteen minutes, II II Ia a
case OF witchcraft, the bystanders
call on Molokl (the evil principle)l
to come out.
The poison usually acts very quick
ly; II may kill the accused or cause
purging or vomiting. The last-named
effect alone Is regarded as a proof
Of innocence. In the second case the
prisoner is compelled 10 dig hole.
Hs IL then given fowl TO eat and
enough palm-wine to make him quite
intoxicated. After this he Ia laid In the
hole, or possibly goes and lays him
self down, and Is then buried alive
IN order to prevent Moloh escaping
with his last breath. A large fire
10 kept alight on the grave for two
days, and then the body Is exhumed
and eaten.
An innocent man Is carried around
the village. decorated with beads, and
his accuser pays a pig as compensa.,
tiOn for the false charge.
Decorated With Sears.
In color the Bambala are very dark
brown, the hair Is absolutely black,
aud the eye a greenish black with o.
yellow cornea. The face Is not OF the
ordinary negro type. but much more
refined; thick lips. for example, ara
quite exceptional, and only a small
proportion have fiat noses.
Tattooing 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
uour made into paste with water
and boiled. The leaves OF the plant
are also eaten prepared with palm
oil and pepper. Animal food Is not
limited to goats, pigs. and other do
nestle small fry, for. frogs excepted,
everything helps TO make a stew, from
ants and grasshoppers up TO man.
Human flesh is. OF course, q special
dellcacy, and its use Is forbidden to
women, though they do not disdaiH
to indulge secretly. Other titblts ar9
a thick white worm found In PALM
trees, locusts. rats, and blood boiled
with cassava flour. Human flesh IL
not the only food forbidden to womenI
they may not eat goats flesh, hawks.
yultures, 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 a small rat,
Rich people, who indulge I'm luxuries,
eat kola nuts In great numbers. A
kind OF native pepper is known, and
oil is obtained from the palm-nut. But
the chief condlment is salt, which iB
made Of the ashes OF water plants
There is, however, a 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 a journey salt is eaten
as a stlmulant and salt water is
also drunk.
As regards animal food, II there is
abundance II Is simply boiled and eat
en- with the fingers. II must be re-
membered that meat for the Bambals
Is simply a bonbon, much as chocO-
lates are for us. Once when white
traveller killed an elephant, which the
natives were az 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 reticenca
except I'm the presence Of state officials,
II is based on a sincere liking tOs
human flesh.