HUMAN SACRIFICES.

Auckland Star, Volume LIV, Issue 72, 24 March 1923, Page 19

HUMAN SACRIFICES.

'RAIN DOCTOR'S" SON BUBNED 'ALIVE.

From Buluwayo comes a gruesome story of a native atrocity at Chlpa pos KraU, on the Portuguese border, 40 miles north-east of 'Mount Darwin, Southern Rhodesia. The Elders of the Mtawara tribe, alarmed at the drought and the poor crops, consulted the "rain doctor," and decided on what they claim to be the never-failing expedient of human sacrifice by burning. The lot fell on a native, mho, It Is alleged, had "been Intlmajte with another -native's wife. It waa discovered that the Intended victim was the son of the "rain doctor," who, however, proceeded with the sacrifice. The struggling man was bound and burned alive. 'Directly life was extinct heavy rains began. The celebration of the success of the sacrifice was interrupted foy the arrival of the police. The elated tribe, not aware of having done wrong, snowed the police the charred remains of the victim, and told them of previous occasions on iwhleh similar sacrifices ha<l been equally successful, the last one mentioned being in 1017. The local paramount chief is said to remember seventy-two natives vrho had been burned as rain sacrifices.