,,fetichism ,,in ,,west ,,africa        
,illustration3 ,,fetich ,,magician4     
7,with horns1 wooden mask1 spear1 and   
sword2 dress of leaves of palm and      
plantain47       ,,fetichism ,,in ,,west
 ,,africa    ,forty ,years' ,observation
 of ,native ,customs   and              
,superstitions     ,,by ,,the ,,rev4    
,,robert ,,hamill ,,nassau1 ,m4,d41     
,s4,t4,d4    ,,for ,,forty ,,years ,a   
,,missionary ,,in ,,the ,,gabun         
,,district   ,,of ,,kongo-,,fran,,aise  
,,author ,,of ,,crowned ,,in ,,palm     
,,land1 ,,mawedo     ,,with ,,twelve    
,,illustrations     ,,young ,,people',s 
,,missionary ,,movement   #aef ,,fifth  
,,avenue   ,,new ,,york                 
,copyright1 #aijd   ,,by ,,charles      
,,scribner',s ,,sons    ,published      
,october1 #aijd     ,,preface   ,on the 
#b;d of ,july1 #ahfa1 ,i sailed from    
,new ,york ,city on a little brig1 the  
,ocean ,eagle1 with destination to the  
island of ,corisco1 near the equator1 on
 the ,west ,coast of ,africa4 ,my first 

introduction to the natives of ,africa  
was a month later1 when the vessel      
stopped at ,monrovia1 the capital of the
 ,liberian ,republic1 to land a portion 
of its trade goods1 and at other ports  
of ,liberia1 ,sinoe1 and ,cape ,palmas2 
thence to ,corisco on ,september #ab4   
,corisco is a microcosm1 only five miles
 long by three miles wide2 its surface  
diversified with every variety of       
landscape1 proportioned to its size1 of 
hill1 prairie1 stream1 and lake4 ,it is 
located in the eye of the elephant-head 
shaped ,bay of ,corisco1 and from twelve
 to twenty miles distant from the       
mainland4 ,into the bay flow two large  
rivers1--the ,muni 7the ,rio ,d',angra  
of commerce7 and the ,munda 7this latter
 representing the elephant's proboscis74
  ,the island1 with adjacent mainland1  
was inhabited by the ,benga tribe4 ,it  
was the headquarters of the ,american   
,presbyterian ,mission4 ,on the voyage  
,i had studied the ,benga dialect with  
my fellow-passenger1 the senior member  

of the ,mission1 ,rev4 ,james ,l4       
,mackey2 and was able1 on my landing1 to
 converse so well with the natives that 
they at once enthusiastically accepted  
me as an interested friend4 ,this has   
ever since been my status among all     
other tribes4  ,i lived four years on   
the island1 as preacher1 teacher1 and   
itinerant to the adjacent mainland1     
south to the ,gabun ,river and its      
,mpongwe tribe1 east up the ,muni and   
,munda rivers1 and north to the ,benito 
,river4  ,in my study of the natives'   
language my attention was drawn closely 
to their customs2 and in my inquiry into
 their religion ,i at once saw how it   
was bound up in these customs4 ,i met   
with other white men--traders1          
government officials1 and even some     
missionaries--whose interest in ,africa1
 however deep1 was circumscribed by     
their special work for1 respectively1   
wealth1 power1 and ,gospel proclamation4
 ,they could see in those customs only  
folly1 and in the religion only         

superstition4  ,i read many books on    
other parts of ,africa1 in which the    
same customs and religion prevailed4 ,i 
did not think it reasonable to dismiss  
curtly as absurd the cherished          
sentiments of so large a portion of the 
human race4 ,i asked myself3 ,is there  
no logical ground for the existence of  
these sentiments1 no philosophy behind  
all these beliefs8 ,i began to search2  
and thenceforward for thirty years1     
wherever ,i travelled1 wherever ,i was  
guest to native chief1 wherever ,i      
lived1 ,i was always leading the        
conversation1 in hut or camp1 back to a 
study of the native thought4  ,i soon   
found that ,i gained nothing if ,i put  
my questions suddenly or without mask4  
,the natives generally were aware that  
white men despised them and their       
beliefs1 and they were slow to admit me 
to their thought if ,i made a direct    
advance4 ,but1 by chatting as a friend1 
telling them the strange and great      
things of my own country1 and first     

eliciting their trust in me and interest
 in my stories1 they forgot their       
reticence1 and responded by telling me  
of their country4 ,i listened1 not      
critically1 but apparently as a         
believer2 and then they vied with each  
other in telling me all they knew and   
thought4  ,that has been the history of 
a thousand social chats1--in canoes by  
day1 in camp and hut by night1 and at   
all hours in my own house1 whose public 
room was open at any hour of day or     
evening for any visitor1 petitioner1 or 
lounger1 my attention to whose wants or 
wishes was rewarded by some confidence  
about their habits or doings4  ,in #ahfe
 ,i was transferred to ,benito1 where ,i
 remained until the close of #ahga4     
,those years were full of travels afoot 
or by boat1 south the hundred miles to  
,gabun1 north toward the ,batanga       
region1 and east up the ,benito for a   
hundred miles as a pioneer1 to the      
,balengi and ,boheba tribes1--a distance
 at that time unprecedented1 considering

 the almost fierce opposition of the    
coast people to any white man's going to
 the local sources of their trade4      
,after more than ten uninterrupted years
 in ,africa1 ,i took a furlough of more 
than two years in the ,united ,states1  
and returned to my work in #ahgd4  ,i   
responded to a strong demand on the part
 of the supporters of ,foreign ,missions
 in ,africa1 that mission operations    
should no longer be confined to the     
coast4 ,unsuccessful efforts had been   
made to enter by the ,gabun1 by the     
,muni1 and by the ,benito4  ,on the     
#ajth of ,september1 #ahgd1 ,i entered  
the ,ogowe ,river1 at ,nazareth ,bay1   
one of its several embouchures into the 
,atlantic1 near ,cape ,lopez1 a degree  
south of the equator4 ,but little was   
known of the ,ogowe4 ,du ,chaillu1 in   
his ,equatorial ,africa 7#ahfa71 barely 
mentions it1 though he was hunting      
gorillas and journeying in ,ashango     
,land1 on the sources of the ,ngunye1 a 
large southern affluent of the ,ogowe4  

,a ,french gunboat a few years before   
had ascended it for one hundred and     
thirty miles to ,lembarene1 the head of 
the ,ogowe ,delta1 and had attached it  
to ,france4 ,two ,english traders and   
one ,german had built trading-houses at 
that one-hundred-and-thirty-mile limit1 
and traversed the river with small steam
 launches in their rubber trade4        
,besides these three1 ,i was the only   
other white resident4 ,they were living 
in the ,galwa tribe1 cognate in language
 with the ,mpongwe4 ,i settled at a     
one-hundred-and-fifty-mile limit1 in the
 ,akele tribe 7cognate with the ,benga71
 building my house at a place called    
,belambila4  ,two years later ,i        
abandoned that spot1 came down to       
,lembarene1 and built on ,kngwe ,hill4  
,there ,i learned the ,mpongwe dialect4 
,i remained there until #ahhj1          
successful with school and church1 and  
travelling by boat and canoe thousands  
of miles in the many branches of the    
,ogowe1 through its ,delta1 and in the  

lake country of ,lakes ,onange and      
,azyingo4 ,in #ahhj ,i took a second    
furlough to the ,united ,states1        
remaining eighteen months1 and returning
 at the close of #ahha4  ,my prosperous 
and comfortable station at ,kngwe was   
occupied by a new man1 and ,i resumed my
 old rle of pioneer4 ,i travelled up the
 ,ogowe1 one hundred and fifty miles    
beyond ,lembarene1 ascending and        
descending the wild waters of its       
cataracts1 and settled at ,talaguga1 a  
noted rock near which was subsequently  
established the ,french military post1  
,njoli1 at the two-hundred-mile limit of
 the course of the river4 ,there ,i was 
alone with ,mrs4 ,nassau1 my nearest    
white neighbors the two ,french officers
 five miles up river at the post1 and my
 successors at ,kngwe1 seventy miles    
down river4 ,the inhabitants were wild  
cannibal ,fang1 just recently emerged   
from the interior forest4 ,it was a     
splendid field for original             
investigation1 and ,i applied myself to 

the ,fang dialect4  ,i remained at      
,talaguga until #ahia1 when ,i took a   
third furlough to the ,united ,states1  
and stayed through #ahib1 during which  
time the ,mission ,board transferred my 
entire ,ogowe work1 with its two        
stations and four churches and          
successful schools1 to the ,french      
,paris ,evangelical ,society4  ,in      
,march1 #ahic1 at the request of the    
,rev4 ,frank ,f4 ,ellinwood1 ,d4,d41    
,,ll4,d41 ,i wrote and read1 before the 
,american ,society of ,comparative      
,religions1 a forty-minute essay on     
,bantu ,theology4  ,at the wish of that 
,society ,i loaned the manuscript to    
them1 for their use in the ,parliament  
of ,religions at the ,chicago           
,exposition2 but ,i carried the original
 draft of the essay with me on my return
 to ,africa in ,august1 #ahic1 where ,i 
was located at ,libreville1 ,gabun1 the 
,mission's oldest and most civilized    
station4 ,there ,i found special        
advantage for my investigations4 ,though

 those educated ,mpongwes could tell me 
little that was new as to purely        
unadulterated native thought1 they1     
better than an ignorant tribe1 could and
 did give me valuable intelligent       
replies to my inquiries as to the       
logical connection between native belief
 and act1 and the essential meaning of  
things which ,i had seen and heard      
elsewhere4 ,my ignorant friends at other
 places had given me a mass of isolated 
statements4 ,my ,mpongwe friends had    
studied a little grammar1 and were      
somewhat trained to analyze4 ,they      
helped me in the collocation of the     
statements and in the deduction of the  
philosophy behind them4 ,it was there   
that ,i began to put my conclusions in  
writing4  ,in #ahie ,miss ,mary ,h4     
,kingsley journeyed in ,west ,africa1   
sent on a special mission to investigate
 the subject of freshwater fishes4 ,she 
also gratified her own personal interest
 in native ,african religious beliefs by
 close inquiries all along the coast4   

,during her stay at ,libreville in the  
,kongo-,franais1 ,may-,september1 #ahie1
 my interest1 common with hers1 in the  
study of native ,african thought led me 
into frequent and intimate conversations
 with her on that subject4 ,she eagerly 
accepted what information1 from my      
longer residence in ,africa1 ,i was able
 to impart4 ,i loaned her the essay1    
with permission to make any use of it   
she desired in her proposed book1       
,travels in ,west ,africa4 ,when that   
graphic story of her ,african wanderings
 appeared in #ahig1 she made courteous  
acknowledgment of the use she had made  
of it in her chapters on ,fetich4  ,on  
page #cie of her ,travels in ,west      
,africa1 referring to my missionary     
works1 and to some contributions ,i had 
made to science1 she wrote3 ,still ,i   
deeply regret he has not done more for  
science and geography4444 ,i beg to     
state ,i am not grumbling at him 444 but
 entirely from the justifiable          
irritation a student of fetich feels at 

knowing that there is but one copy of   
this collection of materials1 and that  
this copy is in the form of a human     
being1 and will disappear with him      
before it is half learned by us1 who    
cannot do the things he has done4  ,this
 suggestion of ,miss ,kingsley's gave me
 no new thought2 it only sharpened a    
desire ,i had hopelessly cherished for  
some years4 ,in my many missionary      
occupations--translation of the         
,scriptures1 and other duties--,i had   
never found the strength1 when the      
special missionary daily work was done1 
to sit down and put into writing the    
mass of material ,i had collected as to 
the meaning and uses of fetiches4 ,nor  
did ,i think it right for me to take    
time that was paid for by the church in 
which to compile a book that would be my
 own personal pleasure and property4    
,impressed with this idea1 on my fourth 
furlough to ,america in #ahii1 ,i       
confided my wish to a few personal      
friends1 telling them of my plan1 not   

indeed ever to give up my life-work in  
and for ,africa1 but to resign from     
connection with the ,board2 and1        
returning to ,africa under independent  
employ and freed from mission control1  
but still working under my ,presbytery1 
have time to gratify my pen4  ,one of   
these friends was ,william ,libbey1 ,d4 
,sc41 ,professor of ,physical ,geography
 and ,director of the ,e4 ,m4 ,museum of
 ,geology and ,archology in ,princeton  
,university4 ,without my knowledge he   
subsequently mentioned the subject to   
his university friend1 ,rev4 ,a4        
,woodruff ,halsey1 ,d4,d41 one of the   
,secretaries of the ,board of ,foreign  
,missions4 ,dr4 ,halsey thought my wish 
could be gratified without my resigning 
from the ,board's service4  ,in         
,november1 #ahii1 the following action  
of the ,board was forwarded to me3      
,november #bjth1 #ahii4 ,in view of the 
wide and varied information possessed by
 the ,rev4 ,robert ,h4 ,nassau1 ,d4,d41 
of the ,west ,africa ,mission1 regarding

 the customs and traditions of the      
tribes on the ,west ,coast1 and the     
importance of putting that knowledge    
into some permanent form1 the ,board    
requested ,dr4 ,nassau to prepare a     
volume or volumes on the subject2 and it
 directed the ,west ,africa ,mission to 
assign him1 on his return from his      
furlough1 to such forms of missionary   
work as will give him the necessary     
leisure and opportunity4  ,on my return 
to ,africa in #aijj1 ,i was located at  
,batanga1 one hundred and seventy miles 
north of ,gabun1 and was assigned to the
 pastorate of the ,batanga ,church1 the 
largest of the twelve churches of the   
,corisco ,presbytery1 with itineration  
to and charge of the sessions of the    
,kribi and ,ubenji churches4  ,during   
intervals of time in the discharge of   
these pastoral duties my recreation was 
the writing and sifting of the multitude
 of notes ,i had collected on native    
superstition during the previous quarter
 of a century4 ,the people of ,batanga1 

though largely emancipated from the     
fetich practices of superstition1 still 
believed in its witchcraft aspect4 ,i   
began there to arrange the manuscript of
 this work4 ,there1 more than elsewhere1
 the natives seemed willing to tell me  
tales of their folk-lore1 involving     
fetich beliefs4 ,from them1 and also    
from ,mpongwe informants1 were gathered 
largely the contents of ,chapters ,,xvi 
and ,,xvii4  ,and now1 on this my fifth 
furlough1 the essay on ,bantu ,theology 
has grown to the proportions of this    
present volume4  ,the conclusions       
contained in all these chapters are     
based on my own observations and        
investigations4  ,obligation is         
acknowledged to a number of writers on  
,africa and others1 quotations from     
whose books are credited in the body of 
this work4 ,i quote them1 not as        
informants of something ,i did not      
already know1 but as witnesses to the   
fact of the universality of the same    
superstitious ideas all over ,africa4   

,by the courtesy of the ,american       
,geographical ,society1 ,chapters ,,iv1 
,v1 ,x1 and ,,xi have appeared in its   
,bulletin during the years #aija-aijc4  
,i am especially obligated to ,professor
 ,libbey for his sympathetic            
encouragement during the writing of my  
manuscript1 and for his judicious       
suggestions as to the final form ,i have
 given it4  ,,robert ,,hamill ,,nassau  
,,philadelphia1 ,march #bd1 #aijd       
,,contents                              
,,page    ,,chapter ,i    ,,constitution
 ,,of ,,native ,,african                
,,society--,,sociology                  
#a       ,i4 ,the ,country              
#b      ,,ii4 ,the ,family              
#c            ,family                   
,responsibility4--,family               
,headship4--,marital                    
,relations4--,arrangements for          
,marriage4--,courtship and              
,wedding4--,dissolution of              
,marriage4--,illegitimate ,marital      
,relations4--,domestic ,life4     ,,iii4

 ,succession to ,property and ,authority
                            #ac         
,,iv4 ,political ,organization          
#ac       ,v4 ,servants                 
#ad      ,,vi4 ,kingship                
#ae     ,,vii4 ,fetich ,doctors         
#af    ,,viii4 ,hospitality             
#ag      ,,ix4 ,judicial ,system        
#ag                                     
,courts4--,punishment4--,blood-,atonemen
t and ,fines4--           ,punishable   
,acts4       ,x4 ,territorial ,relations
                                        
#bb            ,tenure4--,rights in     
,movables4      ,,xi4 ,exchange         
,relations                              
#bc     ,,xii4 ,religion                
#be     ,,chapter ,,ii    ,,the ,,idea  
,,of ,,god--,,religion                  
#bf      ,theology1 ,religion1 ,creed1  
,worship4--,source of the ,knowledge    
of ,god2 outside of us2 comes from ,god2
 ,evolution of ,physical                
,species4--,materialism2 ,knowledge of  
,god not evolved4--     ,superstition in

 all ,religions4--,dominant in ,african 
,religion4--,no ,people without a       
,knowledge of at least the ,name     of 
,god4--,testimony of ,travellers and    
,others4     ,,chapter ,,iii            
,,polytheism--,,idolatry                
#db      ,religion and                  
,civilization4--,worship of ,natural    
,objects4--                             
,polytheism4--,idolatry4--,worship of   
,ancestors4--,fetichism4     ,,chapter  
,,iv    ,,spiritual ,,beings ,,in       
,,african ,,religion                    
#ej       ,i4 ,origin                   
#ej            ,coterminous with the    
,creator4--,created4--,spirits of       
,deceased ,human ,beings2 in ,unity1    
,duality1 ,trinity1 or                  
,quadruplicity4      ,,ii4 ,number      
#ee     ,,iii4 ,locality                
#eh      ,,iv4 ,characteristics         
#fb     ,,chapter ,v    ,,spiritual     
,,beings ,,in ,,africa--,,their         
,,classes ,,and ,,functions             
#fd       ,i4 ,classes and ,functions   

#fd                                     
,inina4--,ibambo4--,ombwiri4--,nkinda4--
,mondi4      ,,ii4 ,special             
,manifestations                         
#gj          ,human ,soul in a ,lower   
,animal2 the ,leopard ,fiend4--,uvengwa1
         ,ghost4--,family               
,guardian-,spirit4     ,,chapter ,,vi   
,,fetichism--,,its ,,philosophy--,a     
,,physical ,,salvation--,,charms ,,and  
,,amulets                               
#ge                                     
,monotheism4--,polytheism4--,animism4--,
fetichism4      ,the ,salvation ,sought3
 its ,kind1 ,physical2 its ,source1     
,spirits2     its ,reason1 ,fear4       
,the ,means used3 ,prayer1 ,sacrifices1 
,charms2 ,vocal1 ,ritual1     ,material1
 ,fetiches4      ,articles used in the  
,fetich4--,mode of ,preparation3 ,a     
,fitness in     the ,quality of the     
,object for the ,end desired2           
,efficiency     depends on the          
,localized ,spirit2 ,misuse of the ,word
 ,medicine2     ,native ,doctors2       

,connection of ,fetich with ,witchcraft4
     ,,chapter ,,vii    ,,the           
,,fetich--,a ,,worship                  
#ij       ,i4 ,sacrifice and ,offerings 
#ia            ,small ,votive           
,gifts4--,consecrated ,plants2 ,idols   
and ,gifts           of ,food4--,blood  
,sacrifices4--,human ,sacrifices4       
,,ii4 ,prayer                           
#ig     ,,iii4 ,the ,use of ,charms or  
,fetiches                               
#ii     ,,chapter ,,viii    ,,the       
,,fetich--,,witchcraft--,a ,,white      
,,art--,,sorcery                        
#ajj      ,a passively ,defensive       
,art4--,professedly of the ,nature of a 
,medicine4--,distinction between a      
,fetich ,doctor and a ,christian        
,physician4--,manner of ,performance of 
the ,white ,art4--,the     ,medicinal   
,herbs used sometimes                   
,valuable4--,strength of ,native        
,faith in the ,system4     ,,chapter    
,,ix    ,,the ,,fetich--,,witchcraft--,a
 ,,black ,,art--,,demonology            

#aaf      ,distinction as to the ,object
 aimed at in the ,white ,art and in     
the ,black ,art4--,black ,art actively  
,offensive4--,the ,black ,art           
distinctively ,witchcraft4--,witchcraft 
,executions2 claimed     to be ,judicial
 ,acts4--,hoodoo ,worship4--,christian  
,faith and     ,fetich ,faith           
,compared4--,deception by ,fetich       
,magicians4--                           
,clairvoyance4--,demoniacal ,possession4
     ,,chapter ,x    ,,fetichism--,a    
,,government                            
#ach      ,egbo1 ,ukuku1 ,yasi1 and     
other ,societies4--,their ,power either 
to protect or oppress4--,contest with   
,ukuku at ,benita1 and     with ,yasi on
 the ,ogowe4     ,,chapter ,,xi    ,,the
 ,,fetich--,,its ,,relation ,,to ,,the  
,,family                                
#aef      ,the ,family the ,unit in the 
,african ,community4--,respect for      
the ,aged4--,worship of                 
,ancestors4--,family ,fetiches2 ,yk1    
,ekongi1 ,mbati4     ,,chapter ,,xii    

,,the ,,fetich--,,its ,,relations ,,to  
,,daily ,,work ,,and ,,occupations ,,and
 ,,to   ,,the ,,needs ,,of ,,life       
#agb                                    
,hunting4--,journeying4--,warring4--,tra
ding2 ,okundu and                       
,mbumbu4--,sickness4--,loving4--,fishing
4--,planting4     ,,chapter ,,xiii      
,,the ,,fetich--,,superstition ,,in     
,,customs                               
#aia      ,rules of ,pregnancy4--,omens 
on ,journeys4--,leopard ,fiends4--      
,luck4--,twins4--,customs of            
,speech4--,oaths4--,totem ,worship4--   
,taboo2                                 
,orunda4--,baptism4--,spitting4--,notice
 of ,children4     ,,chapter ,,xiv      
,,fetich--,,its ,,relation ,,to ,,the   
,,future ,,life--,,ceremonies ,,at      
,,deaths   ,,and ,,funerals             
#bae      ,sickness1 ,death1 ,burial1   
,modes of ,burial4--,mourning1          
,treatment of ,widows4--,witchcraft     
,investigations4--,places of            
,burial4--,cannibalism--,family ,quarrel

 as to ,precedence in the               
,burying4--,custom of ,lifting ,up of   
,mourners4--,ukuku ,dance     for       
,amusement4--,destination of the        
,dead4--,transmigration4     ,,chapter  
,,xv    ,,fetichism--,,some ,,of ,,its  
,,practical ,,effects                   
#bci                                    
,depopulation4--,cannibalism4--,secret  
,societies 7,ukuku1 ,yasi1     ,mwetyi1 
,bweti1 ,ind1 ,njembe74--,poisoning for 
,revenge4--                             
,distrust4--,jugglery4--,treatment of   
,lunatics4--,the ,american     ,negro   
,hoodoo4--,folk-,lore4     ,,chapter    
,,xvi    ,,tales ,,of ,,fetich ,,based  
,,on ,,fact                             
#bgg       ,i4 ,a ,witch ,sweetheart    
#bgh      ,,ii4 ,a ,jealous ,wife       
#bha     ,,iii4 ,witchcraft ,mothers    
#bhd      ,,iv4 ,the ,wizard            
,house-,breaker                         
#bhg       ,v4 ,the ,wizard ,murderer   
#bhi      ,,vi4 ,the ,wizard and his    
,invisible ,dog                         

#bic     ,,vii4 ,spirit-,dancing        
#bie    ,,viii4 ,asiki1 or the ,little  
,beings                                 
#bii      ,,ix4 ,okove                  
#cjb       ,x4 ,the ,family ,idols      
7,oksi1 ,barbarity1 ,the ,right of      
,sanctuary7    #cjh      ,,xi4 ,unago   
and ,ekela 7,a ,proverb7                
#cah     ,,xii4 ,malanda--,an           
,initiation into a ,family              
,guardian-,spirit ,company   #cbj       
,,xiii4 ,three-,things ,came ,back too  
,late                                   
#cbf     ,,chapter ,,xvii    ,,fetich   
,,in ,,folk-,,lore                      
#ccj       ,i4 ,queen ,ngwe-nkonde and  
her ,manja                              
#ccb      ,,ii4 ,the ,beautiful         
,daughter                               
#ccg     ,,iii4 ,the ,husband that ,came
 from an ,animal                        
#cdf      ,,iv4 ,the ,fairy ,wife       
#cea       ,v4 ,the ,thieves and their  
,enchanted ,house                       
#ceh      ,,vi4 ,banga-of-the-five-faces

                                        
#cfg     ,,vii4 ,the ,two ,brothers     
#cgb    ,,viii4 ,jeki and his ,ozzi     
#cgh     ,,glossary                     
#chg     ,,list ,,of ,,illustrations    
,fetich ,magician                       
,frontispiece                           
,facing ,page    ,native ,king in the   
,niger ,delta                           
#af    ,english ,trading-,house--,gabun 
#bd    ,fetich ,doctor                  
#hf    ,elephants' ,tusks and ,palm-leaf
 ,thatch4 ,two ,hundred ,miles   up the 
,ogowe ,river                           
#adh    ,war ,canoe4--,calabar1 ,west   
,africa                                 
#agd    ,natives ,trading in ,plantains 
and ,bamboo ,building                   
,materials4--,gabun                     
#ahb    ,travelling by ,canoe4--,ogowe  
,river                                  
#aih    ,a ,civilized ,family4--,gabun  
#bcf    ,njembe4 ,female ,secret        
,society4--,mpongwe1 ,gabun             
#bed    ,ekope of the ,ivanga           

,dance4--,gabun                         
#bif    ,a ,street in ,libreville1      
,gabun                                  
#cjj     ,map of the ,west ,african     
,coast                                  
#a     ,,fetichism ,,in ,,west ,,africa 
,,chapter ,i  ,,constitution ,,of       
,,native ,,african                      
,,society--,,sociology   ,that stream of
 the ,negro race which is known         
ethnologically as ,bantu1 occupies all  
of the southern portion of the ,african 
continent below the fourth degree of    
north latitude4 ,it is divided into a   
multitude of tribes1 each with its own  
peculiar dialect4 ,all these dialects   
are cognate in their grammar4 ,some of  
them vary only slightly in their        
vocabulary4 ,in others the vocabulary is
 so distinctly different that it is not 
understood by tribes only one hundred   
miles apart1 while that of others a     
thousand miles away may be intelligible4
  ,in their migrations the tribes have  
been like a river1 with its windings1   

currents swift or slow2 there have been 
even1 in places1 back currents2 and     
elsewhere quiet1 almost stagnant pools4 
,but they all--from the ,divala at      
,kamerun on the ,west ,coast across to  
the ,kiswahile at ,zanzibar on the      
,east1 and from ,buganda by the         
,victoria ,nyanza at the north down to  
,zulu in the south at the ,cape--have a 
uniformity in language1 tribal          
organization1 family customs1 judicial  
rules and regulations1 marriage         
ceremonies1 funeral rites1 and religious
 beliefs and practice4 ,dissimilarities 
have crept in with mixture among        
themselves by intermarriage1 the example
 of foreigners1 with some forms of      
foreign civilization and education1     
degradation by foreign vice1 elevation  
by ,christianity1 and compulsion by     
foreign governments4  ,as a description 
of ,bantu sociology1 ,i give the        
following outline which was offered some
 years ago1 in reply to inquiries sent  
to members of the ,gabun and ,corisco   

,mission living at ,batanga1 by the     
,german ,government1 in its laudable    
effort to adapt1 as far as consistent   
with justice and humanity1 its ,kamerun 
territorial government to the then      
existing tribal regulations and customs 
of the tribes living in the ,batanga    
region4 ,this information was obtained  
by various persons from several sources1
 but especially from prominent native   
chiefs1 all of them men of intelligence4
  ,in their general features these      
statements were largely true also for   
all the other tribes in the ,equatorial 
,coast region1 and for most of the      
interior ,bantu tribes now pressing down
 to the ,coast4 ,they were more         
distinctly descriptive of ,batanga and  
the entire interior at the time of their
 formulation4 ,but in the ten years that
 have since passed1 a stranger would    
find that some of them are no longer    
exact4 ,foreign authority has removed or
 changed or sapped the foundations of   
many native customs and regulations1    

while it has not fully brought in the   
civilization of ,christianity4 ,the     
result in some places1 in this period of
 transition1 has been almost            
anarchy1--making a despotism1 as under  
,belgian misrule in the so-called ,kongo
 ,free ,state2 or commercial ruin1 as   
under ,french monopoly in their         
,kongo-,franais2 and general confusion1 
under ,german hands1 due to the         
arbitrary acts of local officials and   
their brutal black soldiery4   ,i4 ,,the
 ,,country4  ,the coast between #e and  
#d ,n4 ,lat4 is called ,kamerun4 ,this  
is not a native word3 it was formerly   
spelled by ships' captains in their     
trade ,cameroons4 ,its origin is        
uncertain4 ,it is thought that it came  
from the name of the ,portuguese        
explorer ,diego ,cam4 ,the tribes in    
that region are the ,divala1 ,isubu1    
,balimba1 and other lesser ones4  ,the  
coast from #d to #c ,n4 ,lat4 has also a
 foreign name1 ,batanga4 ,i do not know 
its origin4  ,the coast from #c to #b   

,n4 ,lat4 is called1 by both natives and
 foreigners1 ,benita2 at #a ,n41 by     
foreigners1 ,corisco1 and by natives1   
,benga4 ,the name ,corisco was given by 
,spaniards to an island in the ,bay of  
,benga because of the brilliant         
coruscations of lightning so persistent 
in that locality4 ,the ,benga dialect is
 taken as the type of all the many      
dialects used from ,corisco north to    
,benita1 ,bata1 ,batanga1 and ,kamerun4 
,from #a ,n4 to #c ,s4 is known as the  
,gabun country1 with the ,mpongwe       
dialect1 typical of its many congeners1 
the ,orungu1 ,nkmi 7miscalled ,camma71  
,galwa1 and others4  ,from #c ,s4 to the
 ,kongo ,river1 at #f ,s41 the ,loango  
tribe and dialect called ,fyt are       
typical2 and the ,kongo ,river          
represents still another current of     
tribe and dialect4  ,in the interior1   
subtending the entire coast-line as     
above mentioned1 are the several clans  
of the great ,fang tribe1 making a fifth
 distinctly different type1 known by the

 names ,osheba1 ,bulu1 ,mabeya1 and     
others4 ,the name ,fang is spelled      
variously3 by the traveller ,du         
,chaillu1 ,fa2 by the ,french traveller1
 ,count de ,brazza1 ,pahouin2 by their  
,benga neighbors1 ,pangwe2 and by the   
,mpongwe1 ,mpawe4 ,these tribes all have
 traditions of their having come from   
the far ,northeast4  ,before foreign    
slave-trade was introduced1 and         
subsequently the ivory1 rubber1         
palm-oil1 and mahogany trades1 the      
occupations of the natives were hunting1
 fishing1 and agriculture4 ,they        
subsisted on wild meats1 fish1 forest   
fruits and nuts1 and the cultivated     
plantains1 cassava1 maize1 ground-nuts1 
yams1 eddoes1 sweet potatoes1 and a few 
other vegetables4   ,,ii4 ,,the         
,,family4  ,the family is the unit in   
native sociology4 ,there is the narrow  
circle of relationship expressed by the 
word ijawe1 plural majawe 7a derivative 
of the verb jaka  to beget71 which      
includes those of the immediate family1 

both on the father's as well as on the  
mother's side 7i4 e41 blood-relatives74 
,the wider circle expressed by the word 
ikaka 7pl4 makaka7 includes those who   
are blood-relatives1 together with those
 united to them by marriage4  ,in giving
 illustrative native words ,i shall use 
the ,benga dialect as typical4 ,all the 
tribes have words indicating the        
relationships of father1 mother1        
brother1 sister4 ,a nephew1 while       
calling his own father paia1 calls an   
uncle who is older than himself         
paia-utodu2 one younger than himself he 
calls paia-ndembe4 ,his own mother he   
calls ina1 and his aunts ina-utodu and  
ina-ndembe1 respectively1 for one who is
 older or younger than himself4  ,a     
cousin is called mwana-paia-utodu1 or   
-ndembe1 as the case may be1 according  
to age4 ,these same designations are    
used for both the father's and the      
mother's side4 ,a cousin's consanguinity
 is considered almost the same as that  
of brother or sister4 ,they cannot      

marry4 ,indeed1 all lines of            
consanguinity are carried farther1 in   
prohibition of marriage1 than in        
civilized countries4  #a4 ,family       
,responsibility4 ,each family is held by
 the community responsible for the      
misdeeds of its members4 ,however       
unworthy a man may be1 his people are to
 stand by him1 defend him1 and even     
claim as right his acts1 however unjust4
 ,he may demand their help1 however     
guilty he may be4 ,even if his offence  
be so great that his own people have to 
acknowledge his guilt1 they cannot      
abjure their responsibility4 ,even if he
 be worthy of death1 and a ransom is    
called for1 they must pay it3 not only  
his rich relatives1 but all who are at  
all able must help4  ,there is a        
narrower family relationship1 that of   
the household1 or diy 7the hearth1 or   
fireplace2 derivative of the verb diyaka
  to live74 ,there are a great many of  
these4 ,their habitations are built in  
one street1 long or short1 according to 

the size of the man's family4  ,in      
polygamy each wife has a separate house1
 or at least a separate room4 ,her      
children's home is in that house4 ,each 
woman rules her own house and children4 
,one of these women is called the       
head-wife 7konde--queen74 ,usually she  
is the first wife4 ,but the man is at   
liberty to displace her and put a       
younger one in her place4  ,the position
 of head-wife carries with it no special
 privileges except that she             
superintends2 but she is not herself    
excused from work4 ,in the community she
 is given more respect if the husband   
happens to be among the headmen or      
chiefs4  ,each wife is supplied by the  
husband1 but does not personally own her
 own house1 kitchen utensils1 and garden
 tools4 ,she makes her own garden or    
plantation 7mwanga74  ,there is no      
community in ownership of a plantation4 
,each one chooses a spot for himself4   
,nor is there land tenure4 ,any man can 
go to any place not already occupied1   

and choose a site on which to build1 or 
to make a garden2 and he keeps it as    
long as he or some member of his family 
occupies it4  #b4 ,family ,headship4 ,it
 descends to a son2 if there be none1 to
 a brother2 or1 if he be dead1 to that  
brother's son2 in default of these1 to a
 sister's son4 ,this headship carries   
with it1 for a man1 such authority that1
 should he kill his wife1 he may not be 
killed2 though her relatives1 if they be
 influential1 may demand some           
restitution4  ,if an ordinary man kills 
another man1 he may himself be killed4  
,for a debt he may give away a daughter 
or wife1 but he may not give away a son 
or a brother4 ,a father rules all his   
children1 male and female1 until his    
death4  ,if adult members of a family   
are dissatisfied with family            
arrangements1 they can remove and build 
elsewhere2 but they cannot thereby      
entirely separate themselves from rule  
by1 and responsibility to and for the   
family4  ,a troublesome man cannot be   

