60 
AFRICA AND ITS EXPLORATION. 
in game, fish, wild fruits, and vegetables, ate one 
another with a surprising relish. This subject is too 
extensive even to be outlined here : the reader is re- 
ferred to the translation of Hans Stade : old travellers 
attribute the cannibalism of the Brazilian races to 
“ gulosity ” rather than superstition ; moreover, these 
barbarians had certain abominable practices, supposed 
to be known only to the most advanced races. 
Anthropophagy without apparent cause was not un- 
known in Southern Africa. Mr. Layland found a tribe 
of “ cave cannibals ” amongst the mountains beyond 
Tliaba Bosigo in the Trans-Gariep Country.'* He re- 
marks with some surprise, “ Horrible as all this may 
appear, there might be some excuse made for savages, 
driven by famine to extreme hunger, for capturing and 
devouring their enemies. But with these people it was 
totally different, for they were inhabiting a fine agricul- 
tural tract of country, which also abounded in game. 
Notwithstanding this, they were not contented with 
hunting and feeding upon their enemies, but preyed 
much upon each other also, for many of their captures 
were made from amongst the people of their own tribe, 
and, even worse than this, in times of scarcity, many of 
their own wives and children became the victims of this 
horrible practice.” 
Anthropophagy, either as a necessity, a sentiment, or 
a superstition, is known to sundry, though by no means 
to all, the tribes dwelling between the Nun (Niger) and 
the Congo rivers ; how much farther south it extends I 
cannot at present say. On the Lower Niger, and its 
branch the Brass River, the people hardly take the 
trouble to conceal it. On the Bonny and New Calabar, 
perhaps the most advanced of the so-called Oil Rivers, 
cannibalism, based upon a desire of revenge, and per- 
haps, its sentimental side, the object of imbibing the 
valour of an enemy slain in battle, has caused many 
scandals of late years. The practice, on the other hand, 
is execrated by the Efiks of Old Calabar, who punish 
any attempts of the kind with extreme severity. During 
* “ Journal of the Ethnological Society,” April, 1869. 
