MAN AT HIS WORST.

Dominion, Volume 3, Issue 670, 22 November 1909, Page 8

MAN AT HIS WORST.

-■■ A.CANNIBAL POPtiLATION. ~ Interesting particulars have reached England of the operations lately undertaken by. the British 'among the ■ cannibal and pagan. tribes in the remote parts' in the province ot';Muri, on the -Upper Benue, Northern Nigeria. In many cases the .villages visited had . never before been seen by a white man, says Eeuter. The relations between the Government and the'Wurkum. people 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.! ; - . .The people ' are described as being of the lowest 1 type, every village being cannibal. Worship consists of .the worst form of ietish. In most cases the entire population is sterk naked! The first places visited are'described as "shocking,", tho inhabitants being 'amoks the lowest.' Their persons were so offensive that even the native soldiers wero unable to remain near them. '■■.-'. : : ■; . . Some hundreds of these pagans assembled while the political officer explained to them tho wishes.of the Government.- As the patrol proceeded thev found the inhabitants all working in their fields fully armed with spears and shields.- A large meeting of tho people was called, and it was decided not to agree to the .terms-proposed by tho British as, punishment for. the. killing and eating of seven men. .On the,expiration of twenty-four hours , 'gTace, the force marched into tho town, which was cleared after considerable, opposition. ' , The cause of almost all the inter-tribal fighting is tho women, and the very common practice of taking Vives 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 womeii aro perfectly moral, •-. , The religious beliefs of those pagans aro interesting.. They believe'in. the transmigration of souls, a man being, in their view, reborn by. the same mother after death.. An ovil man's goul becomes a witch, whose fate is death by burning. In some cases' the people worship n deity who, nt thoir religious celebrations; is represented as armed with a long horn,, which he blows, at intervals. Ono of the pagan dnities kills all women'who st!O him'.' ' .