expelled from the family village4 ,a    
woman can be1 but only by her husband1  
for such offences as stealing1 adultery1
 quarrelling2 in which case the dowry   
money paid by him to her relatives must 
be returned to him1 or another woman    
given in her place4  #c4 ,marital       
,relations4 ,marriages are made not only
 between members of the same tribe but  
between different tribes4 ,formerly it  
was not considered proper that a man of 
a coast tribe should marry a woman from 
an interior tribe4 ,the coast tribes    
regarded themselves as more enlightened 
than those of the interior1 and were    
disposed to look down upon them4 ,but   
now men marry women not only of their   
own tribe but of all inferior tribes4   
,polygamy is common1 almost universal4  
,a man's addition to the number of his  
wives is limited only by his ability to 
pay their dowry price4  ,he may cohabit 
with a woman without paying dowry for   
her2 but their relation is not regarded 
as a marriage 7diba71 and this woman is 

disrespected as a harlot 7evove74       
,there are few men with only one wife4  
,in some cases their monogamy is their  
voluntary choice2 in most cases 7where  
there is not ,christian principle7 it is
 due to poverty4 ,a polygamist arranges 
his marital duties to his several wives 
according to his choice2 but the        
division having been made1 each wife    
jealously guards her own claim on his   
attentions4 ,a disregard of them leads  
to many a family quarrel4#a  ,if a man  
die1 his brothers may marry any or all  
of the widows2 or1 if there be no       
brothers1 a son inherits1 and may marry 
any or all of the widows except his own 
mother4  ,it is preferred that widows   
shall be retained in the family circle  
because of the dowry money that was paid
 for them1 which is considered as a     
permanent investment4  ,ante-ceremonial 
sexual trials 7the ancient ,german      
bundling7 are not recognized as         
according to rule2 but the custom is    
very common4 ,if not followed by regular

 marriage ceremony1 it is judged as     
adultery4  ,while a man may go to any   
tribe to seek a wife1 he does not settle
 in the woman's tribe2 she comes to him1
 and enters into his family4  #d4       
,arrangements for ,marriage4 ,on        
entering into marriage a man depends on 
only the male members of his family to  
assist him4 ,if the woman is of adult   
age1 he is first to try to obtain her   
consent4 ,but that is not final2 it may 
be either overridden or compelled by her
 father4 ,the fathers of the two parties
 are the ultimate judges2 the marriage  
cannot take place without their consent1
 after the preliminary wooing4 ,the     
final compact is by dowry money1 the    
most of which must be paid in advance4  
,it is the custom which has come down   
from old time4 ,it is now slightly      
changing under education1 enlightenment1
 and foreign law4 ,the amount of the    
dowry is not prescribed by any law4     
,custom alters the amount1 according to 
the social status of the two families   

and the pecuniary ability of the        
bridegroom4  ,the highest price is paid 
for a virgin2 the next1 for a woman who 
has been put away by some other man2 the
 lowest price for widows4 ,it is paid in
 instalments1 but is supposed to be     
completed in one or two years after the 
marriage4  ,but the purchase of the     
woman by dowry does not extinguish all  
claim on her by her family4 ,if she is  
maltreated1 she may be taken back by    
them1 in which case the man's dowry     
money is to be returned to him4 ,not    
only the woman's father1 but her other  
relatives1 have a claim to a share in   
the dowry paid for her4 ,her brothers1  
sisters1 and cousins may ask gifts from 
the would-be husband4  ,if a husband    
die1 the widow becomes the property of  
his family2 she does not inherit1 by    
right1 any of his goods because she     
herself1 as a widow1 is property4       
,sometimes she is given something1 but  
only as a favor4  ,if she runs away or  
escapes1 her father or her family must  

return either her or the dowry paid for 
her4  ,on the death of a woman after her
 marriage1 a part of the money received 
for her is returned to the husband as   
compensation for his loss on his        
investment4 ,if she has borne no        
children1 nothing is given or restored  
to the husband4  ,if a woman deserts her
 husband1 her family is required to pay 
back the dowry4 ,if the man himself     
sends her away1 the dowry may be repaid 
on his demand and after a public        
discussion4  ,there is no escape from   
marriage for a woman during her life    
except by repayment of the money        
received for her4  ,two men may exchange
 wives thus3 each puts away his wife1   
sending her back to her people and      
receiving in return the money paid for  
her4 ,with this money in hand each buys 
again the wife the other has put away2  
and all parties are satisfied4  ,a      
father can force his daughter to marry  
against her will2 but such marriages are
 troublesome1 and generally end in the  

man putting the woman away4  ,a daughter
 may be betrothed by her parents at any 
time1 even at birth4 ,the marriage      
formerly did not take place until she   
was a woman grown of twenty years2 now  
they are married at fifteen or sixteen1 
or earlier4  ,marriage within any degree
 of consanguinity is forbidden4         
,marriage of cousins is impossible4     
,disparity of age is no hindrance to    
marriage3 an old man may take a young   
virgin1 and a young man may take an old 
woman4  ,there are no bars of caste nor 
rank1 except the social eminence derived
 from wealth or free birth4  ,only women
 are barred from marrying an inferior4  
,that inferiority is not a personal one4
 ,no personal worth can make a man of an
 inferior tribe equal to the meanest    
member of a superior tribe4  ,all coast 
tribes reckon themselves superior to any
 interior tribe2 and1 of the coast      
tribes1 a superiority is claimed for    
those who have the largest foreign      
commerce and the greatest number of     

white residents4  ,a man may marry any  
woman of any inferior tribe1 the idea   
being that he thus elevates her2 but it 
is almost unheard of that a woman shall 
marry beneath her4  ,as a result of this
 iron rule1 women of the ,mpongwe and a 
few other small superior coast tribes   
being barred from many men of their own 
tribe by lines of consanguinity1 and    
unable to marry beneath themselves1     
expect to and do make their marriage    
alliances with the white traders and    
foreign government officials4 ,their    
civilization has made them attractive1  
and they are sought for by white men    
from far distant points4  ,younger sons 
and daughters must not be married before
 the older ones4#b  #e4 ,courtship and  
,wedding4 ,the routine varies greatly   
according to tribe2 and in any tribe1   
according to the man's self-respect and 
regard for conventionalities4 ,a proper 
outline is3 ,first1 the man goes to the 
father empty-handed to ask his consent4 
,the second visit he goes with gifts1   

and the father calls in the other       
members of the family to witness the    
gifts4 ,on the third visit he goes with 
liquor 7formerly the native palm wine1  
now the foreign trade gin or rum71 and  
pays an instalment on the dowry2 on the 
fourth visit with his parents1 and gives
 presents to the woman herself4 ,on a   
fifth occasion the mother of the woman  
makes a feast for the mother and friends
 of the groom4 ,at this feast the host  
and hostess do not eat1 but they join in
 the drinking4 ,finally1 the man goes   
with gifts and takes the woman4 ,her    
father makes return gifts as a farewell 
to his daughter4  ,on her arrival at the
 man's village they are met with        
rejoicing1 and a dance called nknj2 but 
there is no further ceremony1 and she is
 his wife4  ,for three months she should
 not be required to do any hard work1   
the man providing her with food and     
dress4 ,then she will begin the usual   
woman's work1 in the making of a garden 
and carrying of burdens4  ,weddings may 

be made in any season of the year4      
,formerly the dry season1 or the latter 
part of the rainy1 was preferred because
 of the plentifulness of fish at these  
periods1 and the weather being better   
for outdoor sports and plays4  ,the man 
is expected to visit his wife's family  
often1 and to eat with them4 ,her mother
 feasts him1 and he calls her parents to
 eat at his house4  #f4 ,dissolution of 
,marriage4 ,by death of the husband4    
,formerly1 in many tribes one or more of
 the widows were put to death1 either   
that the dead might not be without      
companionship in the spirit world1 or as
 a punishment for not having cared      
better for him in the preservation of   
his life4  ,formerly the women mourned  
for six months2 now the mourning 7i4 e41
 the public wailing7 is reduced to one  
month4 ,but signs of mourning are       
retained for many months in dark1 old1  
or scanty dress1 and an absence of      
ornament4  ,the mourning of both men and
 women begins before the sick have      

actually died4 ,the men cease after the 
burial1 but the women continue4  ,all   
the dead man's property goes to his male
 relatives4 ,on the death of a wife the 
husband is expected to make a gift to   
pacify her relatives4 ,formerly the     
corpse was not allowed to be buried     
until this gift was made4 ,the demand   
was made by the father1 saying1 ,our    
child died in your hands2 give us6 ,now 
they make a more quiet request1 and wait
 a week before doing so4 ,something must
 be given1 even if the husband had      
already paid her dowry in full4         
,marriage can be dissolved by divorce at
 almost any time1 and for almost any    
reason1 by the man1--by a woman rarely4 
,the usual reasons for divorce are      
unfaithfulness1 quarrelling1            
disobedience1 and sometimes chronic     
sickness4 ,there are many other more    
private reasons4 ,in being thus put away
 the woman has no property rights2 she  
is given nothing more than what the man 
may allow as a favor4 ,if the woman has 

children1 she has no claim on them2 they
 belong to the father4 ,but if she has  
daughters who are married1 she can ask  
for part of the money which the husband 
received for them4 ,the man and the     
divorced woman are then each free to    
marry any other parties4  #g4           
,illegitimate ,marital ,relations4      
,these are very common1 but they are not
 sanctioned as proper4 ,the husband     
demands a fine for his wife's infidelity
 from the co-respondent4 ,cohabitation  
with the expected husband previous to   
the marriage ceremonies is common2 but  
it is not sanctioned1 and therefore is  
secret4  ,the husband of a woman who is 
mother of a child begotten by another   
man takes it as his own4 ,if it be a    
girl1 he 7and not the real father7 is   
the person who gives her in marriage and
 retains the dowry4  #h4 ,domestic      
,life4 ,no special feast is made for the
 birth of either a son or a daughter1   
but there is rejoicing4 ,during the     
woman's pregnancy both she and her      

husband have to observe a variety of    
prohibitions as to what they may eat or 
what they may do4 ,they cohabit up to   
the time of the child's birth2 but after
 that not for a long period1 formerly   
three years4 ,now it is reduced to one  
and a half years1 or less4 ,this custom 
is one of the reasons assigned by men   
for the alleged necessity of a plurality
 of wives4  ,during the confinement and 
for a short time after the birth1 the   
wife remains in the husband's house1 and
 is then taken by her parents to their  
house4  ,deformed and defective children
 are kept with kindness as others2 but  
monstrosities are destroyed4 ,formerly  
in all tribes twins were regarded as    
monstrosities and were therefore        
killed1--still the custom in some       
tribes4 ,in the more civilized tribes   
they are now valued1 but special fetich 
ceremonies for them are considered      
necessary4  ,in the former destruction  
of twins there were tribes that killed  
only one of them4 ,if they were male and

 female1 the father would wish to save  
the boy and the mother the girl2 but the
 father ruled4 ,a motherless new-born   
infant is not deserted2 it is suckled by
 some other woman4  ,a portion of the   
wearing apparel and other goods are     
placed in the coffin with the corpse4   
,the greater part of a man's goods are  
taken by his male relatives4 ,formerly  
nothing was given to his widow2 now she 
receives a small part4 ,and the paternal
 relatives of the dead man give         
something to his maternal relatives4    
,the corpse is buried in various        
ways1--on an elevated scaffold1 on the  
surface of the ground1 or in a shallow  
grave1 rarely cremated4 ,formerly the   
burial could be delayed by a claim for  
settlement of a debt1 but this does not 
now occur4  ,no coast tribe eats human  
flesh4 ,the ,fang and other interior    
tribes eat any corpse1 regardless of the
 cause of death4 ,families hesitate to  
eat their own dead1 but they sell or    
exchange them for the dead of other     

families4  ,the name given a child is   
according to family wish4 ,there is no  
law4 ,parents like to have their own    
names transmitted2 but all sorts of     
reasons prevail for giving common names1
 or for making a new one1 or for        
selecting the name of a great person or 
of some natural object4 ,a child born at
 midday may be called ,joba 7sun71 or1  
at the full moon1 ,ngnd 7moon74 ,a      
mother who had borne nine children1 all 
of whom had died1 on bearing a tenth1   
and hopeless of its surviving1 named it 
,botombaka 7passing away74              
,circumcision is practised universally  
by all these tribes4 ,an uncircumcised  
native is not considered to be a man in 
the full sense of the word1--fit for    
fighting1 working1 marrying1 and        
inheriting4 ,he is regarded as nothing  
by both men and women1 is slandered1    
abused1 insulted1 ostracized1 and not   
allowed to marry4  ,the operation is not
 performed in infancy1 but is delayed   
till the tenth year1 or even later4 ,the

 native doctor holds cayenne pepper in  
his mouth1 and1 on completing the       
operation1 spits the pepper upon the    
wound4 ,then seizing a sword1 he        
brandishes it with a shout as a signal  
to the spectators that the act is       
completed4 ,then the crowd of men and   
women join in singing and dancing1 and  
compliment the lad on being now a real  
man4  ,as natives have no records of    
births1 they cannot exactly tell the    
ages of their children1 or the time when
 a youth is fit to marry or assume other
 manly rights2 but by the eighteenth or 
nineteenth year he is regarded with the 
respect due a man4 ,he can marry even as
 early as fifteen or sixteen4  ,there   
are no tests to which he is subjected as
 proof of his manhood4  ,a woman may    
speak in a court of trial1 for defence  
of herself or friends4 ,she may also be 
summoned as a witness1 but she has no   
political rights4  ,aged persons are not
 put to death1 to escape the care of    
them2 they are reasonably well provided 

for4   ,,iii4 ,,succession ,,to         
,,property ,,and ,,authority4  ,only men
 inherit4 ,the children of sisters do   
not inherit unless all the children of  
the brothers are dead4  ,slaves do not  
inherit4  ,chieftains 7those chosen to  
rule7 and kings 7those chosen to the    
office7 inherit more than their         
brothers1 even though the ruling one be 
the younger4  ,a woman does not inherit 
at any time or under any circumstances1 
nor hold property in her own right1 even
 if she has produced it by her own      
labor4  ,there is no supremacy in regard
 to age in the division of property4    
,the things to be inherited are women   
7the widows71 goods1 house1 and slaves4 
,an equal division1 as far as it is     
possible1 is made of all these4  ,the   
dead man's debts are to be paid by the  
heirs out of their inheritance1 each one
 paying his part4 ,there is no written  
will1 but it is common for a man to     
announce his intention as to the        
division while still living4   ,,iv4    

,,political ,,organization4  ,the coast 
tribes and some of the interior have    
so-called kings1 who are chosen by their
 tribe to that office4  ,there are      
family cliques for the accomplishment of
 a desired end1 but these are overruled 
by the tribal king4  ,there are headmen 
in each village with local authority2   
but they too are subject to the king1   
they having authority only in their own 
village4  ,quarrels and discussions1    
called palavers1 are very common4 7,a   
palaver need not necessarily be a       
quarrel2 the word is derived from a     
,portuguese verb  to speak4 ,it comes   
from the old days of slavery2 it was the
 council held between native chiefs and 
white slave traders1 in the purchase of 
a cargo of slaves47  ,the headmen settle
 disputes about marriage1 property      
rights1 murders1 war1 thefts1 and so    
forth4 ,their decisions may be appealed 
from to a chief1 or carried further to  
the king1 whose decision is final4 ,any 
one1 young and old1 male and female1 may

 be present during a discussion4        
,usually only chosen persons do the     
speaking4  ,instead of a question being 
referred to a chief or king1 a committee
 of wise men is sometimes chosen for the
 occasion4 ,public assemblages are      
gathered by messengers sent out to      
summon the people4 ,the meeting is      
presided over by the king4   ,v4        
,,servants4  ,the domestic servants are 
slaves4 ,prisoners of war are also made 
to do service2 but on the making of     
peace male prisoners are returned to    
their tribe2 the female prisoners are   
retained and married4 ,slaves were      
bought from interior tribes4 ,if a male 
child was born to slave parents1 he was 
considered free and could marry into the
 tribe4 ,if the slave mother died1 the  
widower could marry into the tribe4 ,if 
the slave father died1 the widow was    
married by some man of the family who   
owned him4 ,there are no slaves bought  
or sold now1 but there is a system of   
pawns1--children or women given as a    

pledge for a debt and never redeemed4   
,their position is inferior1 and they   
are servants1 but not slaves4  ,also1 if
 a prominent person 7e4 g41 a headman7  
is killed in war1 the people who killed 
him are to give a daughter to his       
family1 who may marry her to any one    
they please4  ,a pawn may be sent away  
by the holder to some other place1 but  
he cannot be sold or killed2 but the    
holder may beat him if he be            
obstreperous4  ,during slavery days     
anything earned by a slave was taken to 
his master1 who would allow him a share2
 also1 at other times1 the master would 
give the slave gifts4 ,the slave could  
do paid labor for foreigners or other   
strangers1 and was not necessarily      
punished if he did not share his wages  
with the master1 but he would at least  
be rebuked for the omission4 ,women     
ruled their female slaves4 ,for a       
slave's minor offences1 such as         
stealing1 the master was held           
responsible2 for grave offences1 such as

 murder1 the slave himself was killed4  
,certain liberty was allowed a slave2 he
 could attend the village or tribal     
palavers and take part in the           
discussion4 ,if a slave was unjustly    
treated by some other person1 his owner 
could call a council and have the matter
 talked over1 and the slave could be    
allowed to plead his case4  ,a slave man
 could hold property of his own2 and if 
he were a worthy1 sensible person1 he   
could inherit4  ,in a slave's marriage  
of a woman the custom of gifts1 feasts1 
and so forth was the same as for a free 
man4  ,if ill treated1 he could run away
 to another tribe 7not to any one of his
 own tribe71 and would there be         
harbored1 but still as a slave1 and     
would not be given up to his former     
owner4 ,a slave could become free only  
by his master setting him free2 he could
 not redeem himself4   ,,vi4 ,,kingship4
  ,kingship has connected with it the   
great honor that a son may inherit it if
 he is the right kind of man2 but it is 

possible for him to be set aside and    
another chosen4 ,a son may lose his     
place by foolishness and incompetency4  
,attempts to rule independently of the  
king are sometimes made by cliques      
composed of three or four young persons 
of the same age1 who make laws or       
customs peculiar to themselves4 ,there  
is no national recognition of them1 nor 
are they given any special privilege4   
,kings have very little power over the  
fines or property of others4 ,these are 
held1 each man for himself2 nor have    
they the right of taxation2 but they    
have power to declare war1 acting in    
concert with their people in declaring  
it and waging it4 ,they administer      
justice as magistrates1 decide palavers 
according to the unwritten law of       
custom1 summon offenders1 and inflict   
the punishment due4  ,their dwellings   
differ but little from those of other   
persons of like wealth and personal     
ability4  ,when a palaver is called1 the
 king sits as ruler of the meeting and  

does most of the talking4 ,he provides  
food for those who come from a distance4
  ,a king may be blamed if a war he has 
declared ends disastrously4 ,while a    
king's son expects to inherit the title 
and power1 there is no invariable rule  
of succession2 he cannot take the       
position by force4 ,he must be chosen2  
but the choice is limited to the members
 of one family1 in which it is          
hereditary4  ,if the chosen person be a 
minor1 another is selected 7but of the  
same family7 to act as regent4 ,the     
incompetency which could bar a man from 
kingship1 even though in regular        
succession1 would be lack of stamina in 
his character4 ,the king-elect must make
 a feast1 to which he is to call all the
 people to eat1 drink1 and play for     
twenty days4  ,there are no higher state
 forms among the coast tribes1 as in    
civilized lands2 no union among tribes2 
no feudal power nor vassals2 no         
monarchy1 nothing absolute2 no taxation1
 no monopoly4 ,some of the interior     

tribes formerly had tributes and kingly 
monopoly of certain products4   ,,vii4  
,,fetich ,,doctors4  ,they still exist1 
but it can scarcely be said that they   
are a class4 ,they have no organization2
 they have honor only in their own      
districts1 unless they be called        
specially to minister in another place4 
,they have power to condemn to death on 
charge of causing sickness4 ,in their   
ceremonies they send the people to sing1
 dance1 play1 and beat drums1 and they  
spot their bodies with their medicines4 
,any one may choose the profession for  
himself2 fetich doctors demand large pay
 for their services4   ,illustration3   
,,native ,,king ,,in ,,the ,,niger      
,,delta4   ,,viii4 ,,hospitality4  ,a   
stranger is entertained hospitably4 ,he 
is provided with a house and food for   
two weeks1 or as much longer as he may  
wish to stay4 ,on departing he is given 
a present4 ,his host and the village    
headman are bound to protect him from   
any prosecution while he is their guest1

 even if he be really guilty4   ,,ix4   
,,judicial ,,system4  ,such a system    
does not exist4 ,whatever rules there   
are are handed down as tradition1 by    
word of mouth4 ,there are persons who   
are familiar with these old sayings1    
proverbs1 examples1 and customs1 and    
these are asked to be present in the    
trial of disputed matters4  #a4 ,courts4
 ,in the righting of any wrong the head 
of the family is to take the first step4
 ,if the offenders fail to satisfy him1 
he appeals to the king1 who then calls  
all the people1 rehearses the matter to 
them1 and the majority of their votes is
 accepted by the king as the decision4  
,the offenders will not dare to resist4 
,there is no regular court-house4 ,in   
almost all villages there is a public   
shed1 or palaver-house1 which is the    
town-hall1 or public reception room4    
,but a council may be held anywhere1--in
 the king's house1 in the house of one  
of the litigants1 on the beach1 or under
 a large shady tree4  ,the council is   

held at any time of day1--not at night4 
,there are no regular advocates2 any    
litigant may state his own case1 or have
 any one else do it for him4 ,there are 
no fees1 except to the king for his     
summoning of the case4 ,there is        
sometimes betting on the result2 though 
no stakes are deposited1 the bets are   
paid4 ,there is not much form of court  
procedure4 ,all the people of a village 
or district1 even women and children1   
according to the importance of the case1
 assemble4 ,while women are generally   
not allowed to argue in the case1 yet   
their shouts of approval or protest have
 influence in the decision1 and         
encourage the parties by outspoken      
sympathy4  ,if an accused person does   
not come voluntarily to court1 the      
king's servants are sent to bring him4  
,in the court the accused does not need 
to have some one plead for him1 he      
speaks for himself4 ,accusers speak     
first1 then the accused2 the accusers   
reply1 the accused answers2 and the king

 and his aged counsellors decide4       
,witnesses are called from other places4
 ,as there is no writing among untaught 
tribes1 the depositions are by word of  
mouth4  ,formerly the accused was       
subjected to the poison ordeal2 indeed1 
the accuser also had to take the poison 
draught as a proof of his sincerity1 and
 that his charge was not a libel4 ,but  
this custom is no longer practised on   
the coast4  ,there is no substitution of
 any kind1 except in rare cases4 ,a     
guilty person must bear his own         
punishment in some way4  ,oaths are     
common1 and are used freely and         
voluntarily in the course of the        
discussion4 ,a man who utters false     
testimony or bears false witness is     
expected to be thrust out of the        
assembly1 but it is not always done4    
,when an oath is required1 there is no  
escape from it2 he who refuses to swear 
is considered guilty4 ,sometimes1 under 
bravado1 he will demand to be given     
mbwaye 7the poison test71 hoping that   

his demand will not be complied with4   
,when the test is produced1 he may seek 
to escape it by refusing that particular
 kind and demanding another not readily 
obtainable4 ,but his attempt at evasion 
is generally regarded as a sign of      
guilt4  ,in court1 parties are not      
obstinate in their opinion2 they ask for
 and take advice from others4  #b4      
,punishment4 ,if it be capital1 the     
accusers are the executioners4 ,death is
 by various modes1--formerly very cruel1
 e4 g41 burning1 roasting1 torturing1   
amputation by piecemeal2 now it is      
generally by gun1 dagger1 club1 or      
drowning4 ,for a debt that a creditor is
 seeking to recover1 securities may be  
accepted4 ,but if the accused then runs 
away1 the person giving the security is 
tried and punished4  ,a creditor does   
not usually attach the property of the  
debtor1 though often1 in the interior   
tribes1 a woman is seized as hostage4   
,if a long time elapses in deciding the 
matter1 the debtor may be held as       

prisoner until the debt is paid4        
,formerly it was very common for the    
debtor's family's property1 or even     
their persons1 to be seized as security2
 and it still is common for a person of 
the debtor's tribe to be caught by the  
creditor's tribe1 and detained until he 
is redeemed by his own people4  ,the    
king of the prisoner's tribe is called  
to help release him4 ,if the king       
himself become a captive1 his people    
combine to collect goods for the        
payment1 and meanwhile give other       
persons in his place to secure his      
immediate release4 ,sometimes           
differences are settled in a fight1 by a
 hand-to-hand encounter4  #c4 ,blood    
,atonement and ,fines4 ,revenge1        
especially for bloodshed1 is everywhere 
practised4 ,it is a duty belonging first
 to the ijawe 7blood-relative71 next to 
the ikaka 7family71 next to the etomba  
7tribe74  ,the murdered man's own family
 take the lead1--in case of a wife1 her 
husband and his family1 and the wife's  

family2 sometimes the whole ikaka2      
finally1 the etomba4  ,a master seeks   
revenge for his slave or other servants4
 ,formerly it was indifferent who was   
killed in revenge1 so that it be some   
member of the murderer's tribe4         
,naturally that tribe sought to         
retaliate1 and the feud was carried back
 and forth1 and would be finally settled
 only when an equal number had been     
killed on each side1--a person for a    
person3 a woman for a man1 or vice      
versa2 a child for a man or woman1 or   
vice versa4 ,a woman 7wife of the man   
killed7 does not take the lead in the   
revenge2 his family must take the lead1 
her family must join in4 ,they would be 
despised and cursed if they did not do  
so4 ,the woman herself does not take    
part in this killing for revenge4  ,the 
avenger of blood may not demit his duty 
until some member of the other tribe has
 been killed4 ,if a thief has been      
killed for his theft1 blood may be taken
 for his death4 ,but when that one other

 life is taken1 the matter is considered
 settled2 it is not carried on as a     
feud4  ,for a life taken by accident1 a 
life is not required2 but some penalty  
must be paid1 e4 g41 a woman may be     
given as a wife4 ,but1 practically1 in  
former times it was not admitted that   
accidents occurred2 any misfortune was  
adjudged a fault4  ,formerly even the   
plea of self-defence was not accepted4  
,even idiotic or otherwise irresponsible
 persons were held responsible1 though  
sometimes they were ransomed by payment 
of a woman and goods4  ,at present blood
 is not always required1 but formerly no
 money would have been accepted as a    
sufficient penalty4 ,a man would have   
been despised for accepting it4 ,there  
was no way of settlement except by      
bloodshed1--a life for a life1--except  
that1 for the life of a woman1 a woman  
and goods of a certain amount and kind  
might be accepted4 ,when a woman was    
thus given for a murdered one1 the      
living woman must not be old1 but one   

capable of bearing children4 ,among the 
acceptable goods were sheep1 goats1 and 
pottery4  ,a wound or a broken limb is  
paid for in goods4 ,these must come not 
solely from him who caused the injury2  
his family1 as fellow offenders1 must   
assist in paying4  ,the man who obtains 
the woman who is given for a woman      
killed1 retains with her also part of   
the goods given with her1 and part he   
shares with the family of the murdered  
one4 ,if1 in giving a woman for a       
murdered one1 the offending family is   
unable to furnish also the required     
goods1 they must sell another of their  
women in order to obtain those goods4   
,the point is that they must give a     
woman and goods2 two women will not     
suffice4  ,the ceremonies in settlement 
of a blood-feud are as follows3 ,the    
woman is paid in presence of both       
parties2 then the goods are given1      
counted1 and received4 ,then both       
parties retire4 ,in the course of a week
 the parties receiving the woman and the

 goods call the other party1 and produce
 a goat and kill it in their presence4  
,it is divided equally1 and given half  
to each party2 and the feud is settled1 
as by a covenant of peace1 over the     
divided goat 7,gen4 xv4 #aj74 ,the woman
 thus given in settlement will be       
married to some one4  ,the customs in   
her marriage are the same as for any    
other woman4 ,subsequently those who    
paid her as a fine may come and ask a   
portion of goods for her as a wife4 ,not
 that they have any claim on her as     
their daughter2 but the man who has     
married her will give the goods they ask
 for1 under the common belief that1     
unless he does so1 the children born by 
her will die early1 or at least will not
 come to years of maturity4  ,all       
misdeeds and offences1 even capital     
ones1 may be condoned by a fine in      
goods1 excepting only the murder of a   
man4 ,this murderer must forfeit his    
life4 ,these fines are paid with foreign
 goods1 each offence having its own     

regulation price as a punishment4  ,in  
general1 the punishment for an injury is
 the same1 whether the injured one be   
rich or poor4 ,a man's majawe are held  
responsible if he refuses to make       
restitution4 ,if they also refuse1 the  
offended party await a suitable         
opportunity1 and then seize some one and
 hold him as a hostage until he is      
redeemed1 for the price of the original 
offence1 every mite of it being then    
exacted4  ,there is no right of asylum  
to any offender within the limit of his 
own tribe4 ,in case of a man visiting1  
for any reason whatever1 in the limits  
of another tribe one of whose members is
 a fugitive from justice into the limits
 of the visitor's tribe1 this visitor   
may be seized1 and his countrymen asked 
to extradite the criminal staying in    
their midst4  ,corporal punishment is   
administered publicly1 the townspeople  
being called to witness it1 so as to    
operate on their fears and cause them to
 dread the doing of deeds which may     

bring on them such a penalty4  #d4      
,punishable ,acts4 ,a person is         
punishable only for an injury committed 
intentionally1 not by accident4  ,for   
damages by cattle1 the animal may be    
killed if the damage be considerable4   
,the injured party may keep and eat the 
carcass1 and the owner cannot recover   
for it4 ,in this respect animals are    
treated as human beings1 their lives    
being forfeit2 and the owner's majawe   
are held responsible along with him4    
,punishments are rated according to the 
degree of the crime1 in the order theft1
 adultery1 rape1 murder4 ,insults are   
not punishable by law2 the insulted     
insults in return4 ,if a fight results1 
and wounds are made during the fight1 no
 fine is required4  ,kidnapping1 incest1
 and abortion are not known4  ,under the
 slight duty owed to kings1 treason can 
scarcely be said to exist4 ,its         
equivalent1 the betrayal of tribal      
interests1 is publicly rebuked1 and a   
curse laid on the offender4 ,if he be a 

servant1 he is beaten and sent away4    
,the disturber of the peace of a wedding
 is expected to express regret1 but no  
calamity will follow because of the     
disturbance4 ,the offence is not common4
   ,x4 ,,territorial ,,relations4  ,the 
tribes have fixed settlements wherever  
foreign governments have not taken      
possession4 ,each man may choose for a  
garden a place that has not been already
 occupied4 ,the land is common property 
for the tribe4 ,but each ijawe may      
choose a separate place for itself4  ,no
 man of a tribe has any claim on the    
soil other than is common to any other  
man of that tribe4 ,he has1 however1 a  
claim greater than any stranger4  #a4   
,tenure4 ,land is held as common        
property2 it is not bought or sold to a 
fellow-tribeman4 ,it may be bought from 
the confines of another tribe1 and it is
 sold to foreigners4 ,a hunter is free  
to go anywhere1 even into the territory 
of an adjacent tribe4 ,if he kills game 
there1 he does not have to divide4 ,bee 

trees and honey are free to any one4    
,the sea is free for fishing only to the
 coast tribes4  ,every woman has a      
separate garden2 even the wives of      
polygamists do not have gardens in      
common4  ,soil is free4 ,a family1      
however1 may settle in a limited        
district1 and claim it as theirs as long
 as they live there2 or1 leaving it     
temporarily1 if they return after a     
reasonable time1 they may still claim   
it4 ,they temporarily mark their places 
by trees or stones1 as boundary lines4  
,but there is nothing permanent4 ,they  
prove their right to it by residing on  
it or making a garden from time to time4
 ,but their claim may be lost if the    
entire family leave it and go elsewhere4
 ,such a place being vacated1 and some  
one else wishing to occupy it1          
permission may be granted on formal     
application to the king4 ,but if an     
occupant has deserted a place1 and no   
one else has applied for it1 he can     
resume it as his even after the lapse of

 years4  ,dwellers on any ground have   
right to all the trees of fruitage on   
it1 e4 g41 palm-nuts1 and other natural 
wild edible nuts4 ,wells are never dug4 
,people depend on springs and streams4  
,springs are free1 even though they be  
on land claimed by others4  ,a man      
assists his wife in the clearing of the 
forest for a garden plot2 but she and   
her servants attend to the planting1    
weeding1 and other working of the garden
 itself4  #b4 ,rights in ,movables4 ,the
 tenant dweller on any particular lot of
 ground owns everything on it1 except   
the ground itself4 ,if a foreigner buy a
 piece of ground1 he may or may not buy 
the houses1 and so forth1 according to  
agreement4 ,the movables on any ground  
are houses1 trees1 and any vegetables   
planted4   ,,xi4 ,,exchange ,,relations4
  ,there is no coin or metal currency1  
except among the coast tribes1 where    
foreign governments have introduced it4 
,foreign trade-goods are everywhere the 
medium of purchase and exchange4 ,but   

there is a sort of currency1 in the     
shape of iron spear-heads and other     
forms resembling miniature hatchets1 a  
certain number of which are given by    
interior tribes in the purchase of a    
wife4 ,they are used only for this      
purpose1 and are exchanged by the       
parties themselves for the foreign goods
 required in the dowry4  ,they are      
manufactured by any village blacksmith  
from imported iron4 ,they are not       
received or recognized by white traders4
  ,formerly cowry shells were used1 even
 by foreign traders1 as a currency2 and 
they are still so used in the ,sudan4   
,but in all coast tribes purchase and   
sale are effected by foreign-made calico
 prints1 pottery1 cutlery1 guns1 powder1
 rum1 and a great variety of other      
goods4  ,the natural products of the    
country--ivory1 rubber1 palm-oil1       
dyewoods--and many other native         
unmanufactured articles are exchanged   
for these goods4 ,the natural products  
belong to the men4 ,if a woman should   

find ivory1 she cannot sell it2 it      
belongs to her husband to barter it4    
,contracts are confirmed in various ways
 in different tribes4 ,a common mode is 
to eat and drink together1 as a sign    
that the bargain is closed2 and it will 
not be broken4 ,a contract cannot be    
broken after the price is agreed upon1  
even if only a part of the price is     
paid2 the remainder is to be paid in    
instalments4  ,if one overreaches       
another in a trade1 he must take back   
the imperfect article or add to it4     
,this is true1 according to native law1 
among themselves4 ,any amount of        
overreaching and deception is practised 
toward foreigners in a trade1 or to     
members of another tribe2 and many      
foreigners are just as guilty in their  
dealings with the natives4  ,loans of   
trade-goods are constantly made1 but the
 taking of interest therefor is not     
known4 ,if a borrowed article1 such as a
 canoe1 is broken or lost1 a new canoe  
must be given in its place4 ,if the     

canoe is only injured and had been in   
want of repair1 the borrower1 on        
returning it1 must repair it and also   
pay some goods4 ,one going as surety for
 goods is held responsible4  ,pawning of
 goods is commonly practised everywhere4
  ,people are generous in making gifts  
to friends1 or donations to the needy2  
but if a man who has been helped in time
 of distress subsequently increases in  
wealth1 the one who helped him may      
demand a return of the original gift4   
,illustration3 ,,english                
,,trading-,,house4--,,gabun4   ,,xii4   
,,religion4  ,religion is intimately    
mixed with every one of these           
aforementioned sociological aspects of  
family1 rights of property1 authority1  
tribal organization1 judicial trials1   
punishments1 intertribal relations1 and 
commerce4  ,mr4 ,r4 ,e4 ,dennett1       
residing in ,loango1 has made a careful 
and philosophic investigation into the  
religious ideas of the ,ba-,vili or ,fyt
 nation and adjacent tribes bordering on

