Page:Africa by Élisée Reclus, Volume 4.djvu/39

 THE BUNDAS. 21 they began to exterminate each other. The whole race was threatened with extinction by these everlasting butcheries when, according to tlie legend, there was constituted the secret society of empacaimeiros, or " bu£FaIo hunters," who pledged themselves no longer to eat any flesh except that of wild beasts of the forest. The members of this association were distinguished by a buffalo tail tied round their head, and rings formed by the entrails of the same animal coiled round their arms and legs. In course of time the confederates became powerful enough openly to revolt against the cannibals conservative of the old usages. But, being compelled to quit the country, they cio^sed the Upper Cuanza in the direction of the west, and^ settled in the territory of the Bailundos and neighbouring districts, where they gradually learnt the art of husbandry and became steadfast allies of the Portuguese. Evtn duiiug their first "black wars," the early white settlers were aided by bands of these buffalo hunters at times numbering as many as thirty thousand warriors, armed with l)ow8 and arrows. On the other hand, the section of the Eunda nation which had remained in the country east of the Cuanza, after the emigration of the emjxicnsseirw, became too weak to maintain their super "ority over the surrounding peoples, by whom they appear to have become gradually absorbed. But although still savages, they no doubt lost much of their former ferocity. But whatever value is to be attached to these traditions, in which history and legend are largely intermingled, there can be no doubt that human sacrifices and cannibalistic practices survived in their religious ceremonies at least down to the middle of the present centurj'. According to Ladislas Magyar, who was himself the son-in-law of the king of Bihe, and as such a prominent personage in the dominant tribe of the Bundas, the body of the chief had to be sprinkled with the blood of slaves. Nor could his successor be enthroned until a slave-hunting expedition had been organised, in which the candidate for the chieftaincy was required to capture members of every trade practised in the country. Ihis was done in the belief that the various arts and industries could not possibly flourish imder the new administration unless all were represented by special victims at the inaugural ceremonies. Young girls and even pregnant women were thus immolated to secure fecundity during tl e ensuing reign, while the unborn babes were used in the concoction of elixirs destined to prolong human life. At every fresh succession some renowned warrior was also singled out, in order that the king might acquire courage by eating his heart. But in order to have the desired effect this hero had to be stricken down in the fullness of his strength and vigour ; hence he was suddenly cut down while joining in the war-dance. Strangers also accident- ally crossing the path of funeral processions were immediately dragged along and sacrificed on the grave Established usage even authorised promiscuous slaughter for a period of seven days between the death of the king and the accession of his successor, a e-ustom of which the so-called " sons of the elephant," that is, the regular troops of the standing army, took advantage to plimder and massacre with impunity. In ordinary times animals alone were sacrificed, the warrior offering to the fetishmen either a black goat or a black heifer, the bridegroom a white ox.