The Raymer enterprise., 1921-11-10

tense. he declares himself willing h
take poison TO prove his innocence.
The poison, which 10 derived from
the bark Of native tree. y usually
ground fine and mixed to q thick
paste, from which are made Ave small
loaves and these are administered one
after the other to the defendant. Dur.
ting the next fifteen minutes, II It Is q
case Of witchcraft, the bystanders
call on Moloki (the evil principle)
to come out.
The poison usually acts very quick
"; 1t may kill the accused or cause
purging or vomiting. The last.named
effect alone II regarded az proof
OF Innocence. In the second case the
prisoner Is compelled to dig a hole.
He 10 then 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 10 then buried alive
In order to prevent Moloki escaping
with his last breath. A large flre
is kept alight on the grave for two
days. and then the body is exhumed
and eaten.
An Innocent man Ii carried around
the village, decorated with beads, and
his accuser pays pig as compensa.
tion for the false charge.
Decorated With eears.
In color the Bambala are very dark
brown. the hair Is absolutely black,
and the eye greenlsh black with a
yellow c0rnea. The face is not Of the
ordinary negro type, but much more
refined; thick lips, for example, are
quite exceptional, and only small
proportion have fat noses.
Tattooing 10 not common, but both
men and women decorate" them.
selves with ornamental scars. They
rise above the surfsce Of the skin
sometimes more than an inch.
The ordinary food consists Of manloc
four made Into q 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, a special
delicacy. and Its use Is forbidden to
women. though they do not dlsdain
to indulge secretly, Other titbits are
q thick white worm found In palm
trees, l0custs, rats, and blood boiled
with cassava flour. Human flesh Is
not the only food forbidden to women;
they may not eat goats flesh, hawks,
vultures, 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 In luxuries,
eat kola nuts In great numbers. A
kind Of native pepper 10 known, and
oil Ia obtained from the palm.nut. But
the chief cOndiment Ia salt, which Ia
made Of the ashes Of water plants.
There Is, however, strong preference
for the imported salt, which ID In
crystalline form as rule, the crys.
tails being perforated and strung on
string, which 10 dipped into the
foOd-pot. On a journey salt ls eaten
as a stimulant and salt water is
also drunk.
Al regards animal food, II there is
abundance ills simply boiled and eat
en- with the fingers. It must be re.
membered that meat for the Bambala
Ii simply a bonbon, much as choco-
lates are for us. Once when white
traveller killed an elephant, which the
natives were at liberty to consume,
blood, skin. and bones. II they pleased,
after they had eaten as much " they
wanted they went to him and asked
for their dinner.
Cannibalism Ia an everyday occur
renee, and. according to the natives
themselves. who display no rstieence
except In the presence Of state oGBcials,
II Is based on sincere IEkina for
human Aoah