 the ,kongo4 ,the result of his research
 shows that the native tribal government
 and religious and social life are      
inseparably united4 ,he claims to have  
discovered a complex system of numbers  
and powers showing the ,loango people to
 be more highly organized politically   
than are the equatorial tribes1 and     
revealing a very curious co-relation of 
those numbers1 governing the physical1  
rational1 and moral natures1 with       
conscience and with ,god4  ,some traces 
of the numbers with meanings are found  
in ,yoruba1 where1 as described by ,mr4 
,dennett1 the division of the months of 
the year1 the names of lower animals    
typical of the senses1 and the powers of
 earth that speak to us represent       
religious ideas and relations4 ,they    
err1 therefore1 who1 as superficial     
observers1 would brush away all these   
native views as mere superstition4 ,they
 are more than mere superstition2 though
 indeed very superstitious1 they point  
to ,god4  ,the particular exponent of   

religious worship1 the fetich1 governs  
the arrangements of all such relations4 
,it will be discussed as to its origin  
and the details of its use in the       
subsequent chapters4     ,,chapter ,,ii 
,,the ,,idea ,,of ,,god--,,religion     
,missionary ,paul of ,tarsus1 in the    
polite exordium of his great address to 
the ,athenian philosophers on ,mars     
,hill1 courteously tells them that he   
believes them to be a very religious    
people1--indeed1 too much so in their   
broad-church willingness to give room   
for an altar to the worship of any new  
immanence of ,god2 and then1 with equal 
courtesy1 he tells them that1 with all  
their civilization1 with all their      
eminence in art and philosophy1 they    
were ignorant of the true character of a
 greater than any deity in their        
pantheon4  ,modern missionaries1 also1  
in studying the beliefs and forms of    
worship of the heathen nations among    
whom they dwell1 while they may be      
shocked at the immoralities1 cruelties1 

or absurdities of the special cult they 
are investigating1 have to acknowledge  
that its followers1 in their practice of
 it1 exhibit a devotion1 a persistence1 
and a faithfulness worthy of ,christian 
martyrs4 ,they are very religious4      
,verily1 if the obtaining of heaven and 
final salvation rested only on sincerity
 of belief and consistency of practice1 
the multitudinous followers of the      
so-called false religions would have an 
assurance greater than that of many     
professors of what is known as          
,christianity1 and much of the          
occupation of the ,christian missionary 
would be gone4  ,i say much2 but not    
all1 by any means4 ,for the feeling with
 which ,i was impressed on my very first
 contact with the miseries of the       
sociology of heathenism1 entirely aside 
from its theology and any question of   
salvation in a future life1 has steadily
 deepened into the conviction that1 even
 if ,i were not a ,christian1 ,i still  
ought to1 and would1 do and bear and    

suffer whatever ,god has called or      
allowed me to suffer or bear or do since
 #ahfa in my proclamation of ,his       
gospel1 simply for the sake of the      
elevation of heathen during their       
present earthly life from the wrongs    
sanctioned by or growing out of their   
religion4 ,distinctly is it true that   
,godliness is profitable unto all       
things1 not only for the life which is  
to come1 but also for the life that now 
is4 ,those in ,christian lands who have 
no sympathy for1 or who refuse to take  
any interest in1 what are known as      
,foreign ,missions1 err egregiously in  
their failure to recognize the          
indisputable fact that they themselves  
are debtors for their possession of     
protected life1 true liberty1 and       
unoppressed pursuit of personal         
happiness1 not to civilization as such1 
but to the form of religious belief     
called ,christianity1 which made that   
civilization possible4 ,and by just so  
much as divine law has ordained us each 

our brother's keeper1 we are bound to   
share the blessings of the gospel with  
those whom ,god has made of one blood   
with us in the brotherhood of humanity4 
,a pursuit of this line of thought would
 lead me into an argument for the duty  
of foreign missions4 ,that is not the   
direct object of these pages4 ,true1 ,i 
pray that1 as a result of any reader's  
following me in this study of ,african  
superstition1 his desire will be        
deepened to give to ,africa the pure    
truth in place of its falsity4 ,but the 
special object of my pen1 in following a
 certain thread of truth1 is to show how
 degradingly false is that falsity1 in  
its lapse from ,god1 even though ,i     
accord it the name of religion4  ,for my
 present purpose it is sufficiently     
accurate to define theology as that     
department of knowledge which takes     
cognizance of ,god1--,his being1 ,his   
character1 and ,his relation to ,his    
,cosmos4 ,whenever any intelligent unit 
in that ,cosmos looks up to ,him as     

something greater than itself1 under    
what ,schleiermacher describes as a     
sense of infinite dependence1 and utters
 its need1 it has expressed its         
religion4 ,it may be weak1              
superstitious1 and mixed with untruth2  
nevertheless1 it is religion4  ,when a  
study of ,god and the thoughts          
concerning ,him crystallize into a      
formula of words expressing a certain   
belief1 it is definitely a creed4 ,when1
 under a human necessity1 a creed       
clothes itself in certain rites1        
ceremonies1 and formulas of practice1 it
 is a worship4 ,that worship may be     
fearful in its cruelty or ridiculous in 
its frivolity2 nevertheless1 it is a    
worship4 ,worship is essential to the   
vitality of religion2 without it        
religion is simply a theory4  ,theology 
differentiates itself from other        
departments of knowledge1 as to its     
source and its effects4 ,for instance1  
in the study of geography1 as to its    
effects1 it is comparatively a matter of

 indifference whether we believe that   
the earth is flat or globular1 like     
,booker ,t4 ,washington's teacher who in
 his district school was prepared to    
teach either1 according to the          
preference of a majority of his patrons2
 or1 in astronomy1 whether we believe   
that the sun is the stationary centre of
 our planetary system1 or whether1 with 
the late ,rev4 ,john ,jasper1 we assert 
that the sun do move around our earth4  
,but in theology it matters enormously  
for this present life1 whether we       
believe the supreme object of our       
worship to be ,moloch1 and infinitely   
for our future life1 whether ,jesus be  
to us the ,son of ,god4  ,as to the     
source of theological knowledge1 all our
 other knowledge is evolved1            
systematized1 and developed by patient  
experiment and investigation4 ,the      
results of any particular branch of     
human knowledge are cumulative1 and are 
enlarged and perfected from generation  
to generation4 ,but the source of our   

knowledge of ,god is not in us1 any more
 than our spiritual life had its source 
in ourselves4 ,it came ab extra4 ,god   
breathed into the earthly form of ,adam 
the breath of life1 and he became a     
living creature1 essentially and        
radically different from the beasts over
 which he was given dominion4 ,knowledge
 of ,god was thus an original1 donated1 
component part of us4 ,it grew under    
revelations made during the angelic     
communications before the ,fall4        
,revelation was continued by the ,logos 
along thousands of years1 until that    
,logos himself became flesh and dwelt   
among us in visible form in ,his written
 word1 and by ,his ,comforter1 who still
 reveals to us4  ,i do not feel it      
necessary here to discuss1 or even to   
express an opinion as to the evolution  
of the physical species4 ,i know1 simply
 because ,god says so1--and am satisfied
 with this knowledge1--that in the      
beginning ,god created4 ,as to when that
 beginning was1 there may be respectable

 difference of opinion2 for it is only a
 human opinion that asserts when4       
,assertion may have apparently very     
reliable data2 but these data often are 
like the bits of glass1 factors in the  
geometric figures of a kaleidoscope1    
whose next turn in scientific discovery 
dislocates and relocates in an          
apparently reliable proof of the        
existence of another figure4  ,as to    
what it was that ,god created in that   
beginning1 there may be also respectable
 difference of opinion4 ,whether1 like  
,minerva1 full armed from the head of   
,jove1 ,adam sprang into his perfect    
physical1 mental1 and moral manhood on  
the sixth of consecutive days of        
twenty-four solar hours each2 or        
whether1 created a weakling1 he slowly  
grew up to perfect development2 or      
whether life began only in protoplasm1  
and gradually differentiated itself into
 the forms of beasts1 and finally into  
that of man1--back of all was a great   
,first ,cause that created in the       

beginning4 ,it is all a subject         
fearfully wonderful4  ,my substance was 
not hid from ,thee when ,i was made in  
secret1 and curiously wrought in the    
lowest parts of the earth4 ,thine eyes  
did see my substance1 yet being         
unperfect2 and in ,thy book all my      
members were written1 which in          
continuance were fashioned1 when as yet 
there was none of them4  ,but all such  
assertion1 discussion1 and attempt at   
proof ,i allow only to what is physical 
and finite1 and is therefore a          
legitimate subject of assertion on      
merely physical data2 for ,i do not     
desire to discuss1 beyond simple        
mention1 the ,spencerian doctrine of    
evolution1 that materialism which would 
make thought and soul only successions  
in a series 7even if the highest and    
best7 of evoluted developments4 ,to     
account for the religious nature in man 
by evolution ,i regard as a thing that  
cannot be done4 ,it is a tenable        
position held by evolutionists such as  

,dana1 ,winchell1 and the late          
,professor ,le ,conte of ,california1   
that at the creation of man the divine  
fiat asserted itself1 and 'breathed into
 man the breath of life1 and man became 
a living soul4' ,immortality cannot be  
evolved out of mortality4 ,if           
,spencerian evolution is true1 either   
everything is immortal or nothing is    
immortal2 man and vermin in this        
hypothesis go together4  ,man's soul    
came to him direct from ,god1 a part of 
,his own infinite life1 in ,his image1  
and like ,him in ,his holiness4 ,man's  
thoughts of ,god were holy4 ,the        
expression of them in words and acts was
 his practical religion1 the visible1   
audible link that bound 7ligated7 him to
 ,god4 ,in this there could be no       
evolution1 unless that1 in the many     
forms and ceremonies used in the        
expression of religious thought 7which  
ceremonies constitute worship71 there   
could be1 and were1 variation1 change1  
development1 or retrogression4          

,therefore ,i cannot accept the         
conclusions of those who in their study 
of ethnology claim to find that the     
religious beliefs of the world1 and even
 the very idea of a ,supreme ,being1    
have been evolved by man himself ab     
intra4 ,they claim that this evolution  
has been by primitive man1 from low     
forms of beliefs in spiritual beings1   
through polytheism and idolatry1 up to  
the conception of monotheism and its    
belief in the one living ,god4 ,this    
process they claim to be able to follow 
on lines racial and national1 under the 
civilizations of ,chaldee1 ,greek1      
,roman1 ,teutonic1 and other stocks4    
,until some human being can be found    
with a conception of spiritual          
existences without his having received  
instruction on that point from those who
 went before him1 the claim 444 that    
primitive man ever obtained his         
spiritual knowledge or his spiritual    
conceptions from within himself alone1  
or without an external revelation to    

him1 is an unscientific assumption in   
the investigation of the origin of      
religions in the world4#c  ,the rather  
,i find1 in my own ethnological         
observations during these more than     
forty years in direct contact with      
aboriginal peoples1 that the initial    
starting-point of man's knowledge of    
,god was by revelation from ,jehovah    
himself4 ,this knowledge was to be      
conserved by man's conscience1 ,god's   
implanted witness1--a witness that can  
be coerced into silence1 that may be    
nursed into forgetfulness1 that may be  
perverted by abuse1 that may be covered 
up by superimposed falsities1 that may  
be discolored by the blackness of foul  
degradation1 but which can never be     
utterly destroyed2 which on occasions1  
like the ,titans1 arouses itself with   
volcanic force2 which at ,god's final   
bar is to be ,his sufficient proof for  
the verities and responsibilities of at 
least natural religion 7natural         
religion1 a recognition of certain      

attributes of ,god as revealed in the   
works of nature74 ,this knowledge of    
,god1 a treasure hid in earthen vessels1
 rightly used and cherished1 was to grow
 and develop under subsequent divine    
revelation1 so that man might become    
more and more like his divine original2 
or1 if abused1 neglected1 or perverted1 
it would carry him even farther away    
from ,god4  ,not alone those who insist 
on the belief that there was a gradual  
development of the race from a barbarous
 beginning1 but also those who believe  
that man started on a higher plane1 and 
in his degradation retained vestiges of 
,god's original revelation to him1 are  
finding profit in the study of primitive
 myths1 and of aboriginal rites and     
ceremonies all the world over4#d  ,i do 
not impeach the sincerity of those      
students of primitive thought who teach 
that man in his religious beliefs has   
reached his present monotheism by       
progressive growths from polytheism1 or 
that he has attained his present        

conception of the very existence of a   
,supreme ,being by a gradual emergence  
from a state of ignorance in which even 
the idea of such a being did not exist2 
but ,i do discount the competency of    
many of the witnesses on whose testimony
 they base their conclusions4  ,whatever
 may be proved in a complete            
investigation by science into the arcana
 of nature1--of archology and other     
channels of research1--a reverent       
comparison of these results of finite   
intelligence will find them not         
inconsistent with the statements of     
,god's infinite ,word4 ,indeed1 that    
,word was not written to make any       
definite statement on astronomy or      
geology1 or any other human science4    
,the only science of the ,bible is that 
of man's relation to his divine ,father2
 its only history a history of          
redemption1 as promised to ,eve and her 
seed1 the ,jewish nation1 and as        
fulfilled in the ,lion of the ,tribe of 
,judah4 ,apparent conflicts of the      

,bible with science are not always real2
 too often a claim is set up1 based on a
 single observation1 perhaps hastily    
made1 and not verified by a comparison  
of the variable factors in that         
observation4  ,i suppose that it is true
 that in the theology of even the worst 
forms of religion there is more or less 
truth1 and almost equally true that in  
the theology of the best forms there may
 be somewhat of superstition4 ,this is  
so because1 as ,i believe1 all religions
 had but one source1 and that a pure    
one4 ,from it have grown perversions    
varying in their proportion of truth and
 error4  ,in this study of the ,african 
theologic ideas ,i shall endeavor to    
separate these two--the false and the   
true--into two divisions3 ,first1       
,beliefs in ,god more or less true1     
which have had their birth in tradition 
of some divine revelation1 which find at
 least faint echoes in human conscience1
 and which among exalted nations would  
be formulated into confessions1 creeds1 

and articles of faith4 ,second1 ,animism
 or beliefs in vague spiritual beings1  
which1 being almost pure superstitions1 
cannot1 from their very nature1 be      
accurately formulated1 they being the   
outgrowth of every individual's         
imagination1 and varying with all the   
variances of time1 place1 and human     
thought4  ,eliminating from any theology
 its superstitious element1 we shall    
find the highest and truest religion4   
,but if you eliminate from the theology 
of the ,bantu ,african its superstition1
 you will have very little left2 for1   
among the religions of the world1 it    
comes nearest to being purely a         
superstition4 ,so nearly is this true   
that travellers and other superficial   
observers and theorists have asserted   
that the religious beliefs of some      
degraded tribes were simply             
superstitions1 destitute of reference to
 any superior being4  ,i can readily see
 how the reports of some                
travellers--even of those who had no    

prejudice against the ,negro1 the       
precepts of the ,bible1 or missionary   
work--could be made in apparent         
sincerity1 when they state that native  
,africans have confessed of themselves  
that they had no idea of ,god's         
existence2 also1 their belief that some 
pygmy and other tribes were too         
destitute of intelligence to possess    
that idea1--that it either must be given
 them ab extra by the possessors of a   
superior civilization1 or must be       
developed by themselves as they rise in 
civilization4  ,the difficulty about the
 testimony of these witnesses in this   
matter is that1 being passers-by in     
time1 they were unable--by reason of    
lack of ability to converse fluently1 or
 absence of a reliable interpreter1 or  
of being out of touch with native mode  
of thought or speech--to make their     
questionings intelligible4  ,on the     
heathen side1 also1 the obsequious      
natives1 unaccustomed to analytic       
thought1 will answer vaguely on the spur

 of the moment1 and often as far as     
possible in the line of what they       
suppose will best please the questioner4
 ,all native statements must be         
discounted1 must be sifted4  ,i am aware
 that some missionaries are quoted as   
having said or written that the people  
among whom they were laboring had no    
idea of ,god4 ,even ,robert ,moffat is  
reported to have held this opinion4 ,if 
so1 it must have been in the earlier    
days of his ministry1 under his first   
shock at the depth of native            
degradation1 before he had become fluent
 in the native language1 and before he  
had found out all the secrets of that   
difficult problem1 an ,african's native 
thought4 ,such an unqualified phrase    
could be uttered by a missionary in an  
hour of depression1 in the presence of  
some great demonstration of heathen     
wickedness1 and in an effort to describe
 how very far the heathen was from ,god4
 ,that the heathen had no correct idea  
of ,god is often true4  ,arnot1 who     

among modern ,african missionaries has  
lived most closely and intimately with  
the rudest tribes in their veriest      
hovels1 writes3#e ,man is a very fragile
 being1 and he is fully conscious that  
he requires supernatural or divine aid4 
,apart from the distinct revelation     
given by ,god in the first chapter of   
,romans1 there is much to prove that the
 heathen ,african is a man to whom the  
living ,god has aforetime revealed      
himself4 ,but he had sought after things
 of his own imagination and things of   
darkness to satisfy those convictions   
and fears which lurk in his breast1 and 
which have not been planted there by the
 ,evil ,one1 but by ,god4 ,refusing to  
acknowledge ,god1#f they have become    
haters of ,god4#g ,the preaching of the 
gospel to them1 however1 is not a mere  
beating of the air2 there is a peg in   
the wall upon which something can be    
hung and remain4 ,often a few young men 
have received the message with laughter 
and ridicule1 but ,i have afterwards    

heard them discuss my words amongst     
themselves very gravely4 ,i heard one   
man say to a neighbor1 ',monare's words 
pierce the heart4' ,another remarked    
that the story of ,christ's death was   
very beautiful1 but that he knew it was 
not meant for him2 he was a 'makala'    
7slave71 and such a sacrifice was only  
for white men and princes4  ,lionel     
,decl1#h who certainly is not prejudiced
 toward missionaries or the ,negro1     
writes of the ,barotse tribe in ,south  
,africa and their worship of ancestors3 
,they believe in a ,supreme ,being1     
,niambe1 who is supposed to come and    
take away the spiritual part of the     
dead4 ,this name ,niambe1 for the       
,deity1 is almost exactly the same as   
,anyambe1 in ,benga1 two thousand miles 
distant4  ,illustrative of traveller    
,decl's haste or inexactitude in the use
 of language1 he apparently contradicts 
himself on page #aec1 in speaking of a  
tribe1 the ,matabele1 adjacent to the   
,barotse3 ,the idea of a ,supreme ,being

 is utterly foreign1 and cannot be      
appreciated by the native mind4 ,they   
have a vague idea of a number of evil   
spirits always ready to do harm1 and    
chief among these are the spirits of    
their ancestors2 but they do not pray to
 them to ask for their help if they wish
 to enter on any undertaking4 ,they     
merely offer sacrifices to appease them 
when some evil has befallen the family4 
,perhaps he and other cursory           
travellers1 in making such hasty        
assertions1 mean that the native has no 
idea of the true character of ,god2 in  
that they would be correct4  ,the       
accounts which some travellers have     
given of tribes without religion ,i     
either set down to misunderstanding1 or 
consider them to be insufficient to     
invalidate the assertion that religion  
is a universal feature of savage life4  
,however degraded1 every people have a  
religion4 ,but they are children1 babes 
in the woods1 lost in the forest of     
ignorance1 dense and more morally       

malarious than ,stanley's forest of     
,urega4 ,in their helplessness1 under a 
feeling of their infinite dependence1   
they cry out in the night of their      
orphanage1 ,help us1 ,o ,paia ,njambe6  
,their forefathers wandered so far from 
him that only a name is left by which to
 describe the ,all-,father1 whose true  
character has been utterly              
forgotten1--so forgotten that they      
rarely worship him1 but have given such 
honor and reverence as they do render   
literally to the supposed spiritual     
residents in stocks and stones4 ,lo6    
this only have ,i found1 that ,god hath 
made man upright2 but they have sought  
out many inventions4  ,offering in the  
following pages a formulation of        
,african superstitious beliefs and      
practice1 ,i premise that ,i have       
gathered them from a very large number  
of native witnesses1 very few of whom   
presented to me all the same ideas4 ,any
 one else1 inquiring of other natives in
 other places1 would not find1 as held  

by every one of them1 all that ,i have  
recorded2 but parts of all these        
separate ideas will be found held by    
separate individuals everywhere4  ,after
 more than forty years' residence among 
these tribes1 fluently using their      
language1 conversant with their customs1
 dwelling intimately in their huts1     
associating with them in the varied     
relations of teacher1 pastor1 friend1   
master1 fellow-traveller1 and guest1    
and1 in my special office as missionary1
 searching after their religious thought
 7and therefore being allowed a deeper  
entrance into the arcana of their soul  
than would be accorded to a passing     
explorer71 ,i am able unhesitatingly to 
say that among all the multitude of     
degraded ones with whom ,i have met1 ,i 
have seen or heard of none whose        
religious thought was only a            
superstition4  ,standing in the village 
street1 surrounded by a company whom    
their chief has courteously summoned at 
my request1 when ,i say to him1 ,i have 

come to speak to your people1 ,i do not 
need to begin by telling them that there
 is a ,god4 ,looking on that motley     
assemblage of villagers1--the bold1     
gaunt cannibal with his armament of gun1
 spear1 and dagger2 the artisan with    
rude adze in hand1 or hands soiled at   
the antique bellows of the village      
smithy2 women who have hasted from their
 kitchen fire with hands white with the 
manioc dough or still grasping the      
partly scaled fish2 and children checked
 in their play with tiny bow and arrow  
or startled from their dusty street     
pursuit of dog or goat1--,i have yet to 
be asked1 ,who is ,god8  ,under the     
slightly varying form of ,anyambe1      
,anyambie1 ,njambi1 ,nzambi1 ,anzam1    
,nyam1 or1 in other parts1 ,ukuku1      
,suku1 and so forth1 they know of a     
,being superior to themselves1 of whom  
they themselves inform me that he is the
 ,maker and ,father4 ,the divine and    
human relations of these two names at   
once give me ground on which to stand in

 beginning my address4  ,if suddenly    
they should be asked the flat question1 
,do you know ,anyambe8 they would       
probably tell any white visitor1 trader1
 traveller1 or even missionary1 under a 
feeling of their general ignorance and  
the white man's superior knowledge1 ,no6
 ,what do we know8 ,you are white people
 and are spirits2 you come from         
,njambi's town1 and know all about him6 
7,this will help to explain1 what is    
probably true1 that some natives have   
sometimes made the thoughtless admission
 that they know nothing about a ,god47  
,i reply1 ,no1 ,i am not a spirit2 and1 
while ,i do indeed know about ,anyambe1 
,i did not call him by that name4 ,it's 
your own word4 ,where did you get it8   
,our forefathers told us that name4     
,njambi is the ,one-who-made-us4 ,he is 
our ,father4 ,pursuing the conversation1
 they will interestedly and voluntarily 
say1 ,he made these trees1 that         
mountain1 this river1 these goats and   
chickens1 and us people4  ,that typical 

conversation ,i have had hundreds of    
times1 under an immense variety of      
circumstances1 with the most varied     
audiences1 and before extremes of       
ignorance1 savagery1 and uncivilization1
 utterly barring out the admission of a 
probability that the tribe1 audience1 or
 individual in question had obtained a  
previous knowledge of the name by       
hearsay from adjacent more enlightened  
tribes4 ,for the name of that ,great    
,being was everywhere and in every tribe
 before any of them had become          
enlightened2 varied in form in each     
tribe by the dialectic difference       
belonging to their own1 and not imported
 from others1--for1 where tribes are    
hundreds of miles apart or their        
dialects greatly differ1 the variation  
in the name is great1 e4 g41 ,suku1 of  
the ,bihe country1 south of the ,kongo  
,river and in the interior back of      
,angola1 and ,nzam of the cannibal      
,fang1 north of the equator4  ,but while
 it is therefore undeniable that a      

knowledge of this ,great ,being exists  
among the natives1 and that the belief  
is held that he is a superior and even a
 supreme being1 that supremacy is not so
 great as what we ascribe to ,jehovah4  
,nevertheless1 ,i believe that the      
knowledge of their ,anzam or ,anyambe   
has come down--clouded though it be and 
fearfully obscured and marred1 but still
 a revelation--from ,jehovah ,himself4  
,most of the same virtues which we in   
our enlightened ,christianity commend1  
and many of the vices which we denounce1
 they respectively commend and denounce4
 ,no one of them praises to me theft or 
falsehood or murder4 ,they speak of     
certain virtues as good1 and of other   
things which are bad1 though1 just as do
 the depraved of ,christian lands1 they 
follow the vices they condemn4 ,true1   
certain evils they do defend1 e4 g4 7as 
did some of our ,new ,england ancestors7
 witchcraft executions1 justifying them 
as judicial acts2 and polygamy1         
considering it 7as our civilized        

,mormons7 a desirable social institution
 7but1 unlike the ,mormons1 not claiming
 for it the sanction of religion72 and  
slavery1 regarded 7as only a generation 
ago in the ,united ,states7 as necessary
 for a certain kind of property4 ,but   
theft1 falsehood1 and some other sins1  
when committed by others1 their own     
consciences condemn1--closely covered up
 and blunted as those consciences may   
be1--thus witnessing with and for ,god4 
,while all this is true1 their knowledge
 of ,god is almost simply a theory4 ,it 
is an accepted belief1 but it does not  
often influence their life4 ,god is not 
in all their thought4 ,in practice they 
give ,him no worship4 ,god is simply    
counted out4  ,resuming my              
street-preaching conversation3          
,immediately after the admission by the 
audience of their knowledge of ,anzam as
 the ,creator and ,father1 ,i say1 ,why 
then do you not obey this ,father's     
commands1 who tells you to do so and so8
 ,why do you disobey his prohibitions1  

who forbids you to do so and so8 ,why do
 you not worship him8 ,promptly they    
reply3 ,yes1 he made us2 but1 having    
made us1 he abandoned us1 does not care 
for us2 he is far from us4 ,why should  
we care for him8 ,he does not help nor  
harm us4 ,it is the spirits who can harm
 us whom we fear and worship1 and for   
whom we care4  ,another witness on this 
subject is the ,rev4 ,dr4 ,j4 ,l4       
,wilson4#i ,speaking of ,africa and its 
,negro inhabitants1 he says3 ,the belief
 in one great ,supreme ,being is        
universal4 ,nor is this idea held       
imperfectly or obscurely developed in   
their minds4 ,the impression is so      
deeply engraved upon their moral and    
mental nature that any system of atheism
 strikes them as too absurd and         
preposterous to require a denial4       
,everything which transpires in the     
natural world beyond the power of man or
 of spirits1 who are supposed to occupy 
a place somewhat higher than man1 is at 
once and spontaneously ascribed to the  

agency of ,god4 ,all the tribes in the  
country with which the writer has become
 acquainted 7and they are not few7 have 
a name for ,god2 and many of them have  
two or more1 significant of ,his        
character as a ,maker1 ,preserver1 and  
,benefactor4 7,in the ,grebo country    
,nyiswa is the common name for ,god2 but
 ,he is sometimes called ,geyi1         
indicative of ,his character as ,maker4 
,in ,ashanti ,he has two names3 viz41   
,yankumpon1 which signifies ',my ,great 
,friend1' and ,yemi1 ',my ,maker4'7 ,the
 people1 however1 have no correct idea  
of the character or attributes of the   
,deity4 ,destitute of 7a written7       
revelation1 and without any other means 
of forming a correct conception of ,his 
moral nature1 they naturally reason up  
from their own natures1 and1 in         
consequence1 think of ,him as a being   
like themselves4  ,nor have they any    
correct notion of the control which ,god
 exercises over the affairs of the      
world4 ,the prevailing notion seems to  

be that ,god1 after having made the     
world and filled it with inhabitants1   
retired to some remote corner of the    
universe1 and has allowed the affairs of
 the world to come under the control of 
evil spirits2 and hence the only        
religious worship that is ever performed
 is directed to these spirits1 the      
object of which is to court their favor1
 or ward off the evil effects of their  
displeasure4  ,on some rare occasions1  
as at the ratification of an important  
treaty1 or when a man is condemned to   
drink the 'red-water ordeal1' the name  
of ,god is solemnly invoked2 and1 what  
is worthy of note1 is invoked three     
times with marked precision4 ,whether   
this involves the idea of a ,trinity we 
shall not pretend to decide2 but the    
fact itself is worthy of record4 ,many  
of the tribes speak of the ',son of     
,god4' ,the ,grebos call him ',greh1'   
and the ,amina people1 according to     
,pritchard1 call him ',sankombum4'  ,the
 following testimony ,i gather from     

conversations with the late ,rev4 ,ibia 
j',ikenge1 a native minister and member 
of the ,presbytery of ,corisco1 who     
himself was born in heathenism4 ,he     
stated3  ,that his forefathers believed 
in many inferior agencies who are under 
the control of a ,superior ,being2 that 
they were therefore primitive           
monotheists4 ,under great emergencies   
they looked beyond the lower beings1 and
 asked help of that ,superior2 before   
doing so1 they prayed to him1 imploring 
him as ,father to help2  ,that the      
people of this country believed ,god    
made the world and everything in it2 but
 he did not know whether they had had   
any ideas about creation from dust of   
the ground or in ,god's likeness2  ,that
 they believed in the existence1 in the 
first times1 of a great man1 who had    
simply to speak1 and all things were    
made by the word of his power4 ,as to   
man's creation1 a legend states it thus3
 ,two eggs fell from on high4 ,on       
striking the ground and breaking1 one   

became a man and the other a woman4     
7,apparently there is no memory of any  
legend indicating the name1 character1  
or work of the ,holy ,spirit47  ,that   
there is a legend of a great chief of a 
village who always warned people not to 
eat of the fruit of a certain tree4     
,finally1 he himself ate of it and died2
  ,that there was no legend1 but1 among 
a few persons1 a vague tradition of a   
once happy period1 and of a coming time 
of good2 but he knew of nothing         
corresponding to the story of ,cain and 
,abel2  ,that there is a fable that a   
woman brought to the people of her      
village the fruit of a forbidden tree4  
,in order to hide it she swallowed it2  
and she became possessed of an evil     
spirit1 which was the beginning of      
witchcraft2 ,that there was some        
tradition of a ,deluge 7he was not aware
 of any about the ,dispersion at the    
,tower of ,babel72  ,that all men       
believed they were sinners1 but that    
they knew of no remedy for sin2  ,that  

sacrifices are made constantly1 their   
object being to appease the spirits and 
avert their anger2  ,that many of the   
tribes are1 and probably all1 before    
they emerged on the seacoast1 were      
cannibal 7of the origin of cannibalism  
he did not know1 but he was certain it  
had no religious idea associated with   
it#aj72  ,that there was a legend that a
 ,son of ,god1 by name ,ilongo ja       
,anyambe1 was to come and deliver       
mankind from trouble and give them      
happiness2 but as he had not as yet     
come1 the heathen were no longer        
expecting him2  ,that there was a       
division of time1 six months1 making an 
upuma1 or year1 and a rest day1 which   
came two days after the new moon1 and   
was called ,buhwa bwa ,mandanda1--it was
 a day for dancing and feasting2  ,that 
the dead were usually buried2 but       
persons held in superstitious reverence1
 as twins1 ,udinge1 etc41 were not      
buried1 but left at the foot of a ceiba1
 or silk-cotton tree1 or other sacred   

tree2  ,that burial-places are regarded 
with a mixed feeling of reverence and   
awe2  ,that the immortality of the soul 
is believed in1 but that there is no    
tradition of the resurrection of the    
body2  ,that they believe ,god gave law 
to mankind1 and that1 for those who keep
 this law1 there is reserved in the     
future a good place1 and for the bad a  
bad place1 but no definite ideas about  
what that good or that bad will be1 or  
as to the locality of those places2     
,that they believe in a distinction of  
spirits1--that some are demons1 as in   
the old days of demoniacal possession1  
this distinction following the ,jewish  
idea of diaboloi and daimonai4          
,,chapter ,,iii                         
,,polytheism--,,idolatry   ,civilization
 and religion do not necessarily move   
with equal pace4 ,whatever is really    
best in the ethics of civilization is   
derived from religion4 ,if civilization 
falls backward1 religion probably has   
already weakened or will also fall4 ,the

 converse is not necessarily true4      
,religion may halt or even retrograde1  
while civilization steps on brilliantly1
 as it did in ,greece with her          
,parthenon1 and in ,rome the while that 
religion added to the number of idols in
 the pantheon4 ,egypt1 too1 had her men 
learned in astronomy1 who built splendid
 palaces and hundred-pillared ,thebes   
the while they were worshipping ,osiris4
 ,the dwellers before the ,deluge had   
carried their civilization to a         
knowledge of arts now lost1 while their 
wickedness and utter wanderings from    
,god's worship caused the earth to cry  
out for a cleansing ,flood4  ,whatever  
therefore may be true in the history of 
civilization--whether man was gifted1 ab
 initio1 with a large measure of useful 
knowledge which he had simply easily to 
put into practice2 or whether1 as a     
savage1 primitive man had slowly and    
painfully to find out under pressure the
 use of fire1 clothing1 weapons of      
defence and offence1 tools1 and other   

necessary articles and arts--is not     
important here to be discussed4 ,from   
whatever point of vantage1 high or low1 
,adam's sons started1 we know that they 
had at least tools for agriculture#aa   
and for the building of houses2#ab and  
that a few generations later1 their     
knowledge of arts had grown from those  
which aided in the acquisition of the   
bare necessaries of life into the       
aesthetics of music and metallic        
ornamentation4#ac  ,but religion did not
 wait that length of time for its       
growth4 ,to the original pair in ,eden1 
,jehovah had given a knowledge of       
,himself4 ,they felt ,his character1    
they were told ,his will2 and when they 
had disobeyed that will1 they were given
 a promise of salvation1 and were       
instructed in certain given rites of    
worship1 e4 g41 offerings and sacrifice4
 ,they knew#ad the significance of      
atoning blood1 and the difference       
between a simple thank-offering and a   
sin-offering4 ,all this knowledge of    

religion was not a possession which man 
had attained by slow degrees4 ,he       
started with it in full possession1     
while yet he was clothed only in the    
skins of beasts1#ae and before he knew  
how to make musical instruments or to   
fashion brass and iron4 ,his religion   
was in advance of his civilization4     
,subsequently his civilization pushed   
ahead4  ,what were the gradual steps    
before the ,deluge1 in the divergence of
 man's worship of ,god1 is not difficult
 to imagine if we look at the history of
 the ,chaldees1 of the ,hittites1 and of
 the ,jews themselves4 ,subsequent to   
the ,deluge1 from the grateful sacrifice
 of the seventh animal by ,noah1 to     
,abraham's typical offering of ,isaac1  
it is not a very far cry to the butchery
 of ,jephthah's daughter or the         
immolations to ,moloch4 ,a well-intended
 ,ed#af may readily become a schismatic 
,mecca4 ,an altar of ,dan is soon       
furnished with its golden calf4  ,with  
this as a starting-point1 viz41 that the

 knowledge of himself was directly      
imparted to man by ,jehovah1 and that   
certain forms of worship were originally
 directed and sanctioned by ,him1 ,i    
wish in subsequent pages to follow that 
line of light through the labyrinths of 
man's wandering from monotheism into    
polytheism1 idolatry1 and even into     
crass fetichism4  ,abstract faith is    
difficult4 ,it is so much easier to     
believe what we see1 to have faith      
assisted by sight4 ,even such faith is  
not without its blessing1 but blessed   
are they that have not seen1 and yet    
have believed4#ag ,memory is assisted by
 visible signs2 whence the art of       
writing1--in its usefulness so far      
beyond the ,indian's wampum belts4      
,merely oral law is apt to be forgotten1
 or its requisitions and prohibitions   
become hazy4  ,as the years passed by1  
and nations1 after the dispersion from  
the tower on the plain of ,shinar1      
diverged more and more1 not only in     
speech and writing but also in customs1 

their religious thought began to vary   
from the simple standard of ,adam and   
,noah4 ,between those small beginnings  
of variation and the gulf-like depth of 
the fetich1 there are three successive  
steps4  ,first1 retaining the name of   
and belief in and worship of ,jehovah1  
mankind added something else4 ,they     
associated with ,jehovah certain natural
 objects4 ,this1 it is readily          
conceivable1 they could do without      
feeling that they were dishonoring ,him4
 ,they could not see ,him2 in their     
expression of their wants in prayer they
 were speaking into vague space and     
heard no audible response4 ,the strain  
on simple unassisted faith was heavy4   
,the senses asked for something on which
 they could lean4 ,very reasonable1     
therefore1 it was for the pious thought1
 in speaking to the ,great ,invisible1  
to associate closely with ,his name the 
great natural objects in which ,his     
character was revealed or illustrated   
the1--sun1 shining in strength and      

beneficently giving life to plants and  
the comfort of its warmth to all        
creation2 the moon1 benefiting in a     
similar though less prominent way2 the  
sky1 from which spake the thunder2 the  
mountain1 towering in its solemn        
majesty2 the sea1 spread out in its     
inscrutable immensity4 ,all these       
illustrating some of ,jehovah's         
attributes1--,his power1 goodness1      
infinity1--without impropriety          
associated themselves in man's thought  
of ,god1 were named along with ,his     
name1 and were looked upon with some of 
the same reverence which was accorded to
 ,him4 ,in all this there was no        
conscious departure from the worship of 
the one living and true ,god4 ,the      
position to which these great natural   
objects were gradually elevated         
relatively to ,god1 in the thought of   
the worshipper1 was not as yet          
blasphemous1 or in any intentional way  
derogatory to ,him4 ,but the evil in    
this elevation of nature into prominence

 with ,god was that there was no limit  
to the number of objects or the degree  
of their elevation4 ,from the dignified 
use of sun1 moon1 sky1 and sea1 by      
unconscious degradations animals became 
the objects of worship--the bull1 the   
serpent1 and the cat 7each illustrative 
of some attribute71 and thence finally  
objects that were frivolous1 ridiculous1
 or disgusting1 which nevertheless were 
each the exponent of some principle4    
,even the indecencies of ,phallic       
worship had found their dignified       
beginning in an attempt to honor the    
great principle of life in nature's     
procreative processes4  ,but there came 
a time1 in the multiplying of the       
objects illustrative of ,god's          
attributes1 when they1 by their very    
numbers1 minimized divine dignity4      
,their constant1 visible1 tangible      
presence to the senses began not simply 
passively to represent ,god1 but        
actively to personify ,him1 and ,jehovah
 was subdivided4 ,he was still the great

