352 



THE NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC MAGAZINE 



"welcome:, white stranger!" 



In the Congo the traveler, if he has not made himself disagree- 

 able, can always rely on the good-will of the women. On the other 

 hand, they resent an insult to the village or the tribe more readily 

 than the men and stir the latter up to seek revenge. 



decorate both arms and body in this way. 

 In addition the body is painted red. 

 Clay is used for this purpose by the Bam- 

 bala beaux and belles, who admit that the 

 practice is intended to increase their 

 beauty. In the case of mourners, the ob- 

 ject being different, soot is used by the 

 men and brown clay by the women. 



HUMAN FLESH A RARE DELICACY 



The ordinary food consists of manioc 

 flour made into a paste with water and 

 boiled. The leaves of the plant are also 

 eaten prepared with palm-oil and pepper. 

 Animal food is not limited to goats, pigs, 



and other domestic 

 small fry, for, frogs 

 excepted, everything 

 helps to make a stew, 

 from ants and grass- 

 hoppers up to man. 



Human flesh is, of 

 course, a special deli- 

 cacy, and its use is 

 forbidden to women, 

 though they do not 

 disdain to indulge 

 secretly. Other titbits 

 are a thick white worm 

 found in palm-trees, 

 locusts, rats, and blood 

 boiled with cassava 

 flour. Human flesh is 

 not the only food for- 

 bidden to women ; they 

 may not eat goafs 

 flesh, hawks, vultures, 

 small birds, snakes, 

 animals hunted with 

 weapons, crows, or 

 parrots. To the rule 

 against flesh killed 

 with weapons there 

 are two exceptions — 

 the antelope and a 

 small rat. 



Rich people, who 

 can indulge in luxu- 

 ries, eat kola nuts in 

 great numbers. A 

 kind of native pepper 

 is known, and oil is 

 obtained from the 

 palm-nut. But the 

 chief condiment i s 

 salt, which is made of the ashes of water 

 plants. There is, however, a strong pref- 

 erence for the imported salt, which is in 

 crystalline form as a rule, the crystals be- 

 ing perforated and strung on a string, 

 which is dipped into the food-pot. On a 

 journey salt is eaten as a stimulant and 

 salt water is also drunk. 



Earth-eating is by no means uncom- 

 mon, and it is said to be good for stom- 

 ach ache ; the earth in use has an astrin- 

 gent taste. 



As regards animal food, if there is 

 abundance it is simply boiled and eaten 

 with the fingers. It must be remembered 





