Пятнадцатилетний капитан

A Royal Burial

           

           Duringallthatdaythegrave-diggers’laborswerepushedonwithbriskness.Alargenumberofnativestookpart,underthedirectionofQueenMoini’sfirstminister.Allmustbereadyatthehournamed,underpenaltyofmutilation,forthenewsovereignpromisedtofollowthedefunctking’sways,pointbypoint.

           Thewatersofthebrookhavingbeenturnedaside,itwasinthedrybedthatthevastditchwasdug,toadepthoftenfeet,overanextentoffiftyfeetlongbytenwide.

           Towardtheendofthedaytheybegantocarpetit,atthebottomandalongthewalls,withlivingwomen,chosenamongMoiniLoungga’sslaves.Generallythoseunfortunatesareburiedalive.But,onaccountofthisstrangeandperhapsmiraculousdeathofMoiniLoungga,ithadbeendecidedthattheyshouldbedrownednearthebodyoftheirmaster.

           Onecannotimaginewhatthosehorriblehecatombsare,whenapowerfulchief’smemorymustbefitlyhonoredamongthesetribesofCentralAfrica.CameronsaysthatmorethanahundredvictimswerethussacrificedatthefuneralceremoniesoftheKingofKassongo’sfather.

           Itisalsothecustomforthedefunctkingtobedressedinhismostcostlyclothesbeforebeinglaidinhistomb.Butthistime,astherewasnothingleftoftheroyalpersonexceptafewburntbones,itwasnecessarytoproceedinanothermanner.Awillowmanikinwasmade,representingMoiniLounggasufficientlywell,perhapsadvantageously,andinittheyshutuptheremainsthecombustionhadspared.

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