 ,god2 but these others were given not  
only a name1 but a personality which    
shadowed ,him and dishonored ,him1 by   
admitting them to fellowship with ,him1 
and regarding ,him as no longer alone   
the great ,i ,am4 ,though supreme1 ,his 
supremacy was not exclusive2 it was     
comparative4 ,he was over others1 who   
also were gods1 with whom ,he shared    
,his power1 and to whom was to be given 
somewhat of ,his worship4 ,he was not   
indeed denied1 but ,he was dishonored4  
,he became only one of the many gods    
along with ,baal and ,ashtaroth4 ,but   
the worship of ,him was not abandoned4  
,he was worshipped along with these     
others1 as ,one among many4 ,and finally
 polytheism had become the belief of the
 world1 except of the many scattered    
small communities which1 with their     
priests of the ,most ,high ,god1 like   
,melchisedek and ,job1 held the true    
light from extinction4 ,jehovah became a
 name for the ,deity of a nation2 each  
nation1 while reverencing its own god1  

not denying power to that of another    
nation4 ,man's little thought was trying
 to localize the ,deity in its own small
 tribal limits4  ,philistia worshipped  
its ,dagon1 but it feared and made      
trespass offerings to ,jehovah of the   
,ark of ,israel's ,covenant4#ah         
,nebuchadnezzar1 startled by a vision of
 a ,son of ,god in the flame of his     
fiery furnace1 in an hour of repentance 
could decree that the ,god of ,shadrach1
 ,meshach1 and ,abednego should not be  
spoken against4#ai ,this was the second 
step in religion's retrograde movement4 
,the personified natural objects were   
actually worshipped4 ,no longer         
considered simply as representatives of 
,god1 they were actually given a part of
 ,god's place1 and were worshipped as   
,god4 ,the prayer was not1 ,jehovah1    
hear us1 for the sake of ,baal1 through 
whom we plead6 nor ,o ,baal1 present our
 petition to ,jehovah6 but1 flatly and  
directly1 ,o ,baal1 hear us6  ,having   
reached in their religious thought this 

position of a belief in many gods1 it   
was a natural and logical result that   
worship was to be rendered to them all4 
,the sacrifices that had been offered to
 ,jehovah alone were divided for service
 to other gods4 ,but it was the same    
religious sentiment1 in both monotheist 
and polytheist1 that prompted the       
rendering of prayer1 sacrifice1 and     
other service4 ,the same sense of an    
infinite dependence that had led arms of
 weak faith to lay hold for help on that
 which was nearest and most obvious1    
operated with the heathen who had       
wandered from ,god1 in his petition to  
his many gods1 just as it had operated  
originally with the worshipper of the   
true ,god4 ,the sentiment was right1 the
 principle was good2 only1 its          
application was wrong1--sometimes       
fearfully wrong4 ,man's religious nature
 is a force4 ,there are other forces in 
nature that belong to other domains than
 religion4 ,they are good forces if well
 applied2 they become engines of        

destruction if misapplied or applied in 
excess4  ,in all history no misapplied  
force has wrought more fearful evil than
 the religious4 ,it made holy even the  
atrocities of the ,inquisition2 it      
ordained a ,te ,deum for the massacre of
 ,st4 ,bartholomew's ,day4  ,similarly  
mankind found not only justification but
 propriety in the human sacrifices to   
,moloch1 and in the holocausts of the   
,aztec civilization4 ,if in giving a    
gift of thanks1 tribute1 admiration1 or 
fear to a human friend1 ruler1 or       
employer1 we choose that which is good  
and best in our own eyes1 so as to win  
the favor of the being to whom it is    
given1 much more would we strive to     
please the god in whose power lies our  
life1 health1 and prosperity4 ,it was a 
logical result1 therefore1 in choosing  
for sacrifice on great emergencies1 to  
select the best-beloved child4 ,moloch  
would be pleased and propitiated by such
 a valuable gift4 ,the more that the    
human love was renounced in the agony of

 the parents' view of their child's     
dying struggle1 the more favorable would
 be the response to the worshipper4     
,under this misapplied religious force  
an ,iphigenia is logical1 and the ,hindu
 infant cast to ,gunga's wave a fitting 
offering in the agonized mother's eyes4 
,but how fearfully mistaken6 ,the       
religion that recognizes and directs    
such abuse is a false religion1 as      
compared with ,christianity2 not in the 
sense that it has nothing good in it1   
but in the falsity of the objects of its
 worship and in the cruelty of the rites
 employed in that worship4 ,in the      
genera of the sciences there is only one
 species of religion1 but that one      
species has many varieties4 ,in this    
sense ,calvin is correct if1 in speaking
 of the immense welter of errors in     
which the whole world outside of        
,christianity is immersed1 he regards   
his own religion as the true one and all
 the others were false4 ,the function of
 a comparative study of religions is to 

point out the connecting line of truth  
running through the mass of error4 ,back
 of all the cruelty and error and       
falsity in polytheism lie the proper    
sense of need1 the natural feeling of   
helplessness in the great emergencies of
 life1 and the commendable desire to    
honor the ,being known under different  
names as ,jehovah1 ,moloch1 ,jupiter1   
,allah1 ,budh1 ,brahm1 ,odin1 or        
,anyambe2 to which ,being ,his children 
all over the world looked up as the     
,all-,father4 ,but the descensus ,averni
 from the ,one living and true ,god soon
 multiplied gods1 dividing among many   
the attributes that had been centred in 
the ,one1 and finally carried man's     
religious thought so far from ,god that 
only ,his name was retained1 while the  
trust which had belonged to ,him alone  
was scattered over a multitude of       
objects that were not even dignified    
with the name gods4 ,worship of         
ancestors was established4 ,great human 
benefactors1 heroic human beings1 were  

deified and canonized4 ,the whole air of
 the world became peopled with spiritual
 influences2 literally stocks and stones
 became animated with demons of varying 
power and disposition2 and fetichism    
erected itself as a kind of religion4   
,i see nothing to justify the theory of 
,menzies#bj that primitive man or the   
untutored ,african of to-day1 in        
worshipping a tree1 a snake1 or an idol1
 originally worshipped those very       
objects themselves1 and that the        
suggestion that they represented1 or    
were even the dwelling-place of1 some   
spiritual ,being is an after-thought up 
to which he has grown in the lapse of   
the ages4 ,the rather ,i see every      
reason to believe that the thought of   
the ,being or ,beings as an object of   
worship has come down by tradition and  
from direct original revelation of      
,jehovah ,himself4 ,the assumption of a 
visible1 tangible object to represent or
 personify that ,being is the           
after-thought that human ingenuity has  

added4 ,the civilized ,romanist claims  
that he does not worship the actual sign
 of the cross1 but the ,christ who was  
crucified on it2 similarly1 the         
,dahomian1 in his worship of a snake4   
,rev4 ,j4 ,l4 ,wilson1 ,d4,d41#ba says  
of the condition of ,dahomy fifty years 
ago1 that in ,africa there is no place  
where there is more intense heathenism2 
and to mention no other feature in their
 superstitious practices1 the worship of
 snakes at this place ,whydah fully     
illustrates this remark4 ,a house in the
 middle of the town is provided for the 
exclusive use of these reptiles1 and    
they may be seen here at any time in    
very great numbers4 ,they are fed1 and  
more care is taken of them than of the  
human inhabitants of the place4 ,if they
 are seen straying away1 they must be   
brought back2 and at the sight of them  
the people prostrate themselves on the  
ground and do them all possible         
reverence4 ,to kill or injure one of    
them is to incur the penalty of death4  

,on certain occasions they are taken out
 by the priests or doctors1 and paraded 
about the streets1 the bearers allowing 
them to coil themselves around their    
arms1 necks1 and bodies4 ,they are also 
employed to detect persons who have been
 guilty of witchcraft4 ,if1 in the hands
 of the priest1 they bite the suspected 
person1 it is sure evidence of his      
guilt2 and no doubt the serpent is      
trained to do the will of his keeper in 
all such cases4 ,images1 usually called 
'gregrees1' of the most uncouth shape   
and form1 may be seen in all parts of   
the town1 and are worshipped by all     
classes of persons4 ,perhaps there is no
 place in ,africa where idolatry is more
 openly practised1 or where the people  
have sunk into deeper pagan darkness4   
,also1 of the people on the southwest   
coast at ,loango3 ,the people of ,loango
 are more addicted to idol worship than 
any other people on the whole coast4    
,they have a great many carved images   
which they set up in their fetich houses

 and in their private dwellings1 and    
which they worship2 but whether these   
images represent their forefathers1 as  
is the case among the ,mpongwe 7at      
,gabun71 is not certainly known4#bb     
,having thus followed the religious     
thought of mankind in its divagation    
from monotheistic worship of the true   
,god1 down through polytheism and       
idolatrous sacrifices1 to the worship of
 ancestors1 we have reached a third     
stage1 where the worship of ,god is not 
only divided between ,him and other     
objects1 but1 a step beyond1 ,god       
,himself is quietly disregarded1 and the
 worship due ,him is transferred to a   
multitude of spiritual agencies under   
,his power1 but uncontrolled by it4     
,the details of this stage in the       
religious worship known as fetichism    
will be considered in the following     
chapters4     ,,chapter ,,iv            
,,spiritual ,,beings ,,in ,,african     
,,religion   ,the belief in spiritual   
beings opens an immense vista of the    

purely superstitious side of the        
theology of ,bantu ,african religion4   
,all the air and the future is peopled  
with a large and indefinite company of  
these beings4 ,the attitude of the      
,creator 7,anyambe7 toward the human    
race and the lower animals being that of
 indifference or of positive severity in
 having allowed evils to exist1 and ,his
 indifference making ,him almost        
inexorable1 cause effort in the line of 
worship to be therefore directed only to
 those spirits who1 though they are all 
probably malevolent1 may be influenced  
and made benevolent4   ,i4 ,,origin4    
,the native thought in regard to the    
origin of spirits is vague2 necessarily 
so4 ,an unwritten belief that is not    
based upon revelation from a superior   
source nor on an induction from actual  
experience and observation1 but that is 
added to and varied by every            
individual's fancy1 can be expressed in 
definite words only after inquiry among 
many as to their ideas on the subject4  

,these1 ,i find1 coincide on a few      
lines2 just as the consensus of opinion 
on any subject in any community will    
find itself running in certain channels1
 influenced by the utterances of the    
stronger or wiser leaders4  #a4 ,it     
appears1 therefore1 that some of the    
spirits seem to have been conterminous  
with the life of ,paia-,njambi in the   
eternities4 ,an eternity past1          
impossible as it is for any one to      
comprehend1 is yet a thing thinkable    
even with the ,bantu ,african1 for he   
has words to express it1--peke-na-jome1 
ever-and-beyond1 tamba-na-ngm1          
unknown-and-secret4  ,away back in that 
unknown time existed ,paia-,njambi4     
,whence or how1 is not asked by the     
natives2 nor have ,i had any attempt    
even of a reply to my own inquiries4 ,he
 simply existed4 ,they are not          
sufficiently absurd to say that ,he     
created ,himself4 ,to do that ,he would 
need to antedate ,himself4 ,i have met  
none who thought sufficiently on the    

subject to worry their minds1 as we in  
our civilization often do1 in effort to 
go back and back to the unthinkable     
point in time past when ,god was not4   
,indeed so little is the native mind in 
the habit of any such research that ,i  
can readily perceive how their ,we don't
 know could easily be misunderstood by a
 foreign traveller1 scientist1 or even  
missionary1 as a confession that they   
did not know ,god1--a statement which is
 true1 but not the equivalent of1 or    
synonymous with1 that traveller's       
assertion that the native had no idea of
 a ,god4 ,the native thought1 wiser than
 ours1 simply and unreasoningly says1   
,he is1 ,he was4 ,conterminous with ,him
 in origin there may have been some     
other spirits4 ,this has been said to me
 by a very few persons with some        
hesitation4 ,but if those spirits were  
indeed equal in existence with ,njambi1 
they were in no respect equal to ,him in
 character or power1 and had no hand in 
the creation of other beings4 ,in the   

,mpongwe tribe at ,gabun one writer1    
,rev4 ,j4 ,l4 ,wilson1 ,d4,d41 fifty    
years ago1 thought the belief existed   
that next to ,god in the government of  
the world are two spirits1 one of whom1 
,onyambe1 is hateful and wicked4 ,the   
people seldom speak of ,onyambe1 and    
always evince displeasure when the name 
is mentioned in their presence4 ,his    
influence over the affairs of men1 in   
their estimation1 does not amount to    
much2 and the probability is that they  
have no very definite notions about the 
real character of this spirit4 ,his     
character would be indicated by his     
name1 ,o-nya-mbe 7,he-who-is-bad74 ,this
 name has sometimes been used by        
missionaries to translate our word      
devil4 ,perhaps the idea of the word    
itself came from long-ago contact of    
this coast tribe with foreigners4  #b4  
,a second and more recognized source of 
supply to the company of spirits is     
original creation by ,njambi4 ,while    
this origin is named by some1 ,i have   

not found it believed in to any very    
great extent4 ,even those whom ,i did   
find believing it had very vague ideas  
as to the mode or object of their       
creation4 ,of the ,creation of mankind1 
and even of the ,fall1 almost all of the
 tribes have legends1 more or less      
distinct1 and with a modicum of truth1  
doubtless derived from traditions       
coinciding with the ,mosaic history2 but
 of a previous creation of purely       
spiritual beings ,i have found no legend
 nor well-defined story4 ,if such       
specially created spirits exist at all1 
their relation to ,njambi is of a very  
shadowy kind2 they are1 indeed1 inferior
 to ,him1 and are in theory under ,his  
government in the same sense that human 
beings are4 ,but ,njambi1 in ,his       
far-off indifference in actual practice1
 does not interfere with or control them
 or their actions4 ,they are part of the
 motley inhabitants of ,njambi's ,town1 
the place of the ,great ,unknown1 as    
also are all the other living beasts and

 beings of creation4 ,they also have    
their separate habitat1 and pursue their
 own devices1 generally malevolent1 with
 the children of men4  #c4 ,but the     
general consensus of opinion is that the
 world of spirits is peopled by the     
souls of dead human beings4 ,this       
presupposes a belief in a future life1  
the existence of which in the native    
mind some travellers have doubted4 ,i   
have never met that doubt from the      
native himself4 ,while ,i do not impute 
to the travellers referred to any       
desire1 in their efforts at describing  
the low grade of intelligence or        
religious belief of certain tribes1 to  
misrepresent1 ,i fully believe they were
 mistaken1 their mistake arising from   
misunderstanding4 ,it is not probable   
that they met1 in the course of their   
few years1 what ,i have not met with in 
a lifetime4 ,it is probable that natives
 had expressed to them a doubt1 or even 
ignorance1 of a general resurrection1   
and may have said to them1 as a few have

 said to me1 ,no1 we do not live again2 
we are like goats and dogs and          
chickens1--when we die that is the end  
of us4 ,such a statement is indeed a    
denial of the resurrection of the body1 
but it is not a denial of a continued   
existence of the soul in another life4  
,the very people who made the above     
declaration to me preserved their family
 fetich1 made sacrifices to the spirits 
of their ancestors1 and appealed to them
 for aid in their family undertakings4  
,the few who have expressed a belief in 
transmigration did not consider that the
 residence of a human spirit in the body
 of a beast was a permanent state2 it   
was a temporary condition1 assumed by   
the spirit voluntarily for its own      
pleasure or convenience1 and terminable 
at its own will1 precisely as human     
spirits during their mortal life are1   
everywhere and by all1 believed capable 
of temporarily deserting their own human
 body and controlling the actions of a  
beast4 ,this belief in transmigration1  

though not general1 has been found among
 individuals in almost all tribes4  ,it 
being thus generally accepted that all  
departed human souls become spirits of  
that future that is all around us1 there
 is still a difference in the testimony 
of intelligent witnesses as to who and  
what1 or even how many1 of these souls  
are in one human being4 7#a7            
,ordinarily1 the native will say in     
effect1 ,i am one1 and my soul is also  
myself4 ,when ,i die1 it goes out       
somewhere else4 7#b7 ,others will say1  
,i have two things1--one is the thing   
that becomes a spirit when ,i die1 the  
other is the spirit of the body and dies
 with it4 7,this other may be only a    
personification of what we specify as   
the animal life47 ,but it has frequently
 occurred that even intelligent natives1
 standing by me at the side of a dying  
person1 have said to me1 ,he is dead4   
,the patient was indeed unconscious1    
lying stiff1 not seeing1 speaking1      
eating1 or apparently feeling2 yet there

 was a slight heart-beat4 ,i would point
 out to the relatives these evidences of
 life4 ,but they said3 ,no1 he is dead4 
,his spirit is gone1 he does not see nor
 hear nor feel2 that slight movement is 
only the spirit of the body shaking     
itself4 ,it is not a person1 it is not  
our relative2 he is dead4 ,and they     
began to prepare the body for burial4 ,a
 man actually came to me on ,corisco    
,island1 in #ahfc1 asking me for        
medicine with which to kill or quiet the
 body-spirit of his mother1 whose       
motions were troubling him by preventing
 the funeral arrangements4 ,i was       
shocked at what ,i thought his attempt  
at matricide1 but subsequently found    
that he really did believe that his     
mother was dead and her real soul gone4 
,such attempt to distinguish between    
soul-life and body-life has not         
infrequently led to premature burial4   
,the supposed corpse has sometimes risen
 to consciousness on the way to the     
grave4 ,a long-protracted sickness of   

some not very valuable member of the    
village has wearied the attendants2 they
 decide that the body1 though mumbling  
inarticulate words and aimlessly        
fingering with its arms1 is no longer   
occupied by its personal soul2 that has 
emerged4 ,he is dead2 and they proceed  
to bury him alive4 ,yet they deny that  
they have done so4 ,they insist that he 
was not alive2 only his body was moving4
 ,proof of premature burial has been    
found by discoveries made in the        
practice of a custom which is observed  
when a village has been afflicted with  
various troubles after the death of one 
of its members4 ,the villagers1 after   
ineffectual efforts to drive away the   
evil influences that are supposed to    
cause these troubles1 decide that the   
spirit of some dead relative is         
dissatisfied about something1 and order 
the grave to be opened and the bones    
rearranged or even thrown into the river
 or sea4 ,on opening the grave1 corpses 
that had been buried in a recumbent     

position have been found in a sitting   
position4 ,it is possible for one thus  
prematurely buried to change posture in 
a dying struggle2 for1 mostly1 heathen  
graves are shallow1 and are hastily and 
not always completely filled in4  7#c7  
,another set of witnesses will say that1
 besides the personal soul and the soul 
of the body1 there is a third entity in 
the human unit1 namely1 a dream-soul4   
,that it is which leaves the body on    
occasions during sleep1 and1 wandering  
off1 delights itself by visiting strange
 lands and strange scenes4 ,on its      
return to the body its union with the   
material blunts its perceptions1 and the
 person1 in his efforts to remember or  
tell what he has seen1 relates only the 
vagaries of a dream1--a psychological   
view which1 under the manipulation of a 
ready pen1 could give play to fantasies 
pretty1 romantic1 not unreasonable1 and 
not impossible4  ,some who are only     
dualists1 nevertheless1 believe in the  
wanderings of this so-called dream-soul1

 but say that it is the personal soul   
itself that has gone out and has        
returned4 ,both dualists and            
trinitarians add that sometimes in its  
wanderings this soul loses its way and  
cannot find its body1 its material home2
 should it never return1 the person will
 sicken and die4  7#d7 ,a fourth entity 
is vaguely spoken of by some as a       
component part of the human personality1
 by others as separate but closely      
associated from birth to death1 and     
called the life-spirit4 ,some speak of  
it as a civilized person speaks of a    
guardian angel4 ,regarded in that light1
 it should not be considered as one of  
the several kinds of souls1 but as one  
of the various classes of spirits 7which
 will be discussed in a subsequent      
chapter74 ,to it worship is rendered by 
its possessor as to other spirits1--a   
worship1 however1 different from that   
which is performed for what are known   
and used as familiar spirits4 ,others   
speak of the vague life-spirit as the   

heart4 ,the organ of our anatomy which  
we designate by that name1 they call by 
a word which variously means heart or   
feelings1 much like our old ,english    
bowels1 the same word being employed    
equally to designate a physical organ   
and a mental state4 ,considering the    
organic heart as the seat 7or a seat7 of
 life1 the natives believe that by      
witchcraft a person in health can be    
deprived of his life-soul1 or heart2    
that he will then sicken2 that the      
wizard or witch feasts in his or her    
magic orgy on this heart1 and that the  
person will die if that heart is not    
returned to him4   ,,ii4 ,,number4  ,but
 whatever this human soul may be1       
whether existing in unity1 duality1     
trinity1 or quadruplicity1 all agree in 
believing that it adds itself1 on the   
death of the body1 as another to the    
multitudinous company of the            
spirit-world4 ,that world is all around 
us1 and does not differ much in its     
wants and characteristics from this     

earthly life1 except that it is free    
from some of the limitations to which   
material bodies are subject4 ,in that   
spirit-world they require the same food 
as when on earth1 but consume only its  
essence2 the visible substance remains4 
,they are possessed of all their human  
passions1 both bad and good4 ,men expect
 to have their wives with them in that  
future1 but ,i have never heard the idea
 even named1 that there is procreation  
by spirits in that after-world4 ,not    
having believed during this life in a   
system of reward and punishment1 they   
have no belief in heaven or hell4 ,all  
the dead go to ,njambi's ,town1 and live
 in that new life together1 good and    
bad1 as they lived together on earth4   
,the hell spoken of by some of my       
informants1 ,i believe1 is not a native 
thought2 it was probably engrafted on   
the coast tribes by the ,portuguese     
,roman ,catholic missionaries of three  
hundred years ago4  ,if therefore the   
spirits consist almost entirely of the  

souls of departed human beings1 how     
immense their number6 ,equal in number  
with all the dead that have passed from 
this life in the ages gone by1 excepting
 those who have gone permanently into   
the bodies of new human beings4 ,that   
form of metempsychosis is believed in4  
,occasional instances of belief of      
transmigration into the body of a lower 
animal do not necessarily include the   
idea of a permanent residence there1 or 
that the departed soul has lost its     
personality as a human being and has    
become the soul of a beast4  ,but the   
idea of reappearance in the body of a   
newly born child was formerly believed  
in1 especially in regard to white       
people4 ,thirty years ago ,i wrote3#bc  
,down the swift current of the ,benita1 
as of other rivers on the coast1 are    
swept floating islands of interlaced    
rushes1 tangled vines1 and water-lilies 
that1 clinging to some projecting log   
from the marshy bank1 had gathered the  
sand and mud of successive freshets1 and

 gave a precarious footing for the      
pandanus1 whose wiry roots bound all in 
one compact mass4 ,then some flood had  
torn that mass away1 and the pandanus   
still waving its long1 bayonet-like     
leaves1 convolvuli still climbing and   
blooming1 and birds still nesting       
trustfully1 the floating island glided  
past native eyes down the stream1 out   
over the bar1 and on toward the horizon 
of broad ocean4 ,what beyond8 ,native   
superstition said that at the bottom of 
the 'great sea' was 'whiteman's land'2  
that thither some of their own departed 
friends found their happy future1       
exchanging a dusky skin for a white one2
 that there white man's magic skill at  
will created the beads1 and cloth1 and  
endless wealth that came from that      
unknown land in ships1 in whose masts   
and rigging and sails were recognized   
the transformed trees and vines and     
leaves of those floating islands4 ,when 
on the #abth of ,july1 #ahff1 a few with
 bated breath came to look on my little 

new-born ,paull1 the only white child   
most of the community had seen1 and the 
first born in that ,benita region1 the  
old people said1 ',now our hopes are    
dead4 ,dying1 we had hoped to become    
like you2 but verily ye are born as we4'
  ,not long after ,i had arrived at     
,corisco ,island in #ahfa ,i observed   
among the many people who came to see   
the new missionary one man who quietly  
and unobtrusively but very steadily was 
gazing at me4 ,after a while he mustered
 courage and addressed me3 ,are you not 
my brother1--my brother who died at such
 a time1 and went to ,white ,man's      
,land8 ,i was at that time new to the   
superstitions of the country2 his       
meaning had to be explained to me4 ,his 
thought of relationship was not an      
impossible one1 for many of the ,bantu  
,negroes have somewhat ,caucasian-like  
features4 ,i have often seen men and    
women at the sight of whom ,i was       
surprised1 and ,i would remark to a     
fellow-missionary3 ,how much this person

 reminds me of ,so-and-so in ,america6  
,this recognition of resemblance of     
features to white persons living in     
,america was the third step in my       
acquaintance with native faces4 ,at     
first1 all ,negro faces looked alike4   
,presently ,i learned differences2 and  
when ,i had reached the third step1 ,i  
felt that my acquaintance with ,african 
features was complete4   ,,iii4         
,,locality4  ,the locality of these     
spirits is not only vaguely in the      
surrounding air2 they are also localized
 in prominent natural objects1--caves1  
enormous rocks1 hollow trees1 dark      
forests1--in this respect reminding one 
of classic fauns and dryads4 ,while all 
have the ability to move from place to  
place1 some especially belong to certain
 localities which are spoken of as      
having1 as the case might be1 good or   
bad spirits4 ,it is possible for a human
 soul 7as already mentioned in this     
chapter7 to inhabit the body of a beast4
 ,a man whose plantation was being      

devastated near ,benita by an elephant  
told me1 in #ahfg1 he did not dare to   
shoot it1 because the spirit of his     
lately deceased father had passed into  
it4 ,also a common objurgation of an    
obstreperous child or animal is1 ,o na  
nyemba6 7,thou hast a witch47  ,their   
habitats may be either natural or       
acquired4 ,natural ones are1 for the    
spirits of the dead1 in a very special  
sense1 the villages where they had dwelt
 during the lifetime of the body2 but   
the presence of the spirits of the dead 
is not desired4 ,it is one of the       
pitiable effects of ,african            
superstition that its subjects look with
 fear and dread on what the denizens of 
civilization look with love and tender  
regret4 ,we in our ,christian           
civilization cling to the lifeless forms
 of our dead2 and when necessity compels
 us to bury them from our sight1 we bid 
memory call up every lineament of face  
and tone of voice1 and are pleased to   
think that sometimes they are near us4  

,but it is a frequent native practice   
that on the occasion of a death1 even   
while a portion of the family are       
wailing and to all appearances          
passionately mourning the loss of their 
relative1 others are firing guns1       
blowing trumpets1 beating drums1        
shouting and yelling1 in order to drive 
away from the village the recently      
disembodied spirit4 ,on consideration1  
it can be seen that these two diverse   
demonstrations are sincere1 consistent1 
and1 to the natives1 reasonable4 ,with  
natural affection they mourn the absence
 of a tangible person who1 as a member  
of their family1 was helpful and even   
kind2 while they fear the independent   
existence of the invisible thing1 whose 
union with the physical body they fail  
to recognize as having been a factor in 
that helpfulness and kindness4 ,this    
departed spirit1 joining the company of 
other departed spirits1 will indeed     
become an object of worship1--a worship 
of principally a deprecatory nature2 but

 its continued presence and immediate   
contact with its former routine are not 
desired4 ,in ,mashonaland the native    
fears death by accident or human enmity4
 ,but a greater dread than this is of a 
visitation of evil by the spirit of a   
departed friend or relative whom he may 
have slighted while living4  ,a village 
in ,nazareth ,bay1 the embouchure of one
 of the mouths of the ,ogowe ,river1 is 
called ,abun-awiri 7awiri1 plural of    
ombwiri1 a certain class of spirits1 and
 abuna1 abundance74  ,large1 prominent  
trees are inhabited by spirits4 ,many   
trees in the equatorial ,west ,african  
forest throw out from their trunks1 at  
from ten to sixteen feet from the       
ground1 solid buttresses continuous with
 the body of the tree itself1 only a few
 inches in thickness1 but in width at   
the base of the tree from four to six   
feet4 ,these buttresses are projected   
toward several opposite points of the   
compass1 as if to resist the force of   
sudden wind-storms4 ,they are a         

noticeable forest feature and are       
commonly seen in the silk-cotton trees4 
,the recesses between them are actually 
used as lairs by small wild animals4    
,they are supposedly also a favorite    
home of the spirits4  ,caverns and large
 rocks have their special spirit        
inhabitants4 ,at ,gabun1 and also on    
,corisco ,island1 geological breaks in  
the horizontal strata of rock were      
filled by narrow vertical strata of     
limestone1 between which water action   
has worn away the softer rock1 leaving  
the limestone walls isolated1 with a    
narrow ravine between them4 ,these      
ravines were formerly reverenced as the 
abodes of spirits4  ,when ,i made a tour
 in #ahhb1 surveying for a second ,ogowe
 ,station1 ,i came some seventy miles up
 river from my well-established first   
station1 ,kngwe1 at ,lambarene1 to an   
enormous rock1 a granite boulder1 lying 
in the bed of the river4 ,the adjacent  
hillsides on either bank of the river   
were almost impassable1 being covered   

with boulders of all sizes1 and a heavy 
forest growing in among and even on     
them4 ,this great rock had evidently in 
the long past become detached by        
torrential streams that scored the      
mountainside in the heavy rainy season  
and had plunged to its present position4
 ,the swift river current swirled and   
dashed against the huge obstruction to  
navigation1 making the ascent of the    
river at that point particularly        
difficult4 ,superstition suggested that 
the spirits of the rock did not wish    
boats or canoes to pass their abode4    
,nevertheless1 necessities of trade     
compelled2 and crews in passing made an 
ejaculatory prayer1 or doffed their head
 coverings1 in respect1 but with the    
fear that the ascent in that part of the
 journey might be for woe1 whence they  
called the rock ,itala-ja-maguga1 which1
 contracted to ,talaguga1 ,i gave as a  
name to my new station1 erected in #ahhb
 in the vicinity of the rock4 ,during my
 eight subsequent years at the station  

,i did1 indeed1 meet with some woe1 but 
also much weal4 ,and the missionary work
 of ,talaguga1 carried on since #ahib by
 the hands of the ,socit vangelique de  
,paris1 has met with signal success4    
,capes1 promontories1 and other         
prominent points of land are favorite   
dwelling-places of the spirits4 ,the    
,ogowe ,river1 some one hundred and     
forty miles from its mouth1 receives on 
its left bank a large affluent1 the     
,ngunye1 coming from the south4 ,the low
 point of land at the junction of the   
two rivers was sacred4 ,the riverine    
tribes themselves would pass it in      
canoes1 respectfully removing their head
 coverings2 but passage was forbidden to
 coast tribes and other foreigners4     
,portuguese slave-traders might come to 
the point2 but1 stopping there1 they    
could trade beyond only through the     
hands of the local tribe 7evidently     
superstition had been invoked to protect
 a trade monopoly74 ,a certain trader1  
,mr4 ,r4 ,b4 ,n4 ,walker1 agent for the 

