Stanley and the white heroes in Africa; being an edition from Mr. Stanley's late personal writings on the Emin Pasha relief expedition (1890) (14761025586)

Identifier: stanleywhitehero00kels (find matches)
Title: Stanley and the white heroes in Africa; being an edition from Mr. Stanley's late personal writings on the Emin Pasha relief expedition ..
Year: 1890 (1890s)
Authors: Kelsey, D. M., (from old catalog) comp
Subjects:
Publisher: St. Louis and Philadelphia, Scammel & company
Contributing Library: The Library of Congress
Digitizing Sponsor: The Library of Congress



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hen he reached Equator Station on his return, he foundthe chief, Lieut. Vangele, had been besought to sell some ofhis men to the followers of an old Bakuti chief who had justdied. The good discipline of the station, and the strict obe-dience of his fifty men, caused the natives to think that theymust be slaves. The lieutenant was curious to know whythey wanted the men, and learned that it was to celebrate theobsequies of their chief suitably. According to the customof their tribe, slaves had to be massacred at his funeral, orhe would be unattended in the spirit-world. They preferredto buy slaves for the purpose, rather than kill their own. Ofcourse the proposal was rejected with horror, and the garrisonchased the Bakuti with sticks off the precincts of the station. Owing to the hard-heartedness of Lieut. Vangele, themourning relatives were able to procure but fourteen slavesfor the purpose; but they heaped coals of fire upon the headsof the white men by inviting them to the execution.
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THE CONGO FREE STATE AND RECENT EXPLORATIONS. 617 This was managed in a curious way. The doomed men werekneeling with their arms bound behind them in the neighbor-hood of a tall young tree, near the top of which the end ofa rope had been lashed. A number of men laid hold uponthe cord and hauled it until the upper part of the tree wasbent like a bow. One of the captives was selected, and thedangling end of the rope was fastened around his neck: thetree sprang several inches higher, drawing the mans form up,straining the neck, and almost lifting the body from theground. The executioner then advanced with his short broad-bladedfalchion,and carefully measuring his distance,severed thehead from the body at one blow. It was whipped up into theair by the spring of the released tree and sent bounding sev-eral yards away. The remaining captives were thus sacrificedone after another. The heads were boiled until the flesh cameoff, and the skulls were then used to decorate the grave of thechief.