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Show Chief of the Bspotos. Climbing Parasite In the Congo. M (Prtparta by th Nitlontl aocrphto So-clttr, So-clttr, Washington. D. C.) Tho natives of the Interior of Africa iro very different from thoso of tho toast regions who havo absorbed tho ivorst that civilization has to offer, fct many a traveler, touching only tho frlngo of the Dark Continent, builds his Ideas of Its peoplo on thoso corrupted by alcohol, European raor-Us, raor-Us, and tho passion for gain cither by fair means or foul. In tho Bel-flan Bel-flan Congo, for example, whero nro to be met typical negroes of tho tropics, trop-ics, ono finds peoplo who are frankly lavages, to bo sure, with customs disgusting dis-gusting to the westerner but who possess good traits for all that. If tho tribes are approached properly hardly ono will bo found which Is not naturally good-tempered, and In most Instances hospltablo and trustful. Stanleyville, the chief station In north-central Congo, wns a few yearn igo a strange mixture ef an Arab, European and negro town. Whatever harm tho Arabs may have dono to tho natives, and thero Is no doubt that lo thtlr slave-raiding expeditions they nave slaughtered them by tho thou-tauds, thou-tauds, they certainly havo taught them many n good thing. It was tho Arabs who Introduced rice. Madagascar potatoes, po-tatoes, beans and many uieful plants. They havo taught the natives cleanliness clean-liness nnd established schools In many centers. Tho town Is much ud ns an out-OtUng out-OtUng point for expeditions but at times It is disappointingly short of supplies. 'In making trips up tho Congo river from Stanleyville ono most cross the river below tho falls nnd have his luggaga carted to n point on smooth water above tho cataracts. Queer Bambala Customs. Among tho people of Congo few possess stranger customs or present moro curious controls than the Dam-bala Dam-bala tribe, who llvo In numorous villages vil-lages on tho banks ot tho Kwtlu Jumba river ln tho southwestern part ot the country. Each village Is under Its own chief, who holds tho position by virtue of his wealth and Is succeeded suc-ceeded nt his death by tho next richest man of tho tribe. Ills principal function func-tion Is to set as money-lender to his subjects. No trlbuto Is paid to tho chief, but he has a right to tho ribs of every humun being killed for food ana to tho hind legs of each animal killed during the great hunts. If a chief Is young enough, hu acts as lender In war; otherwise one of his sons tnkes his placo. Intermediate bctwi.cn tho chief and the ordinary freeman Is an hereditary class called murl, who may not eat human flesh nor yet tho meat of fowls. They nro distinguished by tin Iron bracelet and a special hcudcovcrlng of cloth, which may not bo removed by nny one under penalty of death, even It the offender did noc Intend to touch It. Tho bracelet of a murl passes ut death to the nephew (sister's son), who succeeds to tho .lgnlt, nnd tho heir must steal the stall of his uncle. Tho corpse Is burled for somo two months, then the skull Is exhumed, painted red, nnd placed In tho house Its owner used to occupy. Tho nephew must gain possession of It nt night without being observed, nnd, nfter hiding It for n few duya In tho bush, take It homo to his hut. If n murl Is killed in war, his bracelet brace-let la sent homo, but tho skull has to bo stolen ns beforo from tho hostllo vlllnge. Tho chief privilege of a member of tills class Is tho right to u portion ot each animal killed In hunting. hunt-ing. Ordeal by Poison. In disputes, whero two peoplo of tho snme village uro concerned, a poison ordeal is employed ns Judge. Whether n man Is accused of witchcraft) witch-craft) parricide or of somo minor of fense, ho declares himself willing t M tak poison to provo his Innocence. M Too poison, which is derived from M tho bark of a natlvo tree, is usually, fl ground fine nnd mixed to a thick) M paste, from which nro made five small1 1 loaves and these nro administered one, M nfter tho other to the defendant. Dur- 1 Ing tho next fifteen minutes, If It Is aj fl enso of witchcraft, tho bystanders M call on Molokl (tho evil principle)! to come out. M 'Tho poison usually acts very quick- fl ly It may kill the accused or cause purging or vomiting. The last-named effect alono Is regarded as a proof fl of Innocence. In tho second case the. H prisoner Is compelled to dig a hole.1 Vfl lis Is then given a fowl to eat and M enough palm-wine to make him quite H Intoxicated. After this he Is laid In th! hole, or possibly goes and lays hlra- self down, and Is then burled alive H In order to prevent Molokl escaping H with his last breath. A large Are' ta kept alight on the grave for two days, nnd then tho body Is cxhuraeA and catcp. 1 H An Innocent man Is carried around ! the village, decorated with beads, and, his accuser pays a ptg as compcnsJ H tlvn for tho fatso charge, r H Decorated With Scsrs. j fl In color tho Bambala are very dark, M brown, tho hair Is absolutely black, H aud tho oyo a greenish bluck with a' H yellow cornea. Tho faco Is not of the. H ordinary negro type, but much more, H refined; thick lips, for example, are H quite exceptional, and only a small' H proportion havo flat noses. H Tattooing is not common, but both' H men and women "decorate" them-' H selves with ornamental Bears. They' M tlse nbovo the surface of the skin' B sometimes moro than an Inch. M The ordlnnry food consists of manioc B (our made Into a pasto with water jH and boiled. The leaves of tho plant B aro also eaten prepared with palm- jH oil nnd pepper. Animal food Is not! B limited to goats, pigs, and other do-J H mcstlc small fry, for, frogs excepted,! jH everything helps to inako a stewP from H ants and grasshoppers up to roan. H Iluninn flesh Is, of course, a special B delicacy, nnd Its use Is forbidden to H women, though they do not dlsdalsr H to lndulgo secretly. Other titbits are n a thick whlto worm found In pnlm H trees, locusts, rats, and blood boiled' H with cassava flour. Human flesh In' B not the only food forbidden to women! B they may not eat goat's flesh, hnwko1 H vultures, small birds, snakes, animals B hunted with weapons, crows, or par-' H rots. To tho rule against flesh killed B with weapons there aro two exeep- H lions tho antelope nnd a Bmnll rat.' jl ltlch people, who lndulgo In luxuries, H ent kola nuts In grent numbers. A' fl kind of native pepper la known, nnd fl oil Is obtained from the palm-nut. But1 9 the chief condiment Is salt, which la fl mndo of the nshes of water plants.! fl Thero Is, however, a strong preference,1 fl for the Imported suit, which Is In' N crystnlllne form ns n rule, tho crys- fl tals being perforated and strung on jfl a string, which Is dipped Into the jfl food-pot. On a Journey salt la eaten fl as a stimulant and salt wuter ta fl also drunk. S Ah regards unlmal food, If there Is fl nbuudanco It Is simply boiled and cat- fl en with tho Augers. It must bo re- fl nicmhcred thnt meat for tho Bambalu fl Is simply n bonbon, much ag choco- fl lutes nro for us. Once when n whltw fl traveler killed nn elephant, which the fl natives were at liberty to consume, B blood, skin, and bones, If they pleased, jfl after they hnd eaten ns much ns they H wanted they went to hlin nnd asked Q for their dinner. Hj Cannibalism Is nn everyday occur- fl rence, and, nccordlng to tho natives H themselves, who display no reticence flj except lu the presence of state officials, flj it Is based on a sincere llklnj Co flj human flesh. fl |