,english firm of ,hatton  ,cookson1     
headquarters at ,libreville1 ,gabun1 in 
extending his commercial interests some 
forty years ago1 made an overland       
journey from the ,gabun ,river1 emerging
 on the ,ogowe1 on its right bank1 above
 that sacred point4 ,ranoke1 chief of   
the ,inenga tribe1 a few miles below1   
seized him1 his porters1 and his goods1 
and kept them prisoners for several     
months4 ,mr4 ,walker succeeded in       
bribing a native to carry a letter to   
the ,french ,commandant at ,libreville1 
who was pleased to send a gunboat to the
 rescue4 ,incidentally it furnished a   
good opportunity to demonstrate         
,france's somewhat shadowy claim to the 
,ogowe4 ,after the rescue a company from
 the gunboat proceeded to the ,point and
 lunched there1 thus effectually        
desecrating it4 ,mr4 ,walker made peace 
with his late captor1 and established a 
trading-station at the ,inenga village1 
,lambarene4 ,for years afterward1       
natives still looked upon that ,point   

with respect4 ,my own crew in #ahgd     
sometimes doffed their hats2 but before 
,i left the ,ogowe in #ahia1 a younger  
generation had grown up that was willing
 to camp and eat and sleep there with   
me1 on my boat journeys4  ,graveyards1  
of course1 are homes of spirits1 and    
therefore are much dreaded4 ,the tribes1
 especially of the interior1 differ very
 much as to burial customs4 ,some bury  
only their chiefs and other prominent   
men1 casting away corpses of slaves or  
of the poor into the rivers1 or out on  
the open ground1 perhaps covering them  
with a bundle of sticks2 even when      
graves are dug they are shallow4 ,some  
tribes fearlessly bury their dead under 
the clay floors of their houses1 or a   
few yards distant in the kitchen-garden 
generally adjoining4 ,but1 by most      
tribes who do bury at all1 there are    
chosen as cemeteries dark1 tangled      
stretches of forest1 along river banks  
on ground that is apt to be inundated or
 whose soil is not good for plantation  

purposes4 ,i had often observed1 in my  
earlier ,african years1 such stretches  
of forest along the river1 and wondered 
why the people did not use them for     
cultivation1 being conveniently near to 
some village1 while they would go a much
 longer distance to make their          
plantations4 ,the explanation was that  
these were graveyards4 ,such stretches  
would extend sometimes for a mile or    
two4 ,often my hungry meal hour on a    
journey happened to coincide with our   
passing just such a piece of forest1 and
 the crew would refuse to stop1 keeping 
themselves and myself hungry till we    
could arrive at more open forest4  ,in  
,eastern ,africa it is believed that the
 dead in their turn become spirits under
 the all-embracing name of ,musimo4 ,the
 ,wanyamwezi hold their ,musimo in great
 dread and veneration1 as well as the   
house1 hut1 or place where their body   
has died4#bd  ,beyond the regularly     
recognized habitats of the spirits that 
may be called natural to them1 any other

 location may be acquired by them       
temporarily1 for longer or shorter      
periods1 under the power of the         
incantations of the native doctor       
7uganga74 ,by his magic arts any spirit 
may be localized in any object whatever1
 however small or insignificant2 and1   
while thus limited1 is under the control
 of the doctor and subservient to the   
wishes of the possessor or wearer of the
 material object in which it is thus    
confined4 ,this constitutes a fetich1   
which will be more fully discussed in   
another chapter4   ,,iv4                
,,characteristics4  ,the characteristics
 of these spirits are much the same as  
those they possessed before they were   
disembodied4 ,they have most of the evil
 human passions1 e4 g41 anger and       
revenge1 and therefore may be           
malevolent4 ,but they possess also the  
good feelings of generosity and         
gratitude2 they are therefore within    
reach of influence1 and may be          
benevolent4 ,their possible malevolence 

is to be deprecated1 their anger        
placated1 their aid enlisted4           
,illustration of malevolence in their   
character has already been seen in the  
dread connected with deaths and         
funerals4 ,the similar dread of         
graveyards in our civilized countries   
may rest on the fear inspired by what is
 mysterious or by those who have passed 
to the unknown1 simply because it and   
they are unknown4 ,but1 to superstitious
 ,africa1 that unknown is a certainty1  
in that it is a source of evil2 the     
spirit of the departed has all the      
capacity for evil it possessed while    
embodied1 with the additional capacity  
that its exemption from some of the     
limitations of time and space increases 
its facilities for action4 ,being       
unseen1 it can act at immensely greater 
advantage for accomplishing a given     
purpose4 ,natives dying have gone into  
the other world retaining an acute      
memory of some wrong inflicted on them  
by fellow-villagers1 and have openly    

said1 ,from that other world ,i will    
come back and avenge myself on you6  ,in
 any contest of a human being against   
these spirits of evil he knows always   
that whatever influence he may obtain   
over them by the doctor's magic aid1 or 
whatever limitations may thus be put on 
them1 they can never1 as in the case of 
a human enemy1 be killed4 ,the spirits  
can never die4  ,sometimes the word dead
 is used of a fetich amulet that has    
been inhabited by a spirit conjured into
 it by a native doctor4 ,the phrase does
 not mean that its spirit is actually   
dead1 but that it has fled from inside  
of the fetich1 and still lives          
elsewhere4 ,then the native doctor1 to  
explain to his patient or client the    
inefficacy of the charm1 says that the  
cause of the spirit's escape and flight 
is that the wearer has failed to observe
 all the directions which had been      
given1 and the spirit was displeased4   
,the dead amulet is1 nevertheless1      
available for sale to the curio-hunting 

foreigner4     ,,chapter ,v  ,,spiritual
 ,,beings ,,in ,,africa--,,their        
,,classes ,,and ,,functions             
,inequalities among the spirits         
themselves1 though they are so great1   
indicate no more than simple            
differentiations of character or work4  
,yet so radical are these varieties1 and
 so distinct the names applied to them1 
that ,i am compelled to recognize a     
division into classes4   ,,classes ,,and
 ,,functions4  #a4 ,inina1 or ,ilina4 ,a
 human embodied soul is spoken of and   
fully believed in by all the tribes4 ,it
 is known in the ,mpongwe tribes of the 
,gabun country as inina 7plural1 anina72
 in the adjacent ,benga tribe1 as ilina 
7plural1 malina72 in the great interior 
,fang tribes1 as nsisim4  ,this         
animating soul1 whether it be only one1 
or whether it appear in two1 three1 or  
even four forms1 is practically the     
same1 that talks1 hears1 and feels1 that
 sometimes goes out of the body in a    
dream1 and that exists as a spirit after

 the death of the body4 ,that it has its
 own especial materiality seems to be   
indicated by the fact that in the ,fang1
 ,bakele1 and other tribes the same word
 nsisim means not only soul but also    
shadow4 ,the shadow of a tree or any    
other inanimate object and of the human 
body as cast by the sun is nsisim4  ,in 
my first explorations up the ,ogowe     
,river1 in #ahgd1 as in my village      
preaching ,i necessarily and constantly 
spoke of our soul1 its sins1 its        
capacity for suffering or happiness1 and
 its relation to its divine ,maker1 ,i  
was often at a loss how to make my      
thoughtless audience understand or      
appreciate that the nsisim of which ,i  
was speaking was not the nsisim cast by 
the sun as a darkish line on the ground 
near their bodies4 ,even to those who   
understood me1 it was not an impossible 
thought that that dark narrow belt on   
the ground was in some way a part of1 or
 a mode of manifestation of1 that other 
thing1 the nsisim1 which they admitted  

was the source of the body's animation4 
,so far defined was that thought with   
some of them that they said it was a    
possible thing for a human being to have
 his nsisim stolen or otherwise lost1   
and still exist in a diseased and dying 
state2 in which case his body would not 
cast a shadow4 ,von ,chamisso's story of
 ,peter ,schlemehl1 the man who lost his
 shadow1 in actuality6  ,so few are the 
special activities by which to          
distinguish anina from other classes of 
spirits1 that ,i might doubt whether    
they should properly be considered as   
distinct1 were it not true that the     
anina are all of them embodied spirits2 
none of them are of other origin4 ,as   
disembodied spirits1 retaining memory of
 their former human relationships1 they 
have an interest in human affairs1 and  
especially in the affairs of the family 
of which they were lately members4  #b4 
,ibambo 7,mpongwe2 plural1 abambo74     
,there are vague beings1 abambo1 which  
may well be described by our word       

ghosts4 ,where they come from is not    
certainly known1 or what locality they  
inhabit1 except that they belong to the 
world of spirits4 ,why they become      
visible is also unknown4 ,they are not  
called for1 they are only occasionally  
worshipped2 their epiphany is dreaded1  
not reverenced4  ,the term 'abambo' is  
in the plural form1 and may therefore be
 regarded as forming a class of spirits 
instead of a single individual4 ,they   
are the spirits of dead men2 but whether
 they are positively good or positively 
evil1 to be loved or to be hated1 or to 
be courted or avoided1 are points which 
no native of the country can answer     
satisfactorily4 ,abambo are the spirits 
of the ancestors of the people of a     
tribe or race1 as distinguished from the
 spirits of strangers4 ,these are the   
spirits with which men are possessed1   
and there is no end to the ceremonies   
used to deliver them from their         
power4#be  ,the ibambo may appear       
anywhere and at any time and to anybody1

 but it has no message4 ,it rarely      
speaks4 ,its most common effect on human
 lives is to frighten4 ,it flits2 it    
does not remain in one spot1 to speak or
 to be spoken to4 ,indistinctly seen1   
its appearances are reported as         
occurring mostly in dark places1 in     
shadows1 in twilight1 and on dark       
nights4 ,the most common apparitions are
 on lonely paths in the forest by night4
  ,to all intents and purposes these    
abambo are what superstitious fears in  
our civilization call ghosts4 ,the timid
 dweller in civilization can no more    
tell us what that ghost is than can the 
ignorant ,african4 ,it is as difficult  
in the one case as in the other to argue
 against the unreal and unknown4 ,what  
the frightened eye or ear believes it   
saw or heard1 it persists in believing  
against all proof4 ,nor will ridicule   
make the belief less strong4 ,however1  
the intelligent child in civilization1  
under the hand of a judicious parent or 
other friend1 and relying on love as an 

expounder1 can be led to understand by  
daylight1 that the white bark of a tree 
trunk shimmering in uncertain moonlight1
 or a white garment flapping in the     
wind1 or a white animal grazing in the  
meadow1 was the ghost whose waving form 
had scared him the night before4 ,his   
superstition is not so ingrained by     
daily exercise but that reason and love 
can divest him of it4 ,but to the       
denizen of ,fetich-land superstition is 
religion2 the night terror which he is  
sure he saw is too real a thing in his  
life to be identified by day as only a  
harmless white-barked tree or quartz    
rock4  #c4 ,a third class of spirits is 
represented by the name ,ombwiri4 ,the  
ombwiri 7,mpongwe2 plural1 awiri7 is    
certainly somewhat local1 and in this   
respect might be regarded as akin to the
 ancient fauns and dryads1 with a       
suggestion of a likeness to the spirits 
resident in the dense oak groves and the
 massive stones of the ,druid ,circle4  
,but the awiri are more than dryads4    

,they are not confined to their local   
rock1 tree1 bold promontory1 or point of
 land1 trespass on which by human beings
 they resent4 ,the traveller must go by 
silently1 or with some cabalistic       
invocation1 with bowed or bared head1   
and with some offering1--anything1 even 
a pebble4 ,on the beach1 as ,i bend to  
pass beneath an enormous tree fallen    
across the pathway1 ,i observe the upper
 side of the log covered with votive    
offerings1--pebbles1 shells1 leaves1    
etc41--laid there by travellers as they 
stooped to pass under4 ,such votive     
collections may be seen on many spots   
along the forest paths1 deposited there 
by the natives as an invocation of a    
blessing on their journey4  ,the        
derivation of the word ',ombwiri' is not
 known4 ,as it is used in the plural as 
well as in the singular form1 it no     
doubt represents a class or family of   
spirits4 ,he is regarded as a tutelar or
 guardian spirit4 ,almost every man has 
his own ombwiri1 for which he provides a

 small house near his own4 ,all the harm
 that he has escaped in this world1 and 
all the good secured1 are ascribed to   
the kindly offices of this guardian     
spirit4 ,ombwiri is also regarded as the
 author of everything in the world which
 is marvellous or mysterious4 ,any      
remarkable feature in the physical      
aspect of the country1 any notable      
phenomenon in the heavens1 or           
extraordinary events in the affairs of  
men are ascribed to ,ombwiri4 ,his      
favorite places of abode are the summits
 of high mountains1 deep caverns1 large 
rocks1 and the base of very large forest
 trees4 ,and while the people attach no 
malignity to his character1 they        
carefully guard against all unnecessary 
familiarity in their intercourse with   
him1 and never pass a place where he is 
supposed to dwell except in silence4 ,he
 is the only one of all the spirits     
recognized by the people that has no    
priesthood2 his intercourse with men    
being direct and immediate4#bf  ,these  

spirits are sometimes spoken of with the
 nkinda and olg 7,mpongwe2 plural1 ilg74
 ,they all come from the spirits of the 
dead4 ,these several names indicate a   
difference as to kind or class of       
spirit1 and a difference in the work or 
functions they are called upon to       
exercise4 ,the ilg are spirits of       
strangers1 and have come from a         
distance4  ,while the ombwiri is indeed 
feared1 it is with a respectful         
reverence1 different from the dread of  
an ibambo4 ,ombwiri is fine and         
admirable in aspect1 but is very rarely 
seen2 it is white1 like a white person4 
,souls of distinguished chiefs and other
 great men turn to awiri4 ,the fear with
 which the native regards massive rocks 
and large trees--the ombwiri homes--need
 not be felt by white people1 who are   
themselves considered awiri1 without its
 being clearly understood whether their 
bodies are inhabited by the departed    
spirits of the ,negro dead1 or whether  
some came from other sources4  ,the     

awiri are generally favorably disposed1 
especially to their former human        
relatives2 but it is necessary to       
gratify them with religious services    
constituting an ancestral worship4      
,while some of them reside in great     
rocks or trees1 others dwell in rivers1 
lakes1 and seas4  ,awiri1 if they love a
 person and desire to favor him or her1 
have the special power to grant a gift  
desired by most ,africans1 viz41 the    
birth of children4 ,the awiri live      
mostly in the region of their own former
 human tribe4 ,it is possible1 however1 
for them to go everywhere2 but they     
usually remain within their old tribal  
limits4 ,if1 however1 a tribe should    
remove or become extinct1 their awiri   
would still remain in that region1 and  
would affiliate with the new people who 
might come to occupy the deserted       
village sites4  ,awiri have a period of 
inactivity1 the cold dry season of four 
months 7in western ,equatorial ,africa71
 ,may to ,september4 ,at that time they 

become very small1 inactive1 and almost 
lifeless 7a condition of hibernation1   
somewhat like that of bears2 or of      
inertia1 as when a snake casts its      
skin874  #d4 ,there is another class of 
spirits called ,sinkinda 7singular1     
nkinda71 some of whom are the spirits of
 people who in the ordinary stations of 
life were common1 or not distinguished  
for greatness or goodness4 ,others of   
these sinkinda are of uncertain origin1 
perhaps demons whom ,njambi had created1
 but to whom ,he had never given bodily 
existence4  ,almost all sinkinda are    
evilly disposed4 ,they come to the      
villages on visits to warm themselves by
 the kitchen fires or out of curiosity  
to see what is going on1 and sometimes1 
temporarily1 to enter into the bodies of
 the living1 especially of their own    
family4 ,the entrance of a nkinda into a
 human body always sickens the person4  
,it may enter any one1 even a child4 ,if
 many of them enter a man's body1 he    
becomes crazy4  ,sometimes the nkinda1  

when asked who he is1 says3 ,i am a     
spirit of a member of your own family1  
and ,i have come to live with you4 ,i am
 tired of living in the forest with cold
 and hunger4 ,i wish to stay with you4  
,often when people are sick with fever  
or cold1 the diagnosis is made that some
 nkinda has come on a visit4 ,if it is  
of the same family as those whom it is  
visiting1 it comes and goes from time to
 time1 to please itself2 but it is      
never1 like an uvengwa1 visible4        
,sometimes these sinkinda are called    
ivvi 7sing4 ovvi1 messenger74 ,they come
 from far and bring news1 e4 g41 ,an    
epidemic of disease is coming1 or ,a    
ship is coming with wealth4 ,sometimes  
the news thus brought proves true4 7,is 
this our modern spiritualism87 ,in such 
cases the coming of the nkinda is       
regarded as a blessing1 in that it warns
 the living of evil or brings them      
wealth4 ,the information is always      
carried by the mouth of some living     
member of the family4 ,if these sinkinda

 are asked by a non-possessed member of 
the family1 ,where do you live8 the     
reply is1 ,nowhere in particular4 ,but  
at evenings we gather about your town1  
to see you and join in your dances and  
songs4 ,we see you1 though you do not   
see us4  #e4 ,mondi4 ,there are beings1 
myondi 7,benga2 singular1 mondi71 who   
are agents in causing sickness or in    
either aiding or hindering human plans4 
,these spirits are much the same as     
those of the fourth class1 except that  
in power they seem to be more           
independent than other spirits4 ,but    
they are not always simply passive in   
the hands of the doctor2 they are often 
active on their own account1 or at their
 own pleasure1 generally to injure4     
,they are worshipped almost always in a 
deprecatory way4 ,they often take       
violent possession of human bodies2 and 
for their expulsion it is that ilg1     
sinkinda1 and awiri are invoked4 ,they  
are invoked especially at the new moons1
 but also at other times1 particularly  

in sickness4 ,the native oganga decides 
whether or no they be myondi that are   
afflicting the patient4 ,when the       
diagnosis has been made1 and myondi     
declared to be present in the patient's 
body1 the indication is that they are to
 be exorcised4  ,a slight doubt must be 
admitted in regard to these myondi1     
whether they really do constitute a     
distinct class1 or whether any spirit of
 any class may not become a myondi4 ,the
 name in that case would be given them1 
not as a class1 but as producers of     
certain effects1 at certain times and   
under certain circumstances4  ,the      
powers and functions of the several     
classes of spirits do not seem to be    
distinctly defined4 ,certainly they do  
not confine themselves either to their  
recognized locality or to the usually   
understood function pertaining to their 
class4 ,these powers and functions shade
 into each other1 or may be assumed by  
members of almost any class4 ,but it is 
clearly believed that spirits1 even of  

the same class1 differ in power4 ,some  
are strong1 others are weak4 ,they are  
limited as to the nature of their       
powers2 no spirit can do all things4 ,a 
spirit's efficiency runs only on a      
certain line or lines4 ,all of them can 
be influenced and made subservient to   
human wishes by a variety of            
incantations4  ,there are other names   
which1 while they belong to spirits1    
apparently indicate only peculiarities  
in spiritual manifestations1 and not    
representatives of a class4  #a4 ,there 
may enter into any animal's body        
7generally a leopard's7 some spirit1 or1
 temporarily1 even the soul of a living 
human being4 ,the animal then1 guided by
 human intelligence and will1 exercises 
its strength for the purposes of the    
temporary human possessor4 ,many murders
 are said to be committed in this way1  
after the manner of the mythical ,german
 wehr-wolf or the ,french loup-garou4   
,this belief in demoniacal possession of
 a lower animal must not be confounded  

with the equally believed transmigration
 of souls4 ,the former is widespread    
over at least a third of the ,african   
continent4 ,in ,mashona-land they       
believe that at times both living and   
dead persons can change themselves into 
animals1 either to execute some         
vengeance1 or to procure something they 
wish for2 thus1 a man will change       
himself into a hyena or a lion to steal 
a sheep and make a good meal off it2    
into a serpent to avenge himself on some
 enemy4 ,at other times1 if they see a  
serpent1 it is one of the ,matotela     
tribe or slave tribe1 which has thus    
transformed himself to take some        
vengeance on the ,barotse4#bg  #b4      
,another manifestation is that of the   
uvengwa4 ,it is claimed to be not simply
 spiritual1 but tangible4 ,it is the    
self-resurrected spirit and body of a   
dead human being4 ,it is an object of   
dread1 and is never worshipped in any   
manner whatever4 ,why it appears is not 
known4 ,perhaps it shows itself only in 

a restless1 unquiet1 or dissatisfied    
feeling4 ,it is white in color1 but the 
body is variously changed from the      
likeness of the original human body4    
,some say that it has only one eye1     
placed in the centre of the forehead4   
,some say that its feet are webbed like 
an aquatic bird4 ,it does not speak2 it 
only wanders1 looking as if with        
curiosity4  ,my little cottage at       
,batanga is a mile and a half from the  
three chief dwellings of the station4   
,one afternoon in #aijb ,i went to the  
station1 leaving my cook and his wife in
 charge of the cottage4 ,when ,i        
returned late at night1 he asserted that
 an uvengwa had come there4 ,a few yards
 in front of the door of the house is a 
mango tree with its very dense dark     
foliage4 ,the trunk is divided a few    
feet from the ground4 ,the light from   
the open door streamed into a part of   
the front yard1 leaving the tree trunk  
in dark shadow4 ,the woman going out of 
the door had started back1 screaming to 

her husband that she saw an uvengwa     
standing in the crotch of the tree and  
peering around one of the branches4 ,the
 husband went to the door4 ,he asserted 
to me that he also had seen the form4   
,in their terror1 neither of them made  
any investigation4 ,possibly a          
chalk-whitened thief had taken advantage
 of my absence to prowl about4 ,but the 
two witnesses rejected such a           
suggestion2 they were sure it was a     
visitor from some grave4  #c4 ,other    
spiritual manifestations are spoken of  
as the personal guardian-spirit and the 
family guardian-spirit4 ,these do not   
constitute a separate class1 but are the
 special modes of operation adopted by  
the ancestral spirit or spirits in the  
protection of their family4 ,its        
description belongs properly to a later 
chapter under the name of the ,family   
,yk fetich4  ,the manner of invocation  
of all these five classes of spirits1 in
 the case of obscure diseases1 is very  
much the same now as what ,dr4 ,wilson  

described fifty years ago4 ,what he saw 
on the ,gabun ,river tallies with what  
,i also saw thirty years ago at ,benita1
 and subsequently in the ,ogowe4 ,even  
at ,gabun1 in the present day1 though   
the ,mpongwe have been enlightened1 the 
same ceremonies are kept up by other    
tribes1 the ,shekani and ,fang1 who have
 emerged on the coast at ,libreville4   
,sick persons1 and especially those that
 are afflicted with nervous disorders1  
are supposed to be possessed by one or  
the other of these spirits4 ,if the     
disease assumes a serious form1 the     
patient is taken to a priest or a       
priestess1 of either of these classes of
 spirits4 ,certain tests are applied1   
and it is soon ascertained to which     
class the disease belongs1 and the      
patient is accordingly turned over to   
the proper priest4 ,the ceremonies in   
the different cases are not materially  
different2 they are alike1 at least1 in 
the employment of an almost endless     
round of absurd1 unmeaning1 and         

disgusting ceremonies which none but a  
heathenish and ignorant priesthood could
 invent1 and none but a poor1 ignorant1 
and superstitious people could ever     
tolerate4  ,in either case a temporary  
shanty is erected in the middle of the  
street for the occupancy of the patient1
 the priest1 and such persons as are to 
take part in the ceremony of exorcism4  
,the time employed in performing the    
ceremonies is seldom less than ten or   
fifteen days4 ,during this period       
dancing1 drumming1 feasting1 and        
drinking are kept up without            
intermission day and night1 and all at  
the expense of the nearest relative of  
the invalid4 ,the patient1 if a female1 
is decked out in the most fantastic     
costume2 her face1 bosom1 arms1 and legs
 are streaked with red and white chalk1 
her head adorned with red feathers1 and 
much of the time she promenades the open
 space in front of the shanty with a    
sword in her hand1 which she brandishes 
in a very menacing way against the      

bystanders4 ,at the same time she       
assumes as much of the maniac in her    
looks1 actions1 gestures1 and walk as   
possible4 ,in many cases this is all    
mere affectation1 and no one is deceived
 by it4 ,but there are other cases where
 motions seem involuntary and entirely  
beyond the control of the person2 and   
when you watch the wild and unnatural   
stare1 the convulsive movements of the  
limbs and body1 the unnatural posture   
into which the whole frame is           
occasionally thrown1 the gnashing of the
 teeth1 and foaming at the mouth1 and   
supernatural strength that is put forth 
when any attempt is made at constraint1 
you are strongly reminded of cases of   
real possession recorded in the ,new    
,testament4  ,there is no reason to     
suppose that any real cures are effected
 by these prolonged ceremonies4 ,in     
certain nervous affections the          
excitement is kept up until utter       
exhaustion takes place2 and if the      
patient is kept quiet afterwards 7which 

is generally the case71 she may be      
restored to better health after a while2
 and1 no matter how long it may be      
before she recovers from this severe tax
 upon her nerves1 the priest claims the 
credit of it4 ,in other cases the       
patient may not have been diseased at   
all1 and1 of course1 there was nothing  
to be recovered from4  ,if it should be 
a case of undissembled sickness1 and the
 patient become worse by this unnatural 
treatment1 she is removed1 and the      
ceremonies are suspended1 and it is     
concluded that it was not a real        
possession1 but something else4 ,the    
priests have certain tests by which it  
is known when the patient is healed1 and
 the whole transaction is wound up when 
the fees are paid4 ,in all cases of this
 kind it is impossible to say whether   
the devil has really been cast out or   
merely a better understanding arrived at
 between him and the person he has been 
tormenting4 ,the individual is required 
to build a little house or temple for   

the spirit near his own1 to take        
occasional offerings to him1 and pay all
 due respect to his character1 or to be 
subject to renewed assaults at any time4
 ,certain restrictions are imposed upon 
the person who has recovered from these 
satanic influences4 ,he must refrain    
from certain kinds of food1 avoid       
certain places of common resort1 and    
perform certain duties2 and1 for the    
neglect of any of these1 is sure to be  
severely scourged by a return of his    
malady4 ,like the ,jews1 in speaking of 
the actions of these demoniacs1 they are
 said to be done by the spirit1 and not 
by the person who is possessed4 ,if the 
person performs any unnatural or        
revolting act1--as the biting off of the
 head of a live chicken and sucking its 
blood1--it is said that the spirit1 not 
the man1 has done it4  ,but the views of
 the great mass of the people on these  
subjects are exceedingly vague and      
indefinite4 ,they attend these          
ceremonies on account of the parade and 

excitement that usually accompany them1 
but they have no knowledge of their     
origin1 their true nature1 or of their  
results4 ,many submit to the ceremonies 
because they are persuaded to do so by  
their friends1 and1 no doubt1 in many   
cases in the hope of being freed from   
some troublesome malady4 ,but as to the 
meaning of the ceremonies themselves1 or
 the real influence which they exert    
upon their bodily diseases1 they        
probably have many doubts1 and when     
called upon to give explanation of the  
process which they have passed through1 
they show that they have none but the   
most confused ideas4#bh     ,,chapter   
,,vi  ,,fetichism--,,its                
,,philosophy--,a ,,physical             
,,salvation--,,charms ,,and ,,amulets   
,even during the while that man was     
still a monotheist1 as seen in a        
previous chapter1 he had eventually come
 to the use of idols which he did not   
actually worship1 by the making of      
images simply to represent ,god2 he had 

not yet become an idolater4             
,subsequently1 in his farther lapse away
 from ,god1 when he began to render     
worship to beings other than ,god1      
fashioned images to represent them also1
 and actually worshipped them1 he became
 a polytheist and an idolater4  ,when he
 had wandered still farther1 and ,god   
was no longer worshipped1 the knowledge 
of ,him being reduced to a name1 a      
multitude of spiritual beings were      
substituted in place of ,god1 and       
religion was only animism4  ,farther on1
 when it seemed desirable to provide    
local residence for these spirits1 as   
had been done for ,god ,himself in      
temples and costly images1 the material 
objects used for that residence were no 
longer matter of value and choice2      
anything and any place was sufficient   
for a spirit's habitat4 ,neither        
dignity1 beauty1 nor strength was any   
longer a factor in the selection4 ,for  
these objects did not represent the     
deities in any way whatever4 ,they were 

simply local residences4 ,as such1 a    
spirit could live anywhere and in       
anything4 ,this is bald fetichism4 ,the 
thing itself1 the material itself1 is   
not worshipped4 ,the fetich worshipper  
makes a clear distinction between the   
reverence with which he regards a       
certain material object and the worship 
he renders to the spirit for the time   
being inhabiting it4 ,for this reason   
nothing is too mean or too small or too 
ridiculous to be considered fit for a   
spirit's locum tenens2 for when for any 
reason the spirit is supposed to have   
gone out of that thing and definitely   
abandoned it1 the thing itself is no    
longer reverenced1 and is thrown away as
 useless4  ,the selection of the article
 in which the spirit is to reside is    
made by the native uganga 7doctor71 who 
to the ,negro stands in the office of a 
priest4 ,the ground of selection is     
generally that of mere convenience4 ,the
 ability to conjure a free wandering    
spirit into the narrow limits of a small

 material object1 and to compel and     
subordinate its power to the aid of some
 designated person or persons and for a 
specific purpose1 rests with that       
uganga4  ,over the wide range of many   
articles used in which to confine       
spirits1 common and favorite things are 
the skins and especially the tails of   
bush-cats1 horns of antelopes1          
nut-shells1 snail-shells1 bones of any  
animal1 but especially human bones2 and 
among the bones are specially regarded  
portions of skulls of human beings and  
teeth and claws of leopards4 ,but1      
literally1 anything may be chosen1--any 
stick1 any stone1 any rag of cloth4     
,apparently1 there being no limit to the
 number of spirits1 there is literally  
no limit to the number and character of 
the articles in which they may be       
localized4  ,it is not true1 as is      
asserted by some in regard to these     
,african tribes and their degraded form 
of religion1 that they worship the      
actual material objects in which the    

spirits are supposed to be confined4    
,low as is fetichism1 it nevertheless   
has its philosophy1 a philosophy that is
 the same in kind as that of the higher 
forms of religion4 ,a similar sense of  
need that sends the ,christian to his   
knees before ,god to ask aid in time of 
trouble1 and salvation temporal and     
spiritual1 sends the fetich worshipper  
to offer his sacrifice and to ejaculate 
his prayer for help as he lays hold of  
his consecrated antelope horn1 or as he 
looks on it with abiding trust while it 
is safely tied to his body4 ,his human  
necessity drives him to seek assistance4
  ,the difference between his act and   
the act of the ,christian lies in the   
kind of salvation he seeks1 the being to
 whom he appeals1 and the reason for his
 appealing4 ,the reason for his appeal  
is simply fear2 there is no confession1 
no love1 rarely thanksgiving4  ,the     
being to whom he appeals is not ,god4   
,true1 he does not deny that ,he is2 if 
asked1 he will acknowledge ,his         

existence4 ,but that is all4 ,very      
rarely and only in extreme emergencies1 
does he make an appeal to ,him2 for he  
thinks ,god so far off1 so inaccessible1
 so indifferent to human woes and wants1
 that a petition to ,him would be almost
 in vain4 ,he therefore turns to some   
one of the mass of spirits which he     
believes to be ever near and observant  
of human affairs1 in which1 as former   
human beings1 some of them once had     
part4  ,as to the character of the      
salvation sought1 it is not spiritual2  
it is a purely physical salvation4 ,a   
sense of moral and spiritual need is    
lost sight of1 although not eliminated4 
,this is an index of the distance the   
,negro has travelled away from ,jehovah 
before he finally reached the position  
of placing his trust in a fetich4 ,by   
just so much as he seems to himself     
living in a world crowded with unseen   
but powerful spiritual beings 7with whom
 what a ,christian calls sin has no     
reprehensible moral quality71 by just so

 much he seems to have lost sight of his
 own soul and its moral necessities4    
,the future is so vague that in the     
thought of most tribes it contains      
neither heaven nor hell2 there is no    
certain reward or rest for goodness1 nor
 positive punishment for badness4 ,the  
future life is to each native largely a 
reproduction1 on shadowy and intangible 
lines1 of the works and interests and   
passions of this earthly life4 ,in his  
present life1 with its savagery and     
oppression and dominance of selfish     
greed and right of might1 goodness has  
no reward4 ,it is badness which in his  
personal experience makes the largest   
gains4 ,from this point of view1 while  
some acts are indeed called good and    
some bad 7conscience proving its simple 
existence by the use of these words in  
the record of language71 yet conscience 
is not much troubled by its possessor's 
badness4 ,there is little sense of the  
sinfulness of sin4 ,there is only fear  
of possible human injury by human or    

subsidized spiritual enemies4 ,this is  
all the salvation that is sought4  ,it  
is sought by prayer2 by sacrifice1 and  
by certain other ceremonies rendered to 
the spirit of the fetich or to other    
non-localized spirits2 and by the use of
 charms or amulets4  ,these charms may  
be vocal1 ritual1 or material4  7#a7    
,the vocal are the utterance of         
cabalistic words deprecatory of evil or 
supplicatory of favor1 which are        
supposed in a vague way to have power   
over the local spirits4 ,these words or 
phrases1 though sometimes coined by a   
person for himself or herself 7and      
therefore like our slang having a known 
meaning71 are often archaisms1 handed   
down from ancestors and believed to     
possess efficiency1 but whose meaning is
 forgotten4 ,in this list would be      
included long incantations by the magic 
doctors and the ,ibt-blown blessing4    
7#b7 ,certain rites or ceremonies are   
performed for almost every child at some
 time during his or her infancy or      

youth1 or subsequently as occasion may  
demand1 in which a prohibition is laid  
upon the child in regard to the eating  
of some particular article of food or   
the doing of some special act4 ,it is   
difficult to get at the exact object for
 this orunda4 ,certainly the prohibited 
food or act is not in itself evil2 for  
all but the inhibited individual may eat
 of the food or commit the act as they  
please4 ,most natives blindly follow the
 custom of their ancestors1 and are     
unable to give me the raison d'tre of   
the rite itself4 ,but ,i gather from the
 testimony of those best able to give a 
reason that the prohibited article or   
act is literally a sacrifice1 ordained  
for the child by its parents and the    
magic doctor1 as a gift to the governing
 spirit of its life4 ,the thing         
prohibited thus becomes removed from the
 child's common use and is made sacred  
to the spirit4 ,it is therefore a       
sacrament4 ,any use of it by the child  
will thenceforth be a sacrilege which   

would draw down the spirit's wrath in   
the form of sickness or other evil1 and 
which can be atoned for only through    
expensive ceremonies and by gifts to the
 magician interceding for the offender4 
,anything may be selected for an orunda4
 ,i do not know the ground for a        
selection4 ,why one child1 perhaps a    
babe too young to have eaten of the     
to-be-prohibited thing1 should be       
debarred forever from eating a chicken1 
or the liver or any other particular    
part1 or any portion at all1 of a goat  
or an ox or any other animal1 ,i do not 
know4 ,but that orunda is thenceforth   
faithfully complied with1 even under    
pangs of hunger4 ,it is like a          
,nazarite's vow4  ,i have a strong      
suspicion that where the orunda laid on 
a woman is a matter of meat1            
superstition has played into the hands  
of masculine selfishness1 and denies to 
women the choice meat in order that men 
may have the greater share4 ,my         
suspicion rests on almost positive      

evidence in the case of some            
prohibitions to the women of the ,bulu  
and other ,fang tribes of the interior4 
,on a boat journey in the ,ogowe ,river1
 about #ahgh1 ,i camped on the edge of a
 forest for the noon meal4 ,my crew of  
four1 members of the ,galwa and ,nkmi   
tribes1 had no meat4 ,they needed it1   
for they had rowed hard and well4 ,for  
myself1 ,i had only a small chicken4 ,i 
was satisfied with a portion of it1 and 
gave the rest to the crew4 ,it would    
make at least a tasty morsel for each1  
with their manioc bread4 ,three of them 
thanked me2 the fourth did not touch his
 share4 ,i felt slightly vexed1 thinking
 my favor was not appreciated1 and ,i   
asked the cause of his apparent         
sullenness4 ,he said he did not dare to 
eat of the fowl1 as it was orunda to    
him4  ,on another journey1 in #ahgf1 a  
young man whom ,i had picked up as extra
 hand in my boat's crew1 when at the    
noon mealtime we stopped under the shade
 of a spreading tree by the river's     

bank1 instead of respectfully leaving me
 alone with my lunch in the boat1 and   
going ashore where the others were      
eating1 wanted to remain in the boat1   
his orunda being that when on a journey 
by water his food should be eaten only  
over water4  ,two ,ogowe chiefs1 near   
whose villages was anchored the small   
river steamer ,pioneer1 on which ,i was 
passenger1 in #ahge1 came aboard1 and in
 drinking a glass of liquor with the    
captain1 one of them held up a piece of 
white cloth before his mouth1 in order  
that strangers' eyes might not see him  
swallow4 ,that was his orunda1 probably4
 ,perhaps also the hiding of his        
drinking may have had reference to the  
common fear of another's evil eye4  ,the
 other1 having taken a mouthful1 wet his
 finger in his mouth1 drew the wet      
finger across his throat1 and then blew 
on a fetich which he wore as a ring on a
 finger of the other hand4 ,i do not    
know the significance of his motion     
across his throat4 ,the blowing was the 

