AFRICAN PAGANS.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XLVI, Issue 14223, 20 November 1909, Page 2 (Supplement)

AFRICAN PAGANS.

FIGHTING " ON THE BENUE.

■.'■'■■ ■■■■■;■.■■ ;■:"•.-; -~]' -.>\ •': ; ','"' : CURIOUS SUPERSTITIONS.

From Northern Nigeria comes some interesting particulars of the"operations lately undertaken by the British among the cannibal pagan tribes in the remote parts of the Province of Muri,, on . the Upper Benue, operations undertaken for the purpose* of establishing effective administration over a territory so little known that in many cases the villages visited had never before been seen by a white man. The ' relations between > the Government and the Wurkum people, the tribe chiefly concerned, had never been friendly, and the three expeditions previously • sent against them having had no satisfactory result, a fresh force was sent into the country in consequence of attacks upon traders and also for the purpose of finally bringing the Wurkum under control. The people are described as being of the lowest type., every village being cannibal. Worship consists of, the worst form of fetish. In most cases the entire population is quite nude. , .

The force started from Gateri, on the borders of the Banchi and Muri provinces, some thirty miles north of the Benue, and marched in a-south-east direction over entirely new country, of. which nothing was known except the extremely bad character of the people. The first places visited are described as " shocking," the inhabitants being among the lowest. Their persons were so offensive that even the native soldiers were unable to remain near them. Some hundreds of these pagans assembled while the Political Officer explained to them the wishes of the Government. As the patrol' pro-, ceeded, they found the inhabitants all working in their fields fully armed with spears and shields. A large meeting of the people was called, and it was decided not to agree to the terms proposed by the British as punishment for the killing and eating of seven men. On the expiration of twenty-four hours' grace the force marched into the town, which was cleared after considerable opposition. Two counter-attacks were beaten off, the leading man being shot at eight paces. During the fighting, in which the pagans lost forty killed and twenty wounded, a native sergeant who was in charge of one of the sections displayed conspicuous gallantry. As a result of these operations the people became quite friendly, and it is not anticipated that they will give further trouble. •

The v cause of almost all the inter-tribal fighting 16 the women, and the very common practice of taking wives without payment. There exists among certain of the tribes a custom of a regular exchange of wives, which leads to many complications. At the same time, - the married women are perfectly moral, and misconduct is unknown. The religious beliefs of these pagans are interesting. They believe in the transmigration of souls, a man being, in their view, reborn by the same mother after death. An evil man's soul becomes a witch, whose fate is death by burning. In some cases the people worship a deity, who, at their religious celebrations, is represented as armed with a long horn, which he blows at intervals. Sometimes this deity is fully clothed, on other occasions he 'is absolutely nude. One of the pagan deities kills all women who see him. At a place called Bashima was seen an iron spear, placed in the ground at a spot held in great reverence, and worshipped by the people at night. In many of the houses were found ■ wooden idols, which are not objects of worship in themselves, but are, as a rule, images of departed pagans. . ' : Tv\ The patrol had great difficulty in-ob-taining guides, owing to rumours of previous guides having been eaten. Among the people there exists a curious custom-*of employing heralds, who, even in the time of warfare, are allowed to pass with safety from one belligerent village to another. As a result of the patrol, the pagan region in question will be effectively administered. ■