WORLD’S DARK CORNERS

Southland Times, Issue 19458, 24 January 1925, Page 6

WORLD’S DARK CORNERS

CANNIBALISM IN CONGO. I WIFE FOR FORTY SPEARS. Popular ideas about the romance of sheiks and the ferocity of cannibals are dispelled by Mr J. G. Millais, F.N.S., who has recently returned from Bahr el Ghazal, on the Upper Nile. In his book, “Far Away Up the Nile,” Mr Millais says he has met a few sheiks in North Africa, the Red Sea hills, and Sudan and Egyptian deserts. “They always seemed to me quiet, inoffensive people, addicted to begging, and having a distinct aversion to soap and water.” When he penetrated into the Sudd region Mr Millais was accompanied on his hunting expeditions by a large number of NiamNiam natives, an interesting tribe credited with cannibalistic tendencies. “The principal weapons of the NiamNiam,” says the author, “are spears or lances, tipped of iron at the point or with antelope horns. . . . Many of the NiamNiam, being forest negroes, carry bows and arrows. The latter are contained in a small, quiver, and are poisoned. Also all carry a small knife with a blade like a sickle. When a Niam-Niam gets his money he at once buys only the one necessity of life—a bag or durra. The rest goes to the purchase of spears, because spears are the important trade goods of Zandeland. Forty spears will buy a very nice young woman, and all the lads save up for that luxury. DOG THE FAVOURITE DISH. These people are great hunters, and will attack anything from a hare to an elephant. Now that cannibalism is fast becoming extinct, their favourite dish is a “little potbellied dog.” Mr Millais says that Laxly Helen Brocklehurst has introduced this breed of dog into England. The Niam-Niam lavishes much care on his dog until it is really fat, and then eats it. The great love of these people for meat is said to be responsible for their cannibalistic tendencies, which are practised in isolated forests unobserved. The Fans, who claim to come from the North-East and are now domiciled in the west of Africa, are very like the NiamNiam, and are the most pronounced cannibals in the west. They file their teeth, wear bark clothing and stain their bodies. “To-day,’ continued the writer, “the Manyema of Central Congo are the most regular eaters of human flesh, and make no secret of their preference for this above all other foods. If a porter falls sick on the march, he is at once killed and eaten, and a regular trade in the corpses of dead relations exist. The Belgians seem to have little power to stop this practice.” WITCH DOCTORS. Mr Millais gives some interesting details of the Dinkas, another native tribe, and their witch doctors. The witch doctors live by terrorism, and the rain-makers often introduce human sacrifice and other inhuman practises into their so-called miracles. Major Kidd, one of the district commissioners, started operations on the witch doctors in the Rumbek region. He caught a big one called Amai, who practised two forms of witchcraft. When the witch doctor desired to kill a man a small piece of stick of a certain mimosa was burnt outside the victim’s house at night while he slept. The fumes of the burning wood soon reached the sleeper, and 12 to 15 hours afterwards his joints became rigid and he died in great agony. It is believed that the burning stick was a blind to hide the fact that poison had been put into the man’s food. By holding the magicians up to ridicule Major Kidd has done much to nullify their influence. In many ways the British administration in the Sudan has proved highly efficient for progress, and Mr Millais includes some amusing letters written in English by natives who have been educated at the Wau* mission. “Sir,” wrote a Dinka, “I want to make home with Johnny Walker to-day, and I shall thank you if you would kindly borrow me one bottle. I am ashamed to ask, but circumstances oblige me to do a so.— Yours truly obedient, Abdul, Translator at Rumbek.” It is not stated whether Abdul’s housewarming was a success.