,ibt-blessing1--an ejaculatory prayer   
for a blessing on his plans1 probably of
 trade4  ,this word orunda1 meaning thus
 originally prohibited from human use   
7like the ,south ,sea taboo71 grew1     
under missionary hands1 into its related
 meaning of sacred to spiritual use4 ,it
 is the word by which the ,mpongwe      
,scriptures translate our word holy4 ,i 
think it an unfortunate choice2 for the 
missionary has to stop and explain that 
orunda1 as used for ,god1 does not mean 
the orunda used by mankind4 ,in the     
translation of the ,benga ,scriptures   
the word holy was transferred bodily1   
and we explain that it means something  
better than good4 ,to such straits are  
translators sometimes reduced in the use
 of heathen languages6  7#c7 ,the charms
 that are most common are material1 the 
fetich1--so common1 indeed1 that by the 
universality of their use1 and the      
prominence given to them everywhere1 in 
houses and on the person1 they almost   
monopolize the religious thought of the 

,bantu ,negro1 subordinating other      
acknowledged points of his theology1    
dominating his almost entire religious  
interest1 and giving the departmental   
word fetich such overwhelming regard    
that it has furnished the name          
distinctive of the native ,african      
religious system1 viz41 fetichism4      
,fetich is an ,english word of          
,portuguese origin4 ,it is derived from 
feitico1 'made1' 'artificial' 7compare  
the old ,english fetys1 used by         
,chaucer72 and this term1 used of the   
charms and amulets worn in the ,roman   
,catholic religion of the period1 was   
applied1 by the ,portuguese sailors of  
the eighteenth century1 to the deities  
they saw worshipped by the ,negroes of  
the ,west ,coast of ,africa4  ,de       
,brosses1 a ,french savant of the last  
century1 brought the word 'fetichism'   
into use as a term for the type of      
religion of the lowest races4 ,the word 
has given rise to some confusion1 having
 been applied1 by ,comte and other      

writers1 to the worship of the heavenly 
bodies and of the great features of     
,nature4 ,it is best to limit it to the 
worship of such natural objects as are  
reverenced1 not for their own power or  
excellence1 but because they are        
supposed to be occupied each by a       
spirit4#bi  ,the native word on the     
,liberian coast is gree-gree2 in the    
,niger ,delta1 ju-ju2 in the ,gabun     
country1 monda2 among the cannibal      
,fang1 bia2 and in other tribes the same
 respective dialectic by which we       
translate medicine4 ,to a sick native's 
thought the adjuvant medicinal herb used
 by the doctor1 and its associated      
efficiency-giving spirit invoked by that
 same doctor1 are inseparable4 ,in the  
heathen ,negro's soul the fetich takes  
the place1 and has the regard1 which an 
idol has with the ,hindu and the        
,chinese4  ,a fetich1 strictly speaking1
 is little else than a charm or amulet1 
worn about the person1 and set up at    
some convenient place1 for the purpose  

of guarding against some apprehended    
evil or securing some coveted good4 ,in 
the ,anglo-,african parlance of the     
,coast fetiches are called by various   
names1 but all signify the same thing4  
,fetiches may be made of anything of    
vegetable1 animal1 or metallic nature1  
and need only to pass through the       
consecrating hands of a native priest to
 receive all the supernatural powers    
which they are supposed to possess4 ,it 
is not always certain that they possess 
extraordinary powers4 ,they must be     
tried and give proof of their efficiency
 before they can be implicitly          
trusted4#cj  ,a fetich1 then1 is any    
material object consecrated by the      
oganga1 or magic doctor1 with a variety 
of ceremonies and processes1 by virtue  
of which some spirit becomes localized  
in that object1 and subject to the will 
of the possessor4  ,anything that can be
 conveniently carried on the person may 
thus be consecrated1--a stone1 chip1    
rag1 string1 or bead4 ,articles most    

frequently used are snail-shells1       
nut-shells1 and small horns of gazelles 
or goats4 ,these are used probably      
because of their convenient cavities2   
for they are to be filled by the oganga 
with a variety of substances depending1 
in their selection1 on the special work 
to be accomplished by the fetich4 ,its  
value1 however1 depends not on itself1  
nor solely on the character of these    
substances1 but on the skill of the     
oganga in dealing with spirits4  ,there 
is a relation between these selected    
substances and the object to be obtained
 by the fetich which is to be prepared  
of them1--for example1 to give the      
possessor bravery or strength1 some part
 of a leopard or an elephant2 to give   
cunning1 some part of a gazelle2 to give
 wisdom1 some part of a human brain2 to 
give courage1 some part of a heart2 to  
give influence1 some part of an eye2 and
 so on for a multitude of qualities4    
,these substances are supposed to lure  
some spirit 7being in some way pleasing 

to it71 which thenceforward is satisfied
 to reside in them and to aid the       
possessor in the accomplishment of some 
one specific wish4  ,in preparing a     
fetich the oganga selects substances    
such as he deems appropriate to the end 
in view1--the ashes of certain medicinal
 plants1 pieces of calcined bones1 gums1
 spices1 resins1 and even filth1        
portions of organs of the bodies of     
animals1 and especially of human beings 
7preferably eyes1 brain1 heart1 and     
gall-bladder71 particularly of          
ancestors1 or men strong or renowned in 
any way1 and very especially of enemies 
and of white men4 ,human eyeballs       
7particularly of a white person7 are a  
great prize4 ,new-made graves have been 
rifled for them4  ,these are compounded 
in secret1 with the accompaniment of    
drums1 dancing1 invocations1 looking    
into mirrors or limpid water to see     
faces 7human or spiritual1 as may be    
desired71 and are stuffed into the      
hollow of the shell or bone1 or smeared 

over the stick or stone4  ,if it be     
desired to obtain power over some one   
else1 the oganga must be given by the   
applicant1 to be mixed in the sacred    
compound1 either crumbs from the food1  
or clippings of finger nails or hair1 or
 7most powerful67 even a drop of blood  
of the person over whom influence is    
sought4 ,these represent the life or    
body of that person4 ,so fearful are    
natives of power being thus obtained    
over them1 that they have their hair cut
 only by a friend2 and even then they   
carefully burn it or cast it into a     
river4 ,if one accidentally cuts        
himself1 he stamps out what blood has   
dropped on the ground1 or cuts out from 
wood the part saturated with blood4     
,sitting one day by a village           
boat-landing in the ,benita region1     
about #ahff1 while my crew prepared for 
our journey1 ,i was idly plucking at my 
beard1 and carelessly flung away a few  
hairs4 ,presently ,i observed that some 
children gathered them up4 ,asking my   

,christian assistant what that meant1 he
 told me3 ,they will have a fetich made 
with those hairs2 when next you visit   
this village1 they will ask you for some
 favor1 and you will grant it1 by the   
power they will thus have obtained over 
you4  ,the water with which a lover's   
body 7male or female7 is washed1 is used
 in making a philter to be mingled      
secretly in the drink of the loved one4 
,while1 as ,i have already stated1 it is
 true that anything portable may be used
 either as the receptacle in which the  
spirit is to be located or as the       
substance or medicine to be inserted in 
it1 ,i wish to insist that in the       
philosophy of fetich there is always a  
reason in the selection of all these    
articles1--a reason which it is often   
difficult for a foreigner to            
discover1--an apparent fitness for the  
end in view4  ,arnot#ca refers to this3 
,africans believe largely in preventive 
measures1 and their fetich charms are   
chiefly of that order4 ,in passing      

through a country where leopards and    
lions abound1 they carefully provide    
themselves with the claws1 teeth1 lips1 
and whiskers of those animals1 and hang 
them around their necks1 to secure      
themselves against being attacked4 ,for 
the same purpose the point of an        
elephant trunk is generally worn by     
elephant hunters4 ,the bones from the   
legs of tortoises are much valued as    
anklets1 in order to give the wearers   
endurance1 reminding one of the fable of
 the tortoise4 ,the lower jaw-bone of   
the tortoise is worn by certain tribes  
as a preventive against toothache4 ,the 
spine bones of serpents are strung      
together with a girdle as a cure for    
back-ache4  ,a recent visitor to the    
,gabun country1 in the ,journal of the  
,african ,society1 makes this criticism3
 ,when a white man or woman wears some  
trinket strung about them1 they call it 
an amulet or charm4 ,they ascribe to it 
some virtue1 and regard it as a sacred  
787 thing2 but when an ,african native  

wears one1 white men call it 'fetich1'  
and the wearer a savage or heathen4     
,this defence of the ,negro is          
gratifying1 but the criticism of the    
white man is not quite just4 ,there is  
this radical difference3 to the ,african
 the fetich is his all1 his entire hope 
for his physical salvation2 he does not 
reckon on ,god at all4 ,the civilized   
man or woman with a mascot is very      
foolish in his or her belief in luck1   
but their mascots never entirely take   
,god's place4  ,i met at ,gabun about   
#ahie the same criticism from the mouth 
of a partly educated ,sierra ,leone     
,negro1 who1 though a professing        
,christian1 evidently was wearing       
,christianity hypocritically4 ,his      
well-educated ,mpongwe wife was a member
 of my church4 ,it was discovered that  
she had a certain fetich suspended in   
her bedroom4 ,it was necessary to summon
 her before the church session2 she     
explained that it was not hers1 but her 
husband's1 and disclaimed belief in it4 

,she was rebuked for allowing it in her 
room4 ,the husband1 hearing of the      
rebuke1 wrote me an angry letter        
justifying his fetich4 ,he said in      
substance3  ,you white people don't know
 anything about black man's 'fashions4' 
,you say you trust ,god for everything1 
but in your own country you put up an   
iron rod over your houses to protect    
yourselves from death by lightning2 and 
you trust in it the while that you still
 believe in ,god2 and you call it       
'electricity' and civilization4 ,and you
 say it's all right4 ,i call this thing 
of mine--this charm--'medicine'2 and ,i 
hung it over my wife's bed to keep away 
death by the arts of those who hate her2
 and ,i trust in it while still         
believing in ,god4 ,and you think me a  
heathen6 ,it was explained to him that  
in the use of the lightning-rod white   
men reverently recognized ,god in ,his  
own natural forces1 but that his fetich 
dishonored ,god1 ignored ,him1 and was a
 distinct recognition of a supposed     

power that was claimed to be able to act
 independently of ,god2 that ,i trusted 
to the lightning-rod under ,god1 while  
he trusted to his fetich outside of     
,god4  ,for every human passion or      
desire of every part of our nature1 for 
our thousand necessities or wishes1 a   
fetich can be made1 its operation being 
directed to the attainment of one       
specified wish1 and limited in power    
only by the possible existence of some  
more powerful antagonizing spirit4      
,this1 hung on the plantation fence or  
from the branches of plants in the      
garden1 is either to prevent theft or to
 sicken the thief2 hung over the doorway
 of the house1 to bar the entrance of   
evil2 hung from the bow of the canoe1 to
 insure a successful voyage2 worn on the
 arm in hunting1 to assure an accurate  
aim2 worn on any part of one's person1  
to give success in loving1 hating1      
planting1 fishing1 buying1 and so forth1
 through the whole range of daily work  
and interests4  ,some kinds1 worn on a  

bracelet or necklace1 are to ward off   
sickness4 ,the new-born infant has a    
health-knot tied about its neck1 wrist1 
or loins4 ,down to the day of oldest    
age1 every one keeps on multiplying or  
renewing or altering these life         
talismans4  ,if of the charge at        
,balaklava it was said1 ,this is        
magnificent1 but it is not war1 ,i may  
say of these heathen1 ,such faith is    
magnificent1 though it be folly4 ,the   
hunter going out1 certain of success1   
returns empty-handed2 the warrior       
bearing on his breast a fetich panoply1 
which he is confident will turn aside a 
bullet1 comes back wounded2 every one is
 some day foiled in his cherished plan4 
,do they lose their faith8 ,no1 not in  
the system1--their fetichism2 but in the
 special material object of their       
faith--their fetich--they do4 ,going to 
the oganga whom they had paid for       
concocting that now disappointing       
amulet1 they tell him of its failure4   
,he readily replies3 ,yes1 ,i know4 ,you

 have an enemy who possesses a fetich   
containing a spirit more powerful than  
yours1 which made your bullet miss its  
mark1 which caused your opponent's spear
 to wound you4 ,yours is no longer of   
use2 it's dead4 ,come1 pay me1 and ,i   
will make you a charm containing a      
spirit still more powerful4  ,the old   
fetich hitherto jealously guarded1 and  
which would not have been sold for any  
consideration1 is now thrown away or    
sold to the foreign curio-hunter4  ,a   
native heathen ,akele chief1 ,kasa1 my  
friend and host in the ,ogowe1 in #ahgd1
 showed me a string of shells1 bones1   
horns1 wild-cat tails1 and so forth1    
each with its magic compound1 which he  
said could turn aside bullets4 ,in a    
friendly way he dared me to fire at him 
with my sixteen-repeater ,winchester    
rifle4 ,i did not believe he meant it2  
but1 on his taking his stand a few paces
 distant1 he did not quail under my     
steady aim1 nor even at the click of the
 trigger4 ,i1 of course1 desisted1      

apparently worsted4 ,two years later1   
,kasa was charged by an elephant he had 
wounded1 and was pierced by its tusks4  
,his attendants drove off the beast2 the
 fearfully lacerated man survived long  
enough to accuse twelve of his women and
 other slaves of having bewitched his   
gun1 and thus causing it only to wound  
instead of killing the elephant4 ,on    
that charge four of the accused were put
 to death4  ,both men and women may     
become aganga on voluntary choice1 and  
after a course of instruction by an     
oganga4  ,there is generally a special  
person in a tribe who knows these       
things1 and is able to work them4 ,he   
has more power over spirits than other  
men have1 and is able to make them do   
what he likes4 ,he can heal sickness1 he
 can foretell the future1 he can change 
a thing into something else1 or a man   
into a lower animal1 or a tree1 or      
anything2 he can also assume such       
transformations himself at will4 ,he    
uses means to bring about such results2 

he knows about herbs1 he has also       
recourse to rubbing1 to making images of
 affected parts of the body1 and to     
various other arts4 ,very frequently he 
is regarded as inspired4 ,it is the     
spirit dwelling in him which brings     
about the wonderful results2 without the
 spirit he could not do anything4#cb    
,illustration3 ,,fetich ,,doctor4 7,the 
triangular patch of hair is the         
professional tonsure47   ,though these  
magicians possess power1 its joy has its
 limitations2 for1 becoming possessed by
 a familiar spirit1 through whose aid   
they make their invocations and         
incantations and under whose influence  
they fall into cataleptic trances or are
 thrilled with ,delphic rages1 if they  
should happen to offend that familiar1  
it may destroy them by eating out their 
life1 as their phrase is4 ,on ,corisco  
,island1 in #ahfc1 a certain man had    
acquired prominence as a magic doctor2  
he finally died of consumption4 ,his    
friends began a witchcraft investigation

 to find out who had killed him4 ,a     
post-mortem being made1 cavities were   
found in the lungs4 ,ignorant of        
disease1 they thereupon dropped the     
investigation1 saying that his own witch
 had eaten him4  ,captain ,guy ,burrows1
 a ,british officer1 formerly in the    
service of the ,kongo ,free-,state1 left
 it unwilling to be a participant in the
 fearful atrocities allowed by the ,king
 of ,belgium2 and he has recently made a
 scathing exposure of the doings of     
,belgian agents that have made the      
,kongo a slave-ground of worse horrors  
than existed in the old days of the     
export slave-trade4 ,he thus jocularly  
describes what he saw of fetich at the  
town of ,matadi on the ,kongo1 where    
there is an ,english ,baptist ,mission3 
,outside the small area1 under the      
direct influence of the mission1 there  
is but one deity1--the fetich4 ,the     
heathen in his blindness1 in bowing down
 to wood and stone1 bows1 as ,kipling   
says1 to 'wood for choice4' ,he carves a

 more or less grotesque face2 and the   
rest is a matter of taste4 ,i came      
across one figure whose principal       
ornament consisted of a profusion of    
ten-penny nails and a large cowrie      
shell4#cc ,but anything will do2 an old 
tin teapot is another favorite fetich   
decoration4 ,i have generally found that
 the uglier they are1 the more they seem
 to be feared and reverenced4  ,the     
fetich is sometimes inclined to be a    
nuisance4 ,on one occasion ,i wanted to 
build an out-house at the far end of a  
plantation1 where tools and other       
implements might be stored4 ,i was told 
by the chief1 however1 that this was    
fetich ground1 and that terrible        
misfortunes would follow any attempt to 
build on it4 ,i tried to get some closer
 idea of the fetich1 but could get no   
more material information than a recital
 of vague terrors of the kind that      
frighten children at night4 ,so ,i began
 building my out-house1 during the      
course of which operation some monkeys  

came and sat in the trees1 highly       
interested in the proceedings4 ,in some 
indefinite way ,i gathered that the     
fetich power was regarded as being      
invested in these monkeys1 or that they 
were the embodiment of the fetich idea1 
or anything else you please4 ,but ,i    
could not have my work interfered with  
by the ghosts of a lot of chattering    
apes1 and the fears of those big        
children the natives2 so ,i             
witch-doctored the monkeys after an     
improved recipe of my own1--,i shot the 
lot4 ,thereafter the spell was supposed 
to be lifted1 and no farther objections 
were raised2 but the empty cartridge    
cases were seized upon by the men as    
charms against any further              
manifestations in the same place4 ,i am 
glad to say none occurred2 the spell ,i 
had used was too potent6  ,captain      
,burrows was probably an efficient      
administrator4 ,but1 like many          
foreigners1 he evidently chose to ride1 
rough shod1 over natives' prejudices1   

regarding them as idle superstitions1   
and unable or unwilling to investigate  
their philosophy4 ,i see1 however1 from 
his story1 that he had gotten hold of a 
part of the truth4 ,that ground on which
 he desired to build was probably an old
 graveyard4 ,the native chief very      
naturally did not wish it to be         
disturbed4 ,monkeys that gather on the  
trees in the vicinity of a graveyard are
 supposed to be possessed by the spirits
 of those buried there4 ,an ordinary    
individual would have been forcibly     
prevented had he attempted what ,captain
 ,burrows did4 ,he had a foreign        
government at his back1 and the natives 
submitted4 ,their dead and their        
monkeys1 sacred pro tempore1 had        
succumbed to the superior power of the  
white man's cartridges4 ,their only     
satisfaction was to retain the empty    
shells as souvenirs4     ,,chapter ,,vii
  ,,the ,,fetich--,a ,,worship          
,worship is an eminent part of every    
form of religion1 but it is not         

essential to it4 ,true1 most religions  
have some form of worship4 ,but a belief
 would still be a religion1 even if it  
were so insignificant or so degraded or 
so indifferent as not to care to express
 itself in rites or ceremonies4         
,fetichism1 whose claim to a right to be
 reckoned as a religion some have been  
disposed to dispute1 expresses itself by
 most of the visible and audible means  
used in the cults of other forms of     
religion4  ,the motives also that prompt
 to the performance of religious rites  
are not to enter into the question      
whether the beliefs associated with them
 are worthy to be dignified by the name 
religion4 ,motives may vary widely1 e4  
g41 love in an evangelical ,christian1  
pride in a ,pharisee1 sensual lust in a 
follower of ,islam and in a ,mormon1 and
 fear in the fetich worshipper4 ,those  
motives1 mixed perhaps with other       
considerations1 are the dominant factor 
in the government of the religious life 
of each4  ,we have already seen in the  

previous chapter that the religious     
thought of the believer in fetichism    
does not concern his soul or its future4
 ,the evils he would escape are not     
moral or spiritual4 ,the sense of a     
great need that makes him look for help 
outside of himself is not based on a    
desire to obey ,god's will1 but on his  
and some spirit's co-relation to the    
great needs of this mortal life4  ,the  
salvation sought being a purely physical
 one1 the thoughts that direct the use  
of means to that end are limited to     
physical needs1 and largely to physical 
agencies4 ,but not entirely3 for one of 
these agencies1 as already mentioned in 
the previous chapter1 is prayer2 other  
agencies are sacrificial offerings1 and 
the use of amulet charms1 or talismans1 
known as fetiches4  #a4 ,fetich ,worship
 as performed by ,sacrifice and other   
,offerings4 ,sacrifice is an element in 
all real worship1 if by sacrifice1 in   
the widest sense1 may be understood the 
devoting of any object from a common to 

a sacred use1 and this irrespective of  
the actual value of the gift 7as is the 
case also with ,chinese paper imitation 
money scattered around the grave1 in    
,chinese funerals74 ,the intention of   
the giver ennobles it2 the spirit being 
supposed in some vague way to be        
gratified by the respectful recognition 
of itself1 and even to be pleased       
sometimes by the gift itself4  7#a7     
,thus the stones heaped by passers-by at
 the base of some great tree or rock1   
the leaf cast from the passing canoe    
toward a point of land on the river1    
though intrinsically valueless1 and     
useless to the ombwiri of the spot1 are 
accepted as acknowledgments of that     
ombwiri's presence4  ,all day we kept   
passing trees or rocks on which were    
placed little heaps of stones or bits of
 wood2 in passing these1 each of my men 
added a new stone or bit of wood1 or    
even a tuft of grass4 ,this is a tribute
 to the spirits1 the general precaution 
to insure a safe return4 ,these people  

have a vague sort of ,supreme ,being    
called ,lesa1 who has good and evil     
passions2 but here 7,plateau of ,lake   
,tanganyika71 as everywhere else1 the   
,musimo1 or spirits of the ancestors1   
are a leading feature in the beliefs4   
,they are propitiated1 as elsewhere1 by 
placing little heaps of stones about    
their favorite haunts4 ,at certain      
periods of the year the people make     
pilgrimages to the mountain of          
,fwambo-,liamba1 on the summit of which 
is a sort of small altar of stones4     
,there they deposit bits of wood1 to    
which are attached scraps of calico1    
flowers1 or beads2 this is to propitiate
 ,lesa4  ,after harvest1 for instance1  
they make such an offering4 ,so when a  
girl becomes marriageable1 she takes    
food with her1 and goes up to the       
mountain for several days4 ,when she    
returns1 the other women lead her in    
procession through the villages1 waving 
long tufts of grass and palms4#cd  7#b7 
,other gifts are supposed to be actually

 utilized by the spirit in some         
essential way4 ,in some part of the long
 single street of most villages is built
 a low hut1 sometimes not larger than a 
dog-kennel1 in which1 among all tribes1 
are hung charms2 or by which is growing 
a consecrated plant 7a lily1 a cactus1 a
 euphorbia1 or a ficus74 ,in some tribes
 a rudely carved human 7generally       
female7 figure stands in that hut1 as an
 idol4 ,idols are rare among most of the
 coast tribes1 but are common among all 
the interior tribes4 ,that they are not 
now frequently seen on the ,coast is1 ,i
 think1 not due to a lack of faith in   
them1 but perhaps to a slight sense of  
civilized shame4 ,the idol has been the 
material object most denounced by       
missionaries in their sermons against   
heathenism4 ,the half-awakened native   
hides it1 or he manufactures it for sale
 to curio-hunters4 ,a really valued     
idol1 supposed to contain a spirit1 he  
will not sell4 ,he does not always hide 
his fetich charm worn on his person2 for

 it passes muster in his explanation of 
its use as a medicine4  ,that idol1     
charm1 or plant1 as the case may be1 is 
believed for the time to be the         
residence of a spirit which is to be    
placated by offerings of some kind of   
food4 ,i have seen in those sacred huts 
a dish of boiled plantains 7often by    
foreigners miscalled bananas7 or a plate
 of fish4 ,this food is generally not   
removed till it spoils4 ,sometimes1     
where the gift is a very large one1 a   
feast is made2 people and spirit are    
supposed to join in the festival1 and   
nothing is left to spoil4 ,that it is of
 use to the spirit is fully believed2   
but just how1 few have been able to tell
 me4 ,some say that the life or essence 
of the food has been eaten by the       
spirit2 only the form of the vegetable  
or flesh remaining to be removed4  7#c7 
,blood sacrifices are common4 ,in any   
great emergency a fowl with its blood is
 laid at that low hut's door4 ,in time  
of great danger1 an expected pestilence1

 a threatened assault by enemies1 or    
some severe illness of a great man or   
woman1 a goat or sheep is sacrificed4   
,at the entrance to a village the way is
 often barred by a temporary light      
fence1 only a narrow arched gateway of  
saplings being left open4 ,these        
saplings are wreathed with leaves or    
flowers4 ,that fence1 frail as it is1 is
 intended as a bar to evil spirits1 for 
from those arched saplings hang fetich  
charms4 ,when actual war is coming1 this
 street entrance is barricaded by logs1 
behind which real fight is to be made   
against human1 not spiritual1 foes4 ,the
 light gateway is sometimes further     
guarded by a sapling pinned to the      
ground horizontally across the narrow   
threshold4 ,an entering stranger must be
 careful to tread over and not on it4   
,in an expected great evil the gateway  
is sometimes sprinkled with the blood of
 a sacrificed goat or sheep4 ,the flesh 
is not wasted2 it is eaten by the       
villagers1 and especially by the magic  

doctor4 ,does not this look like a      
memory of a tradition of the ,passover  
and its paschal lamb8 ,and does it not  
suggest some thought of a blood         
atonement8  7#d7 ,i have not actually   
seen1 or even heard of human sacrifices 
in the tribes ,i have personally        
visited4 ,but on the adjacent ,upper    
,guinea ,coast1 until ten years ago1    
there were human sacrifices to the      
sacred crocodiles of the rivers of the  
,niger ,delta4 ,in the oil rivers of    
that same coast there was1 until        
recently1 an annual sacrifice 7as in the
 ancient ,nile days7 of a maiden to the 
river spirits of trade1 for success in  
foreign commerce4  ,treaties with       
foreign civilized nations have now      
prohibited this sacrifice1 but the      
maiden has not gained much in the       
change4 ,instead of one being sacrificed
 to a brute crocodile to please the     
spirit of trade1 hundreds are           
prostituted to please brutal1 dissolute 
foreigners4  ,the thousands of captives 

butchered at the annual custom of       
,dahomey were claimed by its successive 
kings1 in their answer to the protests  
of the ambassadors from civilized       
nations1 to be required as offerings to 
the safety of the nation1 the omission  
of which would be punished by the loss  
of the king's own life4 ,fearful as that
 annual barbarity was1 ,i do not think  
that those kings should properly be     
called bloodthirsty4 ,it was their      
religion4 ,all the more dreadful the    
religion that called for such deeds6    
,here1 again1 the question presents     
itself whether ,africa has gained much  
in the substitution of wicked white     
representatives of civilization for the 
heathen black representatives of        
fetichism4 ,the ,kongo ,river was       
rescued from the cruelties and loss of  
life in the foreign slave-trade1 only to
 be subjected to greater cruelties1 in  
its miscalled ,free ,state1 under the   
control of ,belgium1 at the hands of men
 like ,major ,lothaire4  ,the following 

remarks of ,menzies#ce on the use of    
sacrifice by primitive man are          
descriptive of the interior tribes of   
,africa to-day3 ,sacrifice is an        
invariable feature of early religion4   
,wherever gods are worshipped1 gifts and
 offerings are made to them of one kind 
or another4 ,it is in this way that1 in 
antiquity at least1 the relation with   
the deity was renewed1 if it had been   
slackened or broken1 or strengthened and
 made sure4 ,sacrifice and worship are1 
in the ancient world1 identical terms4  
,the nature of the offering and the mode
 of presenting it are infinitely        
various1 but there is always sacrifice  
in one form or another4 ,different      
deities of course receive different     
gifts2 the tree has its roots watered1  
or trophies of battle or of the chase   
are hung upon its branches2 horses are  
thrown into the sea4 ,but of primitive  
sacrifice generally we may affirm that  
it consists of such food and drink as   
men themselves partake of4 ,whether it  

be the fruit of the field or the        
firstlings of the flock that is offered 
at the sacred stone1 whether the        
offering is burnt before the god or set 
down and left near him1 or whether he is
 summoned to come down from the sky or  
to travel from the far country to which 
he may have gone1 it is of the materials
 of the meal that the sacrifice         
consists4 ,in some cases it appears to  
be thought that the god consumes the    
offering1 as when ,fire is worshipped   
with offerings which he burns up1 or    
when a fissure in the earth closes upon 
a victim2 but in most cases it is only  
the spirit or finer essence that the god
 enjoys2 the rest he leaves to men4 ,and
 thus sacrifice is generally accompanied
 by a meal4 ,the offering is presented  
to the god whole1 but the worshippers   
help to eat it4 ,the god gets the savor 
of it which rises in the air towards    
him1 while the more material part is    
devoured below4  ,the testimony of      
travellers in other parts of ,africa1   

distant thousands of miles from the     
,west ,coast1 show that the practice of 
offerings is almost identical all over  
the southern third of the continent1 the
 lines of latitude of ,bantu tribes     
being conterminous with their language  
and their religion4  ,arnot#cf says that
 in ,south ,africa1 when going to pray1 
the ,barotse make offerings to the      
spirits of their forefathers under a    
tree1 bush1 or grove planted for the    
purpose2 and they take a larger or a    
smaller offering1 according to the      
measure of their request4 ,if the       
offering be beer1 they pour it upon the 
ground2 if cloth1 it is tied to a horn  
stuck in the ground2 if an ox be        
slaughtered1 the blood is poured over   
the horn1 which1 in fact1 is their      
altar4 7,ps4 cxviii4 #bg47  ,in that    
same region1 among the ,barotse1        
,nothing of importance can be sanctified
 without a human sacrifice1 in most     
cases a child4 ,first the fingers and   
toes are cut off1 and the blood is      

sprinkled on the boat1 drum1 house1 or  
whatsoever may be the object in view4   
,the victim is then killed1 ripped up1  
and thrown into the river4  ,decl       
also#cg describes the religious habits  
of the ,barotse tribes of ,southern     
,central ,africa3 ,they chiefly worship 
the souls of their ancestors4 ,when any 
misfortune happens1 the witch doctor    
divines with knuckle-bones whether the  
ancestor is displeased1 and they go to  
the grave and offer up sacrifice of     
grain or honey4444 ,they also bring to  
the tombs cooked meats1 which they leave
 there a few minutes and then eat4 ,when
 they go to pray by a grave1 they also  
leave some small white beads4 ,whilst an
 ,englishman was journeying to ,lialui1 
he passed near a little wood where there
 lay a very venerated chief4 ,the       
boatmen stopped1 and having sacrificed  
some cooked millet1 their headman       
designated a man to offer up a prayer1  
which ran thus3 ',you see us2 we are    
worn out travellers1 and our belly is   

empty2 inspire the white man1 for whom  
we row1 to give us food to fill our     
stomachs4'  ,among the ,wanyamwezi1     
,every chief has near his hut a ,musimo 
hut1 in which the dead are supposed to  
dwell1 and where sacrifices and         
offerings must be made4 ,meat and flour 
are deposited in the ,musimo huts1 and  
are not1 as with many other peoples1    
consumed afterwards4 ,the common people 
also have their ,musimo huts1 but they  
are smaller than that of the chief1 and 
the offerings they make are1 of course1 
not so important as his4  ,the          
,wanyamwezi being great travellers1 they
 have numberless ways of propitiating   
the ,musimo4 ,the night before starting 
they put big patches of moistened flour 
on their faces and breasts4 ,on the way1
 if by chance they are threatened with  
war or any other difficulty1 some of    
them go on ahead in the early morning   
for about a hundred yards along the path
 over which they are about to travel4   
,then they place a hand on the ground1  

and throw flour over it in such a manner
 as to leave the impression of a hand on
 the soil4 ,at the same time they 'wish'
 hard that the journey may go off well4 
,on the march1 from time to time each of
 them will deposit in the same spot a   
twig of wood or a stone in such a way   
that a great heap gets collected4 ,if   
they halt in the midst of high grass    
each will plait a handful of grass1     
which they tie together so as to make a 
kind of bower4#ch ,in the forest1 if    
they are pressed for time1 each will    
make a cut with a blow of a hatchet in a
 tree2 but if they have time1 they will 
cut down trees1 lop off the branches1   
and place these poles against a big     
tree2 in certain places ,i have seen    
stacks of hundreds of them around a     
single tree4 ,sometimes they will strip 
pieces of bark from the trees1 and stick
 them on the branches1 and at others    
they will place a pole supported by two 
trees right over the path4 ,on it they  
will hang up a broken gourd1 or an old  

box made of bark4 ,on some occasions    
they will even erect a little hut made  
of straw to the ,musimo on the road     
itself2 but this is usually done when   
they are going on a hunting expedition1 
and not on a journey4 ,near the         
villages1 where two roads meet1 are     
usually found whole piles of old pots1  
gourds1 and pieces of iron4#ci ,when a  
hunter starts for the chase1 he prays to
 the ,musimo to give him good luck4 ,if 
he kills any big game1 he places before 
the hut of his ,musimo the head of the  
beast he has killed1 and inside a little
 of the flesh4#dj  #b4 ,just as worship 
is an eminent part of religion1 prayer  
is usually a chief part of religious    
worship4 ,but in fetichism1 though it   
undeniably has a part1 it is not        
prominent1 and not often formal or      
public4 ,it plays a less obvious and    
less frequent part than either          
sacrifices or the use of charms4        
,prayer is the ordinary concomitant of  
sacrifice2 the worshipper explains the  

reason of the gift1 and urges the deity 
to accept it and to grant the help that 
is needed4 ,the prayers of the earliest 
stage are offered on emergencies1 and   
often appear to be intended to attract  
the attention of the god who may be     
engaged in another direction4 ,the      
requests they contain are of the most   
primary sort4 ,food is asked for1       
success in hunting or fishing1 strength 
of arm1 rain1 a good harvest1 children1 
and so forth4 ,they have a ring of      
urgency2 they state the claims the      
worshipper has on the god1 and mention  
his former offerings as well as the     
present one2 they praise the power and  
the past acts of the deity1 and adjure  
him by his whole relationship to his    
people 7and also to his enemies7 to     
grant their requests4#da  ,fetich prayer
 may be and is offered without          
restriction by any one1 young or old1   
male or female2 but to my knowledge it  
is seldom used by the young4 ,a very    
intelligent woman1 a member of my       

