244 
HUMAN SACKIFICES. 
Captain Allen having had reason in a conversation 
with King Bell, to think that human sacrifices were 
still in some degree practised, — as the ceremonies 
for his deceased father were incomplete till the 
chief had killed “ a bushman,” he addressed the 
assembled head men on the enormity and sinfulness 
of the practice, which they readily admitted, but said 
it was of very long standing among them. How- 
ever, on proposing to make a regular agreement 
to abolish the inhuman custom. Bell and all his head 
men readily assented to it. A Treaty to that effect 
was therefore drawn up, and duly signed by Captain 
Allen, being the only one of Her Majesty’s Commis- 
sioners present, and by A’Lobah — the native name of 
King Bell — and his witnesses*. 
As several rivers fall into the capacious estuary, 
we wished to examine, if possible, the principal 
one flowing past Bell’s Town, which has long been 
frequented by our palm-oil traders, and is called 
by them the Camaroons river, but by the natives 
Madiba ma DuaUa. King Bell was invited to accom- 
pany us on the excursion. This at first he strongly 
objected to, on the score of the jealousy and opposi- 
tion of the natives of the interior : and he said the 
river would take twelve moons to explore ; neverthe- 
less, after an animated discussion, he consented to go 
with us in the ‘ Wilberforce.’ 
* This was transmitted to the Colonial Office, and ratified by Her 
Majesty. 
