¬Herbert Ward’s books, respectively published in 1890 and 1910, both account for the five years this explorer, administrator, soldier, and artist spent in the Congo valley in the 1880s. Ward – a little-known figure in the history of colonial conquest – offered a first-hand account of the early years of the Free State of Congo and of his encounters with “cannibals”. One of the goals of this chapter is to analyse Ward’s narratives in the light of the historical context in central Africa at the end of the nineteenth century. This study also seeks to examine the second wave of “cannibal descriptions” which emerged with the development of imperial histories about Africa. In this context, Ward’s publications fit into a literary sub-genre intended for audiences eager for thrills and frightening cannibal stories. Ward, however, had rather original views on cannibalism, if not fully sympathetic, he was at least empathetic towards the so-called “cannibals” of Central Africa, and always kept in mind their humanity.