,batanga church1 tells me that when she 
was a child she possessed a fetich      
supposed to be very valuable1 which she 
had inherited from her father4 ,she says
 that when she would be going into the  
forest or where she expected difficulty 
or danger or trouble or was anxious for 
success1 she would hold the fetich in   
her hand1 and with eye and thought      
directed toward it and the spirit it was
 supposed to contain1 would utter a     
short petition for aid and protection4  
,but practically formal prayer is rarely
 made4 ,ejaculatory prayer1 however1 is 
made constantly1 in the uttering of     
cabalistic words1 phrases1 or sentences 
adopted by or assigned to almost every  
one by parent or doctor4 ,they are      
uttered by all ages and both sexes at   
any time1 as a defence from evil1 on all
 sorts of occasions1--e4 g41 when one   
sneezes1 stumbles1 or is otherwise      
startled1 etc4  ,the prayers which ,i   
have heard were of adults4 ,on a        
journey1 about #ahgf1 stopping for a    

night in a village on the ,ogowe ,river1
 ,i saw the venerable chief stand out in
 the open street4 ,he addressed the     
spirits of the air1 begging them1 ,come 
not to my town6 ,he recounted his good  
deeds--praising himself as just1 honest1
 and kind to his neighbors--as reason   
why no evil should befall him1 and      
closed with an impassioned appeal to the
 spirits to stay away4  ,at another     
time1 about #ahgi1 in another ,ogowe    
village1 where a man's son had been     
wounded1 and a bleeding artery which had
 been successfully closed had just      
broken open again1 and the hemorrhage1  
if not promptly checked1 would probably 
be fatal1 the father ran out of the hut1
 wildly gesticulating towards the sky1  
saying1 ,go away6 go away6 ,o ye        
spirits6 why do you come to kill my son8
 ,and he continued for some time in a   
strain of alternate pleading and        
protestation4  ,in another case ,i saw a
 woman who rushed into the street       
objurgating the spirits1 and in the next

 breath humbly supplicating them1 who1  
she said1 were vexing her child that was
 lying in convulsions4  ,observe that   
while these were distinctly prayers1    
appeals for mercy1 pathetic1 agonizing  
protestations1 there was no praise1 no  
love1 no thanks1 no confession of       
sin1--only a long1 pitiful deprecation  
of evil4  ,there are also prayers of    
blessing4 ,parents in farewells to their
 children1 or a chief to his parting    
guest1 or any grateful recipient of a   
valued gift1 will take the head or hand 
of the child1 guest1 or donor1 and      
saying1 ,ibt6 7blessing71 or adding a   
cabalistic ejaculation1 will sometimes  
blow a blessing4 ,from this custom has  
arisen the statement in some books of   
travel that it was an ,african mode of  
honoring a guest to spit on his hand4   
,it is true that the sudden and violent 
expulsion of the breath in blowing the  
,ibt from the tip of the tongue is apt  
to be followed by an ejection of more or
 less saliva1 but the kernel of the     

custom lies in the prayer of blessing   
accompanying the act4  ,in auguries made
 by the mfumu1 or witch-doctor1 among   
the ,wanyamwezi1 the mfumu holds a kind 
of religious service2 he begins by      
addressing the spirits of their         
forefathers1 imploring them not to visit
 their anger upon their descendants4    
,this prayer he offers up kneeling1     
bowing and bending to the ground from   
time to time4 ,then he rises1 and       
commences a hymn of praise to the       
ancestors1 and all join in the chorus4  
,then1 seizing his little gourds1 he    
executes a pas seul1 after which he     
bursts out into song again1 but this    
time singing as one inspired4#db  #c4   
,the third mode of worship has been     
already mentioned in a previous chapter1
 viz41 the use of charms or fetiches4   
,this is the mode most frequently used2 
and to the descriptions of their forms  
of preparation and manner1 universality1
 and the various effects of their use1  
the following chapters are devoted4     

,,chapter ,,viii  ,,the                 
,,fetich--,,witchcraft--,a ,,white      
,,art--,,sorcery   ,hundreds of acts and
 practices in the life of ,christian    
households in civilized lands pass      
muster before the bar of sthetic        
propriety and society1 and even of the  
church1 as not only harmless and        
allowable1 but as commendable1 and      
conducive to kindness1 good-will1 and   
healthful social entertainment2 but in  
the doing of these acts few are aware of
 the fact that some of them in their    
origin were heathenish and in their     
meaning idolatrous1 and that long ago   
they would have brought on the doer     
church censure4  ,norse legends and     
,celtic and ,gaelic folk-lore abound in 
superstitions that were held by our     
forefathers in honor of false gods and  
demons4 ,their ,christian descendants1  
to the present generations in ,great    
,britain and the ,united ,states1       
delight our children with the           
beautifully printed fairy tale1         

forgetting1 or not even knowing1 that   
once1 long ago1 that tale was a tale of 
sin4 ,the superstitious peasant of      
,germany1 ,ireland1 and other ,european 
countries1 while as at least a nominal  
son of the church he worships ,god1     
fears the machinations of trolls and the
 good little people1 and wards off their
 dreaded influence by vocal and material
 charms1--a practice for which the      
,african ,negro just emerging from      
heathenism is debarred                  
church-membership4 ,the practice is     
common to the three1--the untaught      
heathen1 the ignorant peasant1 and the  
enlightened ,christian1--but its        
significance differs for each4 ,to the  
,christian it is only a national or     
household tradition1 without religious  
or moral significance1 and his belief in
 the power of the charm is seldom       
seriously held4 ,to the peasant the     
practice is also a tradition2 it is not 
his religion1 but he thinks that somehow
 under the divine ,providence1 in whom  

he believes and whom he worships in the 
church1 it will be conducive to his     
physical well-being4 ,but to the heathen
 it is a part of his religion1 and leads
 to the exclusion of the true ,god1 whom
 he does not know1 or at least does not 
worship4  ,in our ,christian homes1     
around the ,christmas tree1 with all its
 holy1 happy thoughts1 we decorate with 
the holly bush and we hang the mistletoe
 bough1 never thinking that the         
,december festival itself was originally
 a heathen feast1 and that our          
superstitious forefathers spread the    
holly as a guard against evil fairies1  
and hung the mistletoe as part of the   
ceremonies of a ,druid's human          
sacrifice4  ,the superstitious ,african 
,negro does precisely the same thing    
to-day1 because he believes in          
witchcraft2 the holly bush not growing  
in his tropical air1 he has substituted 
the cayenne pepper bush4 ,the witch or  
wizard whom he fears can no more pass   
over that pepper leaf with its red pods 

than the ,irish fairy can dare the holly
 leaf with its red berries4             
,superstitious acts are thus rooted in  
us all1 heathen and ,christian1 the     
world over2 only with this great        
difference1--that to the ,christian they
 bear no religious or even moral        
significance2 to the heathen their      
entire raison d'tre is that they are his
 religion1 or rather part of his worship
 in the practice of his religion4  ,in  
emerging from his heathenism and        
abandoning his fetichism for the        
acceptance of ,christianity1 no part of 
the process is more difficult to the    
,african ,negro than the entire laying  
aside of superstitious practices1 even  
after his assertion that they do not    
express his religious belief4 ,from     
being a thief1 he can grow up an honest 
man2 from being a liar1 he can become   
truthful2 from being indolent1 he can   
become diligent2 from being a           
polygamist1 he can become a monogamist2 
from a status of ignorance and          

brutality1 he can develop into educated 
courtesy4 ,and yet in his secret        
thought1 while he would not wear a      
fetich1 he believes in its power1 and   
dreads its influence if possibly it     
should be directed against himself4     
,some church-members thus believing and 
fearing do wear fetiches1 claiming that 
their use is simply defensive4 ,in their
 moral thought they make a distinction1 
which to them is clear and satisfactory 
in the present stage of the             
enlightenment of their conscience1      
between the defensive and the offensive 
use of the fetich1--the latter is a     
black art2 the former is a white art4   
,only the heathen and non-,christian    
element of the community practise the   
black art4 ,they ignore not ,god's      
existence1 but deny that ,he plays any  
part in the economy of human life4 ,they
 believe in evil spirits1 and that they 
themselves can have association with    
them1 by which they may obtain power for
 all purposes2 they use enchantments to 

obtain that power2 and having it1 or    
professing to have it1 they exercise it 
for the gratification of revenge or     
avarice1 or in other ways to injure     
other persons4 ,they become1 in heart1  
murderers2 and if occasion serve1 by    
poison or other means1 are willing to   
become actual murderers4 ,the community 
regards them as criminals1 and executes 
them as such when it is proved that they
 used black art to accomplish the death 
of some one who has recently died4  ,the
 ,christian1 of course1 will practise   
none of the black arts1 but believing in
 their existence and power as permitted 
to the ,evil ,one under the divine      
government1 he is willing to allow      
himself to use1 as a counter-influence1 
a fetich of the white art in            
self-defence4  ,the discussion of the   
morality of this white art is often a   
difficult question in the church        
sessions in the discipline of some      
offending church-member4 ,few of the    
natives have emerged so far into the    

light as to stand squarely and fully    
with the missionary in his civilized    
attitude toward this question of the    
allowability of a fetich charm under any
 circumstances4 ,even the missionary1 if
 he is wise and would not be unjust1    
will look with the leniency of charity  
on an offence of this kind in the case  
of a convert only lately come out of    
heathenism1 which he would not or should
 not exercise toward a fortune-teller or
 hoodoo practitioner under the broad    
light of civilization4  ,in electing men
 as ruling elders in the church session1
 or accepting candidates for the gospel 
ministry1 while a certain degree of     
intellectuality is desired1 and a       
certain amount of education required1 we
 look first and always for the quality  
of their moral fibre1 whether or not it 
be untrammelled by the fetich cult4  ,a 
rare and noble example of utter freedom 
from any such superstitious bias was the
 late ,rev4 ,ibia ja ,ikenge4 ,from his 
youth1 believing in1 using1 and         

practising fetich white art1 when he    
became a ,christian his conversion was  
so clear and decided that he was soon   
made a ruling elder1 was accepted as a  
candidate1 grew up to licensure as a    
probationer1 subsequently reached       
ordination to the ministry1 and finally 
became pastor of the ,corisco church of 
his own ,benga tribe4 ,honored during   
his ministerial life by all classes1    
foreigners and natives1 he died         
regretted by all1 even by the heathen   
whose sins he had unsparingly denounced4
 ,but there are few so morally clear as 
he4  ,a few years ago1 while ,i was in  
charge of the ,gabun church1 in the     
,mpongwe tribe1 at the oldest station   
and outwardly the most civilized part of
 the mission1 ,i was surprised by a     
charge of witchcraft practice laid      
against a very ladylike woman who was   
one of my intimate native friends4 ,i   
had known her from her childhood2 had   
admired her intelligence1 vivacity1 and 
purity2 had unfortunately helped her    

into a disastrous marriage from which1  
as her pastor1 ,i afterwards rescued her
 with legal grounds for divorce2 and    
subsequently she had married a ,sierra  
,leone man who professed to be a        
,christian4 ,it was discovered that she 
had hanging over the doorway in her     
bedroom a fetich regularly made and     
bought from a fetich doctor4 ,on trial  
of the case1 she denied that it was     
hers1 stated that it was her husband's1 
admitted that she knew of its existence 
and use1 that she allowed it to be      
placed in the usual spot for warding off
 evil spirits1 and was not clear in     
denial of belief that it might be of    
some use to her in that way4  ,my three 
ruling elders looked on the case more   
lightly than even ,i was charitably     
disposed to do1 and my own duty as a    
judge was obscured by my friendship for 
the accused4 ,it was a great pain for me
 to have even to rebuke a lady ,i had so
 loved and trusted4 ,she kept her anger 
wonderfully under control while in the  

session meeting2 but she resented the   
rebuke1 broke our friendship1 and       
subsequently sought to injure me by     
slander4 ,if there was any doubt about  
her complicity with the fetich1 there   
was no doubt about the fact of her      
effort to injure me4 ,i did not         
prosecute her 7as ,i would have done had
 she slandered any one else71 lest ,i be
 suspected of making my position of     
session moderator an engine for personal
 revenge4 ,she subsequently made a noble
 reparation4 ,she still affirms that she
 does not believe in fetich1 and remains
 in good standing in the church1 while  
occasionally hanging a charm on her     
garden fence for its moral effect on    
trespassers4  ,lately a fellow          
missionary told me that in a            
conversation with certain natives1      
professed ,christians1 they admitted    
their fear lest their nail-clippings    
should be used against them by an enemy1
 and candidly acknowledged that when    
they pared their nails they threw the   

pieces on the thatch of the low roof of 
their house4  ,the missionary was       
surprised1 and1 perhaps with a little   
suspicion or perhaps as a test1 turning 
to a man present who had remained silent
 during the discussion1 said1 ,and      
you8--what do you do with your parings8 
,he honestly replied1 ,i throw them on  
the roof6 ,and this man is an elder1 and
 had been advanced to be a local        
preacher4 ,there is no expectation of   
his ordination1 for though he can preach
 a good sermon1 he is lacking in all    
other abilities desirable in a minister4
 ,he is probably fifty years of age1 and
 for forty years has been in mission    
employ of some kind1 and living in the  
mission household much of that time4    
,but this mission association has not   
been to him the benefit it would have   
been to almost any one else2 for1 being 
of slave origin1 he seemed to prefer to 
keep aloof from the free-born1 grew up  
without companionship1 and is extremely 
secretive4 ,though a ,christian and a   

good man1 he had not opened his inner   
life to all the ennobling influences of 
the light4  ,a difficulty1 admitted by  
the missionary in judging of the        
morality of the use of a fetich charm1  
is the explanation offered by the       
natives1 even by some professedly       
,christian1 that the charm is of the    
nature of a medicine1 and1 generally1   
actually has medicines in it4 ,it is    
known to the native that civilized and  
,christian therapeutics recognize a     
great variety of medicinal articles1    
solid and liquid1 and that they are     
employed in a variety of ways1--as      
lotions1 ointments1 and powders2 and    
that some are drunk1 some are rubbed    
into the skin1 and some are worn on the 
body1--e4 g41 a sachet of sulphur in    
skin diseases1 or of pungent essential  
oils to fend off insects1--and that     
certain herbs whose scent is attractive 
to fish are rubbed on the fisherman's   
hook4 ,the missionary knows1 too1 that  
certain native medicinal plants are     

used1 and with efficiency1 in precisely 
these ways and with precisely these     
reasons as1 at least in part1 the ground
 for their use4  ,truth gains nothing by
 an indiscriminate denunciation of all  
native medicine2 for the native knows by
 the personal experience of himself and 
his observation of others that a given  
medicine has helped or cured himself and
 others4 ,his belief in this case is not
 a mere theory2 it is actual fact4 ,the 
missionary loses in the native's        
respect1 and in the native's trust in   
his judgment or the value of his word1  
if he asserts unqualifiedly that native 
medicine is foolishness1 especially if1 
as was the case before the desirability 
of medical missionaries was as generally
 recognized by the church as it now is1 
the missionary was able to give him no  
substitute for the magic doctor4 ,the   
native ,christian's sense of justice was
 aggrieved at being disciplined for the 
use of a medicine in sickness1 which    
experience told him had been of benefit 

and in place of which the missionary    
offered him no other4  ,the native's    
error in his judgment of the case and   
the missionary's justification of his   
position lay in the idolatrous          
ceremonies that are associated with the 
administration of the medicine4 ,in the 
native's ignorant mind1 and in the      
distress of his disease1 he was unable  
to see a distinction between the        
therapeutic action of a drug and the    
mode of its administration4 ,in fact1 to
 him that mode may be as important a    
factor contributive to the desired      
result as the drug itself4 ,in the      
heathen belief of the native doctor it  
is admittedly true that the             
administration1 not the drug1 is the    
important factor1 both mode of          
administration and the drug itself      
deriving all their efficiency from a    
spirit claimed by the magician to be    
under his control1 which is in some     
vague way pleased to be associated with 
the particular drug and those special   

ceremonies4 ,the native doctor does not 
understand therapeutics as such4 ,some  
one of his ancestors happened to observe
 that a certain leaf1 bark1 or root     
exhibited internally proved efficient in
 cases where the symptoms indicated a   
certain disease which he had failed to  
cure by his dances1 drums1 auguries1 and
 other enchantments4 ,not knowing the   
modus operandi of the drug itself1 he   
had jumped to the conclusion that he had
 finally happily found the adjuvant herb
 necessary to please the spirit for whom
 he had been making enchantments1       
without which herb the spirit had       
hitherto withheld its assistance4 ,and  
ever afterward the secret of this       
particular drug was guarded by his      
family1 the knowledge of its tree being 
handed down as an heirloom1 the secret  
kept as jealously and carefully as the  
recipe for the proprietary medicine of  
any quack in civilized lands4 ,in his   
medical ethics there was no qu prosunt  
omnibus4  ,the dividing line of morality

 between the fetich doctor and the      
,christian physician is a narrow but    
deep chasm4 ,the latter knows that1 with
 all his skill in physiology and the    
infallibility of his drug's indication1 
results lie in the hand of ,god1 with   
whom are the issues of life and death1  
who has sovereignly and beneficently    
endowed certain plants or minerals with 
properties befitting certain            
pathological conditions4 ,the former    
ignores ,god1 and firmly believes that  
his own enchantments have subsidized the
 power of a spirit1 so that the spirit  
itself is to enter into the body of the 
patient1 and1 searching through his     
vitals1 drive out the antagonizing      
spirit1 which is the supposed actual    
cause of the disease4 ,the etiology of  
disease is to the native obscure4 ,his  
attempts at explanation are somewhat    
inconsistent2 the sickness is spoken of 
as a disease1 and yet the patient is    
said to be sick because of the presence 
of an evil spirit1 which being driven   

out by the magician's benevolent spirit 
the patient will recover4  ,the drug    
exhibited with the ceremonies by which  
the friendly spirit is induced to enter 
the body is entirely secondary and      
adjuvant1 and is not supposed to be any 
more efficient in producing a cure than 
was the ,old ,testament incense of the  
,temple ritual in obtaining an answer to
 prayer4  ,but the drug is often a      
really valuable medicine1 and does cure 
the patient4 ,yet the native ,christian 
must be forbidden to submit to its use1 
because of the invariably associated    
heathen ceremonies4 ,the magician alone 
knows from what plant the drug came1 and
 he positively refuses to administer it 
unless its associated ceremonies are    
carefully observed4 ,for the ,christian 
to consent to do that1 is to kiss the   
calves#dc of idolatrous ,israel1 or to  
partake of the meats offered to         
idols4#dd  ,the manner of practising the
 white art by the magic doctor may be   
purely ritual without his making or the 

patient's wearing any material amulet1  
but the performance is none the less    
fetich in its character4  ,according to 
the usual procedure an article is       
prepared with incantations referring to 
spiritual influences to be worn by the  
applicant either as a cure for an       
actually existing disease or any other  
expected danger1 or1 irrespective of    
disease1 for the attainment of a desired
 object or for success in some cherished
 plan4 ,its application may be as       
limitless as the entire range of human  
desire4  ,the first step in the process 
is the selection of an object in which  
to enclose the various articles deemed  
necessary to attract and please the     
spiritual being whose aid is to be      
invoked4 ,in this selection it is not   
probable that superstitious or other    
moral consideration enters4 ,it is      
simply a matter of taste as to shape or 
availability or convenience4 ,the       
article usually chosen is a horn of a   
gazelle or young antelope1 or of a goat4

 ,the ground for the choice is          
availability2 those animals are common4 
,the horns are preserved and are        
therefore always at hand4 ,they are     
small1 light1 and easily carried4 ,they 
are durable1 not liable to rust and     
decay1 as would be an article of        
vegetable origin1 and they have a       
convenient cavity4  ,the next step in   
the process is the selection of the     
substances which are to be packed into  
the hollow of the horn4 ,these are of   
both animal and vegetable origin1 but   
mostly vegetable4 ,they may be very     
absurd to our civilized view1 they may  
be disgusting and even filthy2 but they 
are all ranked as medicine1 have        
actually some fitness to the end in     
view1 as described in the previous      
chapter1 and are to be as carefully     
regarded as are the ingredients of a    
physician's prescription by a druggist4 
,their absurdity must not militate      
against the view of them as medicine1   
even to a civilized mind4 ,we are not to

 forget that1 all superstitious and     
fetich ideas aside1 our own             
pharmacopoeia one hundred years ago     
contained animal products of supposed   
therapeutic value that were clumsy1     
annoying1 and even disgusting4 ,indeed1 
it is only in very modern medicine that 
the profession have thought it worth    
while to regard the matter of agreeable 
look and pleasant taste4 ,homoeopathy1  
even if we do not all believe in it1    
must be given credit for at least       
eliminating nauseous taste from the     
attributes of a good medicine1 even of  
an emetic4  ,from the wide range of     
substances1 mineral1 animal1 and        
vegetable1 the magic doctor takes       
generally some plant4 ,indeed1 so       
associated is the doctor's thought of a 
tree and some spirit belonging to it1   
that an educated and very intelligent   
native chief at ,gabun who still clings 
to many heathen practices1 of whom      
recently ,i asked an explanation of     
fetich from the native point of view1   

said sententiously1 ,a principle of     
fetich comes from trees4 ,this carried  
to me very little meaning4 ,i asked him 
to explain at length4 ,he did so4 ,he   
said that in the long ago1 while still  
his ancestors knew of ,god and had not  
entirely forgotten to give him some kind
 of worship1 their medicine men were    
botanists1 and1 like ,solomon1 spake of 
trees4 ,the herbs and barks they used   
were employed solely for their own      
intrinsically curative qualities4 ,but  
as people became more degraded and like 
people1 like priest1 the medicine men   
added a ritual of song1 dances1         
incantations1 and auguries by which to  
dignify their profession with mystery4  
,as they grew in power1 they added      
claims of spiritual influence1 by which 
to impress their patients with fear and 
to exact obedience even from kings1     
until finally the idea of a spirit as   
the efficient agent in the cure was     
substituted for that of the drug itself1
 and fetich belief dominated all4  ,the 

reason for the choice of one tree rather
 than another in a given case of        
sickness is almost impossible to find   
out4 ,perhaps there is a vague tradition
 of the fact that it was used long ago  
by those who first happened to discover 
that it had real medicinal quality1 and 
the present generation continues to use 
it1 though having forgotten what that   
quality was1 or even that it had any    
intrinsic quality of its own1 their     
etiology of disease assigning as the    
cause of all sickness the antagonistic  
presence of an evil spirit4  ,the laity1
 heathen and ,christian1 positively do  
not know from what particular tree the  
leaf or piece of bark was obtained1 and 
they would not be able to recognize it  
even if they were allowed to see it4    
,they see only the dry powder or ashes4 
,even if the heathen laity were able to 
tell me1 they will not do so4 ,even if  
they were bribed1 ,i would have no      
certainty that they were showing me the 
plant that was actually used2 for they  

would know that ,i would have no means  
of comparing specimens or of proving    
their deception4 ,the native will tell  
foreigners many things for friendship or
 for regard1 and he enjoys conversation 
with us2 but superstition slams his     
heart's door shut when he is asked to   
reveal secrets of the spirits4 ,his     
prompt thought is3 ,white man's         
knowledge has given him power4 ,there is
 little left of land1 authority1 women1 
or wealth in my country that he has not 
seized4 ,shall ,i add to his power by   
telling him the secrets of my spirits8  
,of course the magic doctor will not    
tell4 ,that would be giving himself     
entirely away4  ,even ,christian men and
 women who have inherited from a parent 
knowledge of some plant1 and who use it 
rationally for its purely medicinal     
quality without any reference whatever  
to spiritual influences1 can barely be  
induced to tell me of it4 ,the fee they 
obtain is part of their means of living4
 ,they make honest medicine in the      

circle of their acquaintances for       
certain sicknesses for which their drug 
happens to be fitted4 ,of a cure for any
 other sickness they know nothing1 and  
must themselves go to some one else who 
happens to possess the knowledge4  ,even
 by me my native friends--though with   
their personal respect or affection for 
me they would be willing to do much--do 
not like to be asked4 ,they know that   
,i1 in asking for information1 expect to
 utilize it in letters or lectures or   
books4 ,their secret would not be safe  
even with me1 and it may die with them4 
,one of the noblest of my native female 
friends at ,gabun1 a ,christian1 well   
educated1 with only a minimum of        
superstition remaining1 and no belief at
 all in fetich1 inherited from her      
mother much botanical and medicinal     
knowledge4 ,i observe her decocting a   
medicine for a sick friend1 and ,i ask  
her1 ,what medicine is that8 ,she turns 
away her usually frank eyes and simply  
says1 ,sijavi 7leaves74 ,yes1 ,i see    

they are leaves4 ,but ,i asked you what 
they are4 ,where do you get them8 ,with 
eyes still turned away1 she only says1  
,go-iga 7in the forest74 ,exactly2 of   
course it's a plant4 ,but is it a tree  
or a vine or a shrub1 or what8 ,and she 
looks at me steadily1 and quietly says1 
,mi amie 7,i don't know74 ,i have long  
ago learned that mi amie1 though only   
sometimes true1 is not always a lie4 ,it
 is equivalent to our conventional ,not 
at home1 or a polite version of1 ,ask me
 no questions and ,i'll tell you no     
lies4 ,from my friend it is a kind      
notification that the conversation had  
better be changed4 ,it having reached   
this acute stage1 the pursuance of it   
would be worse than useless4 ,i talk    
about something else1 and immediately   
she resumes her wonted cordiality4      
,probably the particular herb selected  
by the fetich-man does possess some     
therapeutic value 7for cures are        
effected7 of which he does not himself  
know4 ,he knows that that plant was said

 by his ancestors to be the proper one  
to use in case of a certain sickness1   
but knowledge of the raison d'user has  
been lost4  ,the use of drugs in        
decoctions is less likely to be merely  
superstitious4 ,the fresh leaves and    
barks are recognized4 ,there is not     
likely to be a secret about them4       
,whatever of fetich is introduced in the
 case will be in the mode of            
administration4  ,the next step1 the    
admixture of the ingredients1 is secret4
 ,they are ground or triturated1 or     
reduced to ashes1 and only the ash or   
charcoal of their wood is used4 ,among  
the common ingredients are colored      
earths1 chalk1 or potter's blue clays4  
,beyond the usual constituents          
constantly employed1 there are other    
single ones1 which vary according to the
 end to be obtained by the user of the  
fetich1--for one end1 as elsewhere      
already mentioned1 some small portion of
 an enemy's body2 for another1 an       
ancestor's powdered brain2 for another1 

the liver or gall-bladder of an animal2 
for another1 a finger of a dead         
first-born child2 for another1 a certain
 fish2 and so on for a thousand         
possibilities4 ,these ingredients are   
compounded in secret1 and with public   
drumming1 dancing1 songs to the spirit1 
looking into limpid water or a mirror1  
and sometimes with the addition of      
jugglers' tricks1 e4 g41 the eating of  
fire4  ,the ingredients having been thus
 properly prepared1 and the spirit1     
according to the magician's declaration1
 having associated itself lovingly with 
these mixed articles1 they and it are   
put into the cavity of the selected horn
 or other hollow thing 7a gourd1 a      
nut-shell1 and so forth74 ,they are     
packed in firmly4 ,a black resin is     
plastered over the opening4 ,perhaps    
also a twine is netted tightly on the   
top of it4 ,a red paint--triturated     
red-wood mixed with palm or other       
oil--is daubed on it4 ,while the resin  
is still soft1 the red tail-feathers of 

the gray ,african parrot are stuck into 
it4 ,this description is typical4 ,it   
would be equally true if the chosen     
material object had no cavity1 e4 g41 if
 it were a pebble or a piece of bark2 in
 which case the sacred ingredients      
plastered on it would be held in situ by
 the twine netting4 ,a hole is bored in 
the apex of the horn1 and it is hung by 
a string from the neck1 arm1 waist1 or  
ankle of the purchaser1 or from his     
door1 roof1 or garden fence2 or from the
 prow of his canoe2 or from any one of a
 hundred other points1 according to the 
convenience of the owner or the object  
to be obtained by its use4  ,those      
objects may be1 all of them1 not only   
desirable1 but commendable1 even from a 
,christian point of view4 ,in the       
exercise of the white art there is no   
ill-will to or malice against any other 
known person4 ,the owner of the fetich  
amulet is only using1 from his point of 
view1 one of the known means of success 
in life1--somewhat as a business man in 

civilized lands uses his signs and      
tricks of trade to attract and influence
 customers4  ,it is true that our native
 convert1 in abjuring fetich and        
refraining from the white art1 is at a  
disadvantage1 humanly speaking1         
alongside of his heathen fellow1 just as
 the honest grocer who does not         
adulterate his foods is somewhat at a   
disadvantage with the man who does4     
,the heathen1 armed with his fetich1    
feels strong4 ,he believes in it2 has   
faith that it will help him4 ,he can see
 it and feel it4 ,he goes on his errand 
inspired with confidence of success4    
,confidence is a large part of life's   
battle4 ,if he should happen to fail1 he
 excuses the failure by remembering that
 he had not obeyed all the minute orunda
 directions that the magician told him  
to follow4 ,it is entirely in his power 
carefully to obey all directions next   
time2 and then he cannot possibly fail6 
,the ,christian convert is weak in his  
faith4 ,he would like to have something 

tangible4 ,he is not sure that he will  
succeed on his errand4 ,he goes at it   
somewhat half-hearted1 and probably     
fails4 ,his not very encouraging        
explanation is that ,god is trying his  
faith4 ,that explanation is perhaps not 
the true one1 but it is sufficient as   
his explanation4 ,but it does not nerve 
him for the next effort2 only the strong
 rise to overcoming faith4 ,the weak ask
 the missionary whether they may not be 
allowed to carry a fetich only for show4
 ,that show is for effect on a heathen  
competitor2 for the moral effect on that
 competitor's mind1--that he should not 
think that the convert1 in becoming a   
,christian1 was at a disadvantage as to 
chances of success in the race with him4
 ,but that would be allowing even the   
appearance of evil4  ,it was actually   
true1 in the early days of mission      
effort1 that converts were oppressed by 
heathen under the idea that1 as the     
gospel proclaimed by the missionary was 
a message of peace1 all the peace was to

 be on the ,christian's side1 and that  
he dared not strike a blow even in      
self-defence4 ,but we did not understand
 the angels' song of good-will as       
explained by the followers of ,george   
,fox1 and by precept and example we     
allowed the use of force in the defence 
of right4  ,as to the use of fetich by  
those who did not really believe in it1 
it was true that some ,europeans1       
non-,christian men in their trade with  
the natives1 seeing what a power the    
fetich was in the native thought1 and   
knowing that it was exercised against   
themselves1 deemed it a matter simply of
 sharp practice to adopt a fetich       
themselves1 and play the native at his  
own game4 ,to my knowledge this was done
 by an ,englishman now dead4 ,i was     
intimately acquainted with him2 and     
though his morals were objectionable and
 his religion agnosticism1 ,i enjoyed   
his society4 ,he was a gentleman in     
manners1 intelligent1 well-read1        
interested1 in common with myself1 in   

,african philology and ethnology1 and   
his river steamers often generously     
helped me in my itinerations4 ,his trade
 interests were large2 he spoke the     
native language well1 was practically   
acquainted with native customs and      
native mode of thought4 ,he was a good  
hater and a firm friend1 strict with    
subordinates to the point of severity1  
but on occasions free-handedly generous4
 ,naturally such a character1 while it  
made for him many friends1 developed    
some enemies4 ,a few hated him1 most    
liked him1 even while all feared him4   
,to checkmate them on their own ground  
and to carry prestige in dealing with   
the heathen chiefs of wild tribes1 he   
caused to be made for himself1 and      
allowed it to be known in advance that  
he carried1 a powerful fetich4 ,the     
effect was very decided in increasing   
his power1 influence1 and trade success1
 so successful that ,i am not sure but  
that he grew himself to have some faith 
in it1--an illustration of the oft-noted

 fact in moral philosophy that          
non-,christian credulity often leads    
men's beliefs further than does         
,christian faith4 ,the after history of 
my trader friend is a sad illustration  
of the wings that ill-gotten wealth     
develops4 ,his fetich assisted in       
amassing a fortune several times over1  
but it did not retain it for him4 ,he   
died in pitiful want4  ,practice of this
 white art holds all over ,south ,africa
 and among all its tribes4 ,they believe
 in charms1 fetiches1 and witchcraft4   
,the latter is the source of great dread
 to a ,mashona1 who fears that death or 
accident may overtake him through the   
instrumentality of some fellow-being who
 may perchance hold against him a       
grudge4 ,for the purpose of avoiding    
these calamities1 charms are worn about 
the person1 usually around the neck4    
,divining bones or blocks of wood called
 'akata' are thrown by the witch-doctors
 to discover a witch or evil spirit1 and
 they are also employed to ascertain the

 probable results of a journey1 a hunt1 
or a battle1--in short1 any and all of  
the events of life4#de  ,the tribes we  
have passed through seem to have one    
common religion1 if it can be called by 
that name4 ,they say there is one great 
spirit1 who rules over all the other    
spirits2 but they worship and sacrifice 
to the spirits of ancestors1 so far as  
,i can learn1 and have a mass of fetich 
medicines and enchantments4 ,the hunter 
takes one kind of charm with him2 the   
warrior another4 ,for divining they have
 a basket filled with bones1 teeth1     
finger-nails1 claws1 seeds1 stones1 and 
such articles1 which are rattled by the 
diviner till the spirit comes and speaks
 to him by the movement of these things4
 ,when the spirit is reluctant to be    
brought up1 a solemn dirge is chanted by
 the people4 ,all is attention while the
 diviner utters a string of short       
sentences in different tones1 which are 
repeated after him by the audience4#df  
,,chapter ,,ix  ,,the                   

,,fetich--,,witchcraft--,a ,,black      
,,art--,,demonology   ,the distinction  
sought to be made by the half-civilized 
,negro between a white art and a black  
art1 as a justification of his practice 
of fetich enchantments1 lies in the     
object to be obtained by their use4 ,he 
vainly tries to find a parallel to them 
in ,christian use of fire-arms1--proper 
for defence1 improper for unprovoked    
assault4 ,the black art he admits is    
wrong1 its object being to kill or      
injure some one else2 the white he      
thinks allowable1 because with it he    
acts simply on the defensive4 ,he wishes
 to ward off a possible blow of an      
unseen foe aimed at himself4 ,he        
professes his intention not to strike or
 take otherwise active measures to      
injure any known person4 ,after every   
allowance made1 the distinction between 
the arts as moral and immoral is not a  
clear one4 ,they differ only in their   
degree of immorality4 ,the means both   
use are immoral1 not justified by the   

possible goodness of the desired end1   
and not sanctified by the intention of  
the user4 ,both use fetiches4 ,fetich1  
if it has power at all1 is not of ,god2 
if it is powerless1 it is folly4 ,thus1 
in every and any case1 it dishonors     
,god4  ,but whatever doubt there might  
have been as to the allowability of     
white art practice1 there is no doubt as
 to the immorality of black art4 ,it    
always contemplates a possible taking of
 life4  ,the term witchcraft1 which     
attaches itself to all fetichism1       
localizes itself in the black art       
practice1 which is thus pre-eminently   
known as witchcraft4 ,its practitioners 
are all wizards or witches4 ,the user of
 the white is not so designated4 ,he or 
she does not deny the use2 it is open   
and without any sense of criminality in 
the eyes of the community1 however much 
he or she may endeavor to suppress the  
fact from the knowledge of church       
officers4 ,but a practitioner of the    
black art denies it and carries on his  

practice secretly4  ,the above          
distinction is observed by travellers in
 other parts of ,africa1 as will be seen
 by the following quotations1 which give
 also an interesting exposition of the  
ceremonies and practices of the black   
art in different regions3  ,among the   
,matabele of ,south ,africa1 says ,decl1
 it is well understood that there were  
two kinds of witchcraft4 ,one was       
practised by the witch-doctors and the  
king1 such as1 for instance1 the 'making
 of medicine' to bring on rain1 or the  
ceremonies carried out by the           
witch-doctors to appease the spirits of 
ancestors4#dg ,the other witchcraft was 
supposed to consist of evil practices   
pursued to cause sickness or death4     
,according to native ideas1 all over    
,africa1 such a thing as death from     
natural causes does not exist4 ,whatever
 ill befalls a man or a family1 it is   
always the result of witchcraft1 and in 
every case the witch-doctors are        
consulted to find out who has been      

guilty of it4 ,in some instances the    
witch-doctors declare that the evil has 
been caused by the angry spirits of     
ancestors2 in which case they have to be
 propitiated through the medium of the  
witch-doctors4 ,in other cases they     
point out some one or several persons as
 having caused the injury by making     
charms2 and whoever is so accused by the
 witchcraft doctor is immediately put to
 death1 his wife and the whole of his   
family sharing his fate4 ,to bewitch any
 one1 according to ,matabele belief1 it 
is sufficient to spread medicine on his 
path or in his hut4 ,there are also     
numerous other modes of working charms2 
for instance1 if you want to cause an   
enemy to die1 you make a clay figure    
that is supposed to represent him4 ,with
 a needle you pierce the figure1 and    
your enemy1 the first time he comes in  
contact with a foe1 will be speared4    
,the liver and entrails of a crocodile  
are supposed to be most powerful charms1
 and whoever becomes possessed of them  

can cause the death of any man he       
pleases4 ,for that reason1 killing a    
crocodile is a very heinous crime4#dh   
,while ,i was in ,matabele-land1 a      
crocodile was one day found speared on  
the bank of a river4 ,the witch-doctors 
were consulted in order to find out who 
had been guilty of the deed2 and six    
people were denounced as the offenders  
and put to death with their families4   
,of witch-doctors there are two         
kinds4#di ,the first deliver oracles by 
bone-throwing4 ,they have three bones   
carved with different signs2 these they 
throw up1 and according to the position 
they assume when falling1 and the side  
on which they fall1 they make the       
prediction4 ,the other kind deliver     
their oracles in a slow and very shrill 
chant4 ,both are supposed to be on      
speaking terms with spirits4 ,they are  
in constant request1 but are usually    
poorly paid4 ,their influence1 however1 
is tremendous2 and in ,lo-,bengula's    
time their power was as great as1 if not

 greater than1 the king's4 ,lo-,bengula 
always kept two or three of them near   
him4 ,chief among their works was that  
of rain-making2 this was done with a    
charm made from the blood and gall of a 
black ox4 ,no witch-doctors1 however1   
could make rain except by the orders of 
the king4 ,it was a risky trade2 for    
they were put to death if they failed in
 their endeavors to produce rain4       
,dreams are considered of deep          
significance by the witch-doctors4      
,madmen are supposed to be possessed of 
a spirit1 and were formerly under the   
protection of the king4  ,one of the    
most remarkable ceremonies that used to 
be performed by the witch-doctors was   
that of 'smelling out' the witches      
7wizards874 ,on the first moon of the   
second month of the year all the various
 regiments gathered at ,buluwayo1 and   
held a big dance in which the king took 
part2 usually1 from #ab1jjj to #ae1jjj  
warriors assembled for this ceremony4   
,after the dance the smelling of witches

 began4 ,the various regiments being    
formed in crescent shape1 the king took 
his stand in front surrounded by the    
doctors1 usually women4 ,then began a   
slow song accompanied by a dance2 they  
carried in their hand a small wand4     
,gradually the song and the dance became
 quicker2 they seemed to be possessed4  
,they rushed madly about1 passing in    
front of the soldiers1 pretending to    
smell them4 ,all of a sudden they       
stopped in front of a man1 and touching 
him with their wands1 began howling like
 maniacs2 the man was immediately       
removed and put to death4 ,in this way  
hundreds of people were killed every    
year during the big dance4 ,no one1     
however high his position1 was protected
 against the mandate of the             
witch-doctors1 usually the tools of the 
king1 who found in this a way of getting
 rid of his enemies1 or of doing away   
with those in high station whose loyalty
 he had reason to doubt4 ,other crimes  
are few except the ever-present         

witchcraft4 ,to bewitch an enemy on the 
,tanganika plateau1 you scatter a red   
powder round his hut and a white one    
near his door2 this never fails to kill4
  ,ordeal by muavi is1 of course1       
flourishing2 with the enlightened       
modification that1 if the accused does  
not die1 he can recover damages from the
 accuser4 ,in the ,mambwe district the  
muavi is made of a poisonous bean4#ej   
,the same medicines1 the same dances1   
the same enchantments used in the black 
art1 are used in the professedly        
innocent white art2 the chief difference
 being in the mission that the utilized 
spirit is entrusted to perform4         
,similarity in witchcraft practices is  
one of the several grounds held by      
ethnologists1 as proving identity in    
origin of the ,african ,negro and the   
,australian black4 ,to quote from ,dr4  
,carl ,lumholtz's book1 ,among          
,cannibals3 ,in the various ,australian 
tribes are so-called wizards1 who       
pretend to communicate with the spirits 

of the dead and get information from    
them4 ,they are able to produce sickness
 or death whenever they please1 and they
 can produce or stop rain and many other
 things4 ,hence these wizards are       
greatly feared4 ,attention is called to 
the influence of this fear of witchcraft
 upon the character and customs of the  
natives4 ,it makes them bloodthirsty1   
and at the same time darkens and        
embitters their existence4 ,an          
,australian native is unable to conceive
 death as natural except as the result  
of an accident or of old age2 while     
diseases and plagues are always ascribed
 to witchcraft and to hostile blacks4   
,in order to practise his arts against  
any black man1 the wizard must be in    
possession of some article that has     
belonged to him4 ,on ,herbert ,river the
 natives need only to know the name of  
the person in question1 and for this    
reason they rarely use their proper     
names in addressing or speaking of each 
other1 but simply their class names4 ,i 

once met a black man who told me that he
 personally had been the victim of      
strange wizards1 and that ever since    
that time he had been a sufferer from   
headache4 ,one afternoon many years ago1
 two wizards had captured and bound him2
 they had taken out his entrails and put
 in grass instead1 and had let him lie  
in this condition till sunrise4 ,then he
 suddenly recovered his senses and      
became tolerably well2 a result for     
which he was indebted to a wizard of his
 own tribe1 who thus proved himself more
 powerful than the two strangers4 ,the  
blacks call an operation of this kind   
kobi1 and a man who is able to perform  
it1 as a matter of course1 is very much 
respected and feared4  ,the ,ovimbundu  
race1 says ,arnot1 of ,bihe and the     
country to the west are most            
enterprising traders and imitators of   
the ,portuguese4 ,they seem1 however1 to
 retain tenaciously their superstitions 
and fetich worship4  ,in ,chikula's yard
 there is a small roughly cut image1    

which ,i believe represents the spirit  
of a forefather of his4 ,one day a man  
and woman came in and rushed up to this 
image1 dancing1 howling1 and foaming at 
the mouth1 apparently mad4 ,a group     
gathered round1 and declared that the   
spirit of ,chikula's forefather had     
taken possession of this man and woman1 
and was about to speak through them4 ,at
 last the 'demon' began to grunt and    
groan out to poor ,chikula1 who was down
 on his knees1 that he must hold a hunt1
 the proceeds of which must be given to 
the people of the town2 must kill an ox1
 provide so many pots of beer1 and      
proclaim a great feast and dance4       
,furthermore1 all this was to be done   
quickly4 ,the poor old man was          
thoroughly taken in1 and in two days'   
time the hunt was organized4  ,thus ,i  
find1 as among the ,barotse1 that       
divining and prophesying1 with other    
religious and superstitious means1 are  
resorted to in order to secure private  
ends and to offer sacrifice to the one  

common god1 the belly4  ,at another time
 a man came to ,senhor ,porto's to buy  
an ox4 ,he said that some time ago he   
had killed a relation by witchcraft to  
possess himself of some of his riches1  
and that now he must sacrifice an ox to 
the dead man's spirit1 which was        
troubling him4 ,this killing by         
witchcraft is a thing most sincerely    
believed in2 and on hearing this man's  
cold-blooded confession of what was at  
least the intent of his heart1 it made  
me understand why the ,barotse put such 
demons into the fire4  ,among the       
,ovimbundu1 old and renowned witches    
7wizards87 are thrown into some river1  
though almost every man will confess    
that he practises witchcraft to avenge  
himself of wrong done and to punish his 
enemies4 ,one common process is to boil 
together certain fruits and roots1 with 
which the wizard daubs his body1 in     
order to enlist the aid of the demons2  
and the decoction is then thrown in the 
direction of the victim1 or laid in his 

path1 that he may be brought under the  
bewitching spell4#ea  ,we quote again   
from ,dr4 ,j4 ,l4 ,wilson1 ,western     
,africa3 ,witchcraft1 and the use of    
fetiches as a means of protection       
against it1 is carried to a greater     
extent here ,southern ,guinea than in   
,northern ,guinea1 owing1 no doubt1 to  
the greater imaginativeness of the      
people4 ,the marvels performed by those 
who are supposed to possess this        
mysterious art transcend all the bounds 
of credulity4 ,a man can turn himself   
into a leopard1 and destroy the property
 and lives of his fellow-men4 ,he can   
cause the clouds to pour out torrents of
 rain1 or hold back at his pleasure4  ,a
 different article is used here for the 
detection of witchcraft from that used  
in ,northern ,guinea4 ,the root of a    
small shrub1 called akazya1 is employed1
 and is more powerful than that used in 
the other section of the country4 ,a    
person is seldom required to drink more 
than half a pint of the decoction4 ,if  

it acts freely as a diuretic1 it is a   
mark of innocence2 but if as a narcotic1
 and produces dizziness and vertigo1 it 
is a sure sign of guilt4 ,small sticks  
are laid down at the distance of        
eighteen inches or two feet apart1 and  
the suspected person1 after he has      
swallowed the draught1 is required to   
walk over them4 ,if he has no vertigo1  
he steps over them easily and naturally2
 but1 on the other hand1 if his brain is
 affected1 he imagines they rise up     
before him like great logs1 and in his  
awkward effort to step over them1 is apt
 to reel and fall to the ground4 ,in    
some cases this draught is taken by     
proxy2 and if a man is found guilty1 he 
is either put to death or heavily fined1
 and banished from the country4 ,in many
 cases post-mortem examinations are made
 with the view of finding the actual    
witch2 ,i have known the mouth of the   
aorta to be cut out of a corpse1 and    
shown as unanswerable proof that the man
 had the actual power of witchcraft4#eb 

,no one expects to resent the death of a
 relative under such circumstances4 ,he 
is supposed to have been killed by his  
awkward management of an instrument that
 was intended for the destruction of    
others2 and it is rather a cause of     
congratulation to the living that he is 
caught in a snare of his own1 and that  
his own witch has killed him4#ec  ,not  
every one who uses white art is able    
also to use the black4 ,any one         
believing in fetich can use white arts1 
and not subject himself to the charge of
 being a wizard4 ,those who desire to go
 beyond the arts of defence1 and gratify
 their revenge or any other passion by  
killing or injuring some one else1 have 
generally to purchase the agency of a   
doctor or some one skilled in the black 
art4 ,should the means thus employed be 
efficient in causing a death 7or        
seemingly so1 by the coincidence of     
their use and the death itself7 and the 
facts become known1 both the doctor and 
the man who employed him would probably 

be put to death4 ,yet1 inconsistently1  
the very men who would execute them have
 themselves used1 or will some day use1 
these same black arts for the same      
murderous purpose1 and the native       
doctors will continue in their risky    
business4  ,and yet1 again1             
inconsistently1 every man and woman in  
the community dreads such a charge1 and 
looks askance on those who are suspected
 of belonging to the ,witchcraft        
,company4 ,for there is such a society1 
not distinctly organized4 ,it has       
meetings at which they plot for the     
causing of sickness or even the taking  
of life4 ,these meetings are secret2    
preferably in a forest1 or at least     
distant from a village4 ,the hour is    
near midnight4 ,an imitation of the hoot
 of an owl1 which is their sacred bird1 
is their signal call4 ,they profess to  
leave their corporeal body lying asleep 
in their huts1 and claim that the part  
which joins in the meeting is their     
spirit-body1 whose movements are not    

hindered by walls or other physical     
objects4 ,they can pass with instant    
rapidity through the air1 over the      
tree-tops4 ,at their meetings they have 
visible1 audible1 and tangible          
communication with evil spirits4 ,they  
partake of feasts2 the article eaten    
being the heart-life of some human      
being1 who1 in consequence of this loss 
of his heart1 becomes sick1 and will    
die1 unless it be restored4 ,the early  
cock-crowing is a warning for them to   
disperse2 the advent of the morning star
 they fear1 as it compels them to hasten
 back to their bodies4 ,should the sun  
rise upon them before they reach their  
corporeal home1 their plans would fail1 
and themselves would sicken4 ,they dread
 cayenne pepper4 ,should its bruised    
leaves or pods have been rubbed over    
their body-home by any one during their 
absence1 they would be unable to        
re-enter it1 and would die or miserably 
waste away4  ,the attitude of all       
missionaries toward executions on a     

charge of being a witch or a wizard has 
uniformly been distinctly in opposition 
to them4 ,we characterize them as       
murder4 ,the ,european governments which
 have taken possession of ,africa also  
put down witchcraft1 medicine-making1   
and execution of supposed witchcraft    
murderers with a strong hand4 ,the      
natives submit under pressure of force1 
but unwillingly4 ,each man or woman is  
glad of the strong foreign power that   
protects himself or herself from being  
put to death on a witchcraft charge2 but
 they each complain that the government 
does not execute1 nor will allow them to
 execute1 others against whom they make 
the same charge4 ,it is undeniably true 
that were the ,european governments that
 have partitioned ,africa to withdraw   
to-day1 the witch-doctors1 with poison  
ordeal and fetich killing and witchcraft
 execution1 would promptly re-establish 
themselves and soon would become rampant
 again4 ,the ,christian churches and    
communities already established would   

barely hold their own1 and would not    
have an influence extensive enough to   
restrain the forces of evil4  ,i quote  
from a recent issue of a ,freetown1     
,sierra ,leone1 newspaper1 edited by a  
,negro1 an article written by a ,negro  
on this subject3 ,the subject of        
'witchcraft' has been agitating of late 
the minds of this community1 and much   
sense and more nonsense has been heard  
from those who take upon themselves to  
elucidate the matter4 ,it is a very     
difficult and delicate question to      
tackle at all times1 especially when    
knowledge1 which is always the          
foundation of eloquence1 is absent4     
,from the statement of ,holy ,scriptures
 we know that there is such a thing as  
witchcraft1 and the theory is confirmed 
by the records of ,english history4 ,it 
will be a most desirable thing if any   
person guilty of witchcraft could be    
convicted by means that would be        
convincing in the legal investigation of
 other crimes2 it will save the         

community from many heart-burnings and  
mistakes4  ,a writer in a local journal 
recently made the assertion that in any 
case of poisoning in the cities of      
,europe1 steps are taken to trace the   
poison by eminent physicians and        
detectives employed to hunt up the      
accused1 but in our opinion the cases   
are not analogous4 ,in the case of      
suspected poisoning post-mortem         
examinations by competent authorities   
will disclose the fact whether the      
deceased died of poisoning2 unfounded1  
and in some instances gratuitous1       
assertions are not without proofs       
allowed to cloud the life of            
individuals4 ,a prima facie case once   
established1 the suspect is pursued with
 the utmost vigor of the law4  ,in this 
colony ,sierra ,leone most deaths are   
attributed to the influence of witches1 
and accusation of witchcraft is at once 
made against individuals without attempt
 at obtaining evidence4  ,how can it be 
proved that there is a band of these    

wicked ones1 so as to attach credence to
 the confession of a conscience-stricken
 member who implicates also a number of 
coadjutors8 ,the problem is an intricate
 one1 and requires thoughtful           
investigation4  ,the slaves exported    
from ,africa to the ,british possessions
 in the ,west ,indies brought with them 
some of the seeds of ,african plants1   
especially those they regarded as       
medicinal1 or they found among the fauna
 and flora of the tropical ,west ,indies
 some of the same plants and animals    
held by them as sacred to fetich in     
their tropical ,africa4 ,the ceiba1 or  
silk-cotton tree1 at whose base ,i find 
in ,africa so many votive offerings of  
fetich worship1 they found flourishing  
on ,jamaica4 ,they had established on   
their plantations the fetich doctor1    
their dance1 their charm1 their lore1   
before they had learned ,english at all4
 ,and when the ,british missionaries    
came among them with school and church1 
while many of the converts were sincere1

 there were those of the doctor class   
who1 like ,simon ,magus1 entered into   
the church-fold for sake of whatever    
gain they could make by the white man's 
new influence1 the white man's ,holy    
,spirit6 ,outwardly everything was      
serene and ,christian4 ,within was      
working an element of diabolism1        
fetichism1 there known by the name of   
,obeah1 under whose leaven some of the  
churches were wrecked4 ,and the same    
diabolism1 known as voodoo worship1 in  
the ,negro communities of the ,southern 
,united ,states has emasculated the     
spiritual life of many professed        
,christians4  ,it must be admitted1 as  
to this whole matter of witchcraft      
belief and witchcraft murder and        
witchcraft execution1 however wrong the 
,negro belief1 his sense of justice is  
aggrieved by the attitude of the foreign
 missionary and the foreign government4 
,something should be allowed to that    
sense of justice4 ,both missionary and  
government err sometimes1 in their      

judgment of individual or tribal crime  
and in their punishment of it1 by       
arbitrarily following only civilized law
 and the civilized point of view2       
ignoring or not giving proper weight1 in
 the make up of their judgment1 to the  
degree to which the fetich enters as a  
factor in native motives and acts1 and  
the power with which it influences      
native thought4  ,in ,matabele-land1    
,south ,africa1 after the defeat and    
death of the king ,lo-,bengula1 and the 
occupation of his country by ,great     
,britain1 there was an outbreak1 the    
cause of which was not fully appreciated
 until it was traced to the             
witch-doctors1 who seized the occasion  
of the ravages of the rinderpest1 which 
was at that time devastating the cattle 
of ,south ,africa1 to make use of their 
power4 ,naturally they must have felt1  
more than anybody else1 the occupation  
of ,matabele-land by the whites1 as it  
meant the disappearance of their former 
power4 ,when the rinderpest broke out1  

they probably persuaded the natives1 who
 understood nothing about an epidemic   
and attributed whatever ill befalls them
 to witchcraft1 that it was the spirit  
of ,lo-,bengula1 which was dissatisfied 
with them and which caused their cattle 
to die4 ,to appease ,lo-,bengula's      
spirit1 it was necessary to fight the   
whites4 ,they1 the witch-doctors1 would 
make medicine to turn the bullets of the
 white men into water1 so that the      
,matabele could not be hurt by them4#ed 
,similarly ,great ,britain with         
difficulty has suppressed several       
risings of the ,ashantees1 and the late 
so-called ,hut-,tax rebellion in ,sierra
 ,leone4 ,the actual force of the       
natives1 in organization1 arms1 and     
skill1 was almost ridiculous in its     
inferiority as compared with the        
thoroughly armed and disciplined troops 
of the ,british ,empire2 but the final  
result1 though never doubtful1 was      
attained with much loss of men and      
funds4 ,the fetich doctor and fetich    

belief were a vis a tergo with the      
native horde4 ,its value as a factor in 
the contest had not been reckoned on by 
the foreigner4 ,whatever motives        
influenced the native in the contest1 in
 patriotism1 cupidity1 revenge1 bravery1
 they were minor4 ,the grand influence  
that nerved his arm and made him        
perfectly fearless in his assaults      
against weapons of precision1 was his   
deep conviction1 more complete than     
,christian faith1 that he would win4    
,had not the fetich doctor told him so8 
,though there had been some apparent    
failures1 in his belief they were only  
apparent4 ,the real failure was in his  
own self1 his not having followed       
minutely all the fetich directions4     
,those directions followed rightly in   
the next battle1 he could not fail4     
,the faith of a ,christian does not     
assure him1 in any emergency of life1   
that he will be successful in his plan2 
it only certifies him that1 whatever be 
the result1 success or failure1 of any  

single act or series of acts in life's  
drama1 his own will must be subordinated
 to ,god's1 who1 if not granting his    
specific wish to-day1 will overrule     
everything in the final dnouement for   
his best spiritual good4  ,similarly the
 heathen fetich1 mixed with the fatalism
 of ,islam1 is an explanation of the    
splendid recklessness with which the    
followers of the ,mahdi flung themselves
 against the sabres and maxims of       
,general ,kitchener's army at ,omdurman4
  ,faith in fetich is a power as long as
 its devotee believes in its            
infallibility4 ,when that is gone1 his  
flight or conquest is instant4 ,fetich  
power therefore cannot be invariably    
relied upon as a motive to action4 ,it  
may sometimes be magnificent4 ,only     
,christian faith or civilized discipline
 can be sublime1 as compared with it4   
,but a fetich devotee who has lost his  
faith in his fetich could never have    
stood with ,christian martyrs who knew  
perfectly well that within an hour they 

would be torn to pieces in the arena4   
,their sublime faith looked beyond that 
arena to the eternal promise4 ,a fetich 
soldier who has lost his faith in his   
fetich could never have gone with those 
who stood head erect before certain     
death in the ,alamo fort or who rode in 
the charge at ,balaklava4 ,their        
elevated motives of patriotism1 implicit
 soldierly obedience to order1 and the  
sweet scent of human glory made them    
discount the value of their own blood4  
,these were motives not only powerful in
 force1 but great in character4 ,the    
,negro's fetich faith is powerful1 but  
never great4  ,something cognate to this
 in the comparison of the power and the 
greatness of a motive will explain the  
persistent fatuity of the ,boer in      
protracting his contest with ,great     
,britain4 ,from the very first1 whatever
 the world may have thought of essential
 right or justice in the case1 the world
 knew that ,england would win4 ,the     
,boer would have been wise to have      

accepted defeat earlier and made terms  
with a conqueror who generally has been 
magnanimous and rarely cruel1 rather    
than invite1 by guerilla warfare1       
measures severer1 harsher1 and possibly 
exterminative4 ,the ,boer is a          
,christian1 but his faith was of the    
,mosaic kind that expected the ,god of  
battles to interfere visibly in his     
behalf4 ,the president of the republic  
had preached that he would do so4 ,the  
,boer looked on the president as a      
prophet1 and believed him4 ,but his     
faith was an unreasonable one2 it was   
fatuous4 ,his bravery1 patriotism1      
marksmanship1 and endurance could not   
avail4 ,these all tell well for a       
martyrdom1 if martyrdom were desirable  
or necessary1 but they did not tell well
 for assertion of success4  ,france1    
overcome by ,germany1 still was brave   
and patriotic2 but she was wise in      
accepting the inevitable1--wiser than   
the ,negro or the ,boer4 ,france        
believed in ,god2 so did ,germany4 ,but 

the faith of neither was of the fetich  
kind4 ,nevertheless1 the fetich faith is
 magnificent1 even if it be fatuous4    
,for the apparently cruel side of the   
black art1 viz41 the killing of those   
guilty of witchcraft1 there is some     
allowance to be made4  ,to the believer 
in fetich the killing is a judicial act4
 ,he does not call it a murder1 but an  
execution2 and he tries to justify it by
 an argument which even the missionary  
has to admit is correct if the ,negro's 
premises in the argument are admitted4  
,as we do not admit both of them1 his   
argument falls4 ,but it is difficult to 
show him that his second premise is     
wrong1 and he is unconvinced4  ,i have  
several times been thoroughly worsted in
 my discussion with native chiefs on    
this matter of witchcraft executions4   
,in the early years of my missionary    
life1 while resident on ,corisco        
,island1 ,i followed the practice of my 
predecessor1 the ,rev4 ,j4 ,l4 ,mackey1 
in the effort to prevent such           

executions1 which were then 7about      
#ahfc7 common4 ,we directed the native  
,christians to notify us of any death1  
and we would at once go to the village  
and endeavor to forestall the almost    
invariable witchcraft investigation4    
,the headman1 ,kombenyamango1 of an     
adjacent village1 was a large1 strong1  
influential1 cruel man4 ,there was so   
little about him to command my respect  
that ,i had shown him but slight        
deference4 ,having thus his amour propre
 wounded1 he was unfortunately not on   
very good terms with me4 ,his aged      
mother had been failing in health for a 
long time1 and finally had died4 ,her   
position1 as mother of a chief1 had     
given her much respect in native eyes4  
,the concourse of mourners gathered from
 a distance was large4 ,feeling for her 
death was deep2 threats of vengeance for
 her taking off were loud4 ,i was soon  
informed that one of her female slaves  
had been seized under pure suspicion    
because of her proximity as the dead    

woman's servant4 ,in her case as a means
 of finding whether or not she was      
guilty1 there had been no ordeal test of
 drinking the mbundu poison4 7,on the   
,upper ,guinea ,coast it is sassa-wood2 
at ,calabar1 the ,calabar bean2 at the  
equator1 the akazya leaf47 ,under       
torture1 being beaten and lacerated by  
thorn bushes1 she had confessed herself 
guilty1 was in chains1 and was soon to  
be executed4  ,on such occasions1 on    
arriving at the village1 there was often
 an effort on the part of the chief to  
deceive the missionary4 ,the chief would
 either assert that he had had no       
intention of making a witchcraft        
investigation1 or would consent now1 in 
deference to his white friend the       
missionary1 to abandon his intention1   
and would forbid any execution4 ,but it 
would be revealed to us afterwards that 
at that very moment a victim was in     
chains in that very village1 and had    
subsequently been secretly put to death4
  ,this day ,kombenyamango1 though      

receiving me with sufficient respect1   
was nonchalant4 ,he did not lie4 ,he    
promptly1 in answer to my question1     
said1 ,yes1 ,i have a prisoner here1 and
 ,i intend to put her to death4 ,why8   
,because she has killed my mother6 ,i   
told him ,i did not believe his mother  
had died by unnatural means1 and ,i     
preached to him the usual sermon on the 
,sixth ,commandment4 ,i was at that time
 young in my knowledge of native thought
 and fetich belief4 ,i can see now that 
to every sentence of my address he could
 have said ,amen1 in his believing1 as  
he did1 that his mother had been        
murdered1 and that this slave woman had 
broken the ,sixth ,commandment4 ,but1   
after listening awhile1 he became       
impatient1 and said1 ,look here6 in your
 country1 when a person kills your      
mother1 don't you tie a rope about his  
neck and hang him up1 and don't you say 
you are doing right in so doing8 ,yes4  
,well1 that's just what ,i am going to  
do to this woman1 and ,i am right4 ,yes1

 you would be right if she has killed   
your mother2 but she has not4 ,the      
bewitching with which you charge her is 
foolish4 7,as to the folly1 ,i know now 
that that was a matter of opinion       
between him and me2 and he had reason   
for his opinion47 ,he replied1 ,but she 
has confessed that she is guilty4 ,quite
 possibly2 but still a lie on her part1 
for she would say anything to obtain    
temporary relief from your torture4 ,but
 ask her yourself4 ,no use to do so in  
your presence2 she is afraid of you1 and
 she will not dare to speak to me or    
contradict you4 ,well1 then1 ,i will    
bring her2 and you take her off there   
among the plantains by yourself1 and see
 what she will say4 ,this sounded fair2 
but even so1 ,i had my doubts1 for she  
did not know me4 ,perhaps they would lie
 to her1 and tell her ,i was confederate
 with her master1 and would order her   
not to alter her confession4 ,and she1  
in her dazed condition1 was really not  
responsible for anything she might say4 

,she was brought from a hut4 ,she was in
 chains1 and yet with her limbs free to 
walk4 ,there was no possibility of her  
escape2 nor of my being able to abduct  
her1 had ,i been unwise enough to       
attempt it4 ,i led her out of           
,kombenyamango's hearing1 but still     
plainly in his sight1 and kindly said to
 her1 ,did you do this8 ,to my          
amazement1 she said1 ,yes4 ,but what did
 you do8 ,if you say you killed her1 how
 did you do it8 ,she described minutely 
how1 being in attendance on the old     
woman1 she was often vexed at her       
petulance1 and had been beaten by her   
for small neglects2 how1 in her anger1  
she had desired her mistress's death2   
had collected crumbs of her food1       
strands of her hair1 and shreds of her  
clothing2 how she had mixed these with  
other substances1 and had sung          
enchantments with drum and dance1 aided 
by others2 had tied all these things    
together on a stick which she had       
secretly buried at the threshold of the 

old woman's door1 desiring and expecting
 that she should thereby die4 ,by an    
unfortunate coincidence the old woman   
had died a month or two later2 and the  
slave believed that what she had done   
had been efficient to accomplish the    
taking of life4  ,baffled1 ,i returned  
to ,kombenyamango1 and admitted her     
confession4 ,but ,i told him that1 even 
so1 both he and she were under a        
delusion2 that what she had done had no 
efficiency for accomplishing a murder2  
that it was impossible4 7,here again was
 a difference of opinion as to          
possibility2 he believed his senses4 ,in
 his life he had seen witchcraft        
mysteries2 ,i had not47  ,it was        
useless1 even inconsistent1 to plead for
 mercy2 ,i retired heartsick4 ,i was    
morally certain the old woman had died a
 natural death4 ,yet this poor slave    
woman had had murder in her heart1 and  
had tried to make her murderous thought 
effective4 ,she was1 before ,god1       
guilty4 ,she had confessed herself1     

before man's bar1 guilty4 7,well for the
 thousands of us who know ourselves     
guilty in thought1 that we are not to be
 held by our fellow-sinners as guilty in
 act67 ,i knew that she was really      
innocent1 but ,i could not prove it4    
,she was taken to sea in a boat1 and    
decapitated2 her remains were thrown    
into the sea4  ,on another occasion1 a  
year later1 also on ,corisco ,island1 a 
certain heathen headman of a village1   
,osongo1 had died4 ,a female slave who  
was suspected had fled4 ,her flight was 
regarded as proof positive of her guilt4
 ,our mission premises had always been  
accorded by the native chiefs the right 
of sanctuary4 ,a refugee for any offence
 could not be seized on our premises    
till we saw just reason for extraditing 
him4 ,this slave woman had hidden       
herself in our jungle-thicket adjoining 
a forest2 just where ,i did not know4   
,two freemen--my personal employees1    
good ,christians--knew1 and secretly at 
night with my connivance fed her4 ,my   

school-girls also learned of it4 ,such a
 secret is difficult to hide4 ,one of   
the girls1 a niece of ,osongo1 revealed 
it to another of my workmen1 ,matoku1 a 
slave also of ,osongo1 and a professed  
,christian4 ,he1 with the traitorous    
cowardice that makes many slaves        
informers on each other as a means of   
enhancing their own safety with their   
masters1 revealed it to ,ajai1 ,osongo's
 brother4 ,ajai1 with a retinue of      
servants1 came to visit me in my study4 
,he1 with a wily talk about the sadness 
of his brother's death1 detained me1    
while the servants broke into the       
mission premises1 and1 led by ,matoku1  
captured the woman1 faint with her days 
and nights of exposure4 ,i discharged   
,matoku from my employ1 and dismissed   
the niece from school4 ,but the heathen 
regarded these punishments as slight2   
they had obtained their object4 ,my     
attempts to plead with ,ajai for the    
woman's life were met with undisguised  
admission of his fixed purpose to kill  

her4 ,with a family as prominent on the 
island and as wedded to heathenism as   
was ,osongo's1 and in face of the       
current that set against the woman1 the 
influences ,i was able to employ1 and   
which had at other times resulted in    
saving some lives accused of witchcraft1
 proved ineffectual4 ,i was privately   
told that she was to be put into a boat 
and carried out to sea so as to prevent 
any interference ,i might possibly      
attempt4 ,with a spy-glass ,i saw a     
native boat shoot rapidly out from      
beyond a point of land half a mile      
distant4 ,the rowers rested on their    
oars when they reached deep water4 ,she 
was seized2 her head held over the      
gunwale1 her throat cut1 and her        
lifeless body cast into the sea4  ,she  
had a son1 a stout lad4 ,ajai1 fearing  
that he might live to avenge his        
mother's death1 had ordered him also to 
be killed as an accomplice with her in  
the bewitching of ,osongo4 ,the tragedy 
that was being enacted on the beach     

behind the point of land from which had 
issued the boat ,i did not see2 but ,i  
was told that the lad was seized1 his   
hands and limbs tied to a stake1 where  
he was slowly burned to death4 ,a crowd 
sat on the beach jeering him1 and amused
 themselves by tying little packets of  
gunpowder to different parts of his     
body1 enjoying the sight of his         
struggles as the packets exploded in    
succession4  ,undeniably there is much  
jugglery and conscious deception on the 
part of the magic doctors4 ,how much    
they really believe in what they say or 
do no one has been able to discover2    
they assert that they are under         
supernatural influences1 and have power 
given from supernatural sources4 ,rarely
 are any of this priest class converted 
to ,christianity4 ,a few have professed 
conversion1 and have made a general     
acknowledgment of sinfulness2 but they  
did not like to talk about their        
divinations2 they called them           
foolishness4 ,but evidently there was   

something about those divinations of    
which they seemed ashamed and which they
 wished to forget4 ,only one have ,i met
 who would talk on the subject1 and she 
believed she had been under satanic     
influence1--not simply as all wicked    
thoughts are satanic in their character 
and inspiration1 but that she had       
actually been under satanic possession1 
and was given by the devil more than    
mere human power4 ,certainly1 if there  
is in civilized jugglery1               
fortune-telling1 clairvoyance1 divining1
 spirit-rappings1 theosophy1 et id omne 
genus1 nothing more than sleight of     
hand1 alert observation of facial       
expression1 and mind-reading1 the       
,african conjurer almost equals the     
civilized professional4 ,the native     
magician does and tells some wonderful  
things4 ,in one of my congregations an  
educated woman1 a widow1 who had only   
one child1 a son grown to young manhood1
 had subsequently lived in succession   
with four other men1 three of whom were 

white1 who had either died or deserted  
her2 and she supposed herself past      
child-bearing4 ,she contracted a secret 
marriage with a white gentleman1 but of 
it positively nothing was known or even 
suspected by any one4 ,she confessed to 
me that one day1 being a visitor in a   
distant place where she was not known1  
she1 out of mere curiosity1 hired a     
magician to divine her future4 ,he      
looked into his magic mirror1 and1 among
 many other things which he could       
shrewdly have guessed in a quick study  
of her character as revealed in her     
looks1 manner1 and language1 surprised  
her by describing a white man 7whom he  
had never seen7 who1 he asserted1 was   
deeply attached to her1 and by whom she 
would become the mother of two children4
 ,she suppressed her surprise1 and told 
him that though married four times1 she 
had borne no child in eighteen years4   
,he nevertheless asserted1 ,i see them  
in your womb4  ,within five years from  
that time she did have two untimely     

births by her white husband4 ,she told  
me in her confession that he knew       
nothing of them1 they being             
miscarriages4 ,she had suppressed from  
him the fact of her pregnancy4 ,when    
subsequently she united with the church1
 she made these revelations only to me  
as her pastor1 to save herself from     
public rebuke4  ,at another time a woman
 in ,gabun became very anxious about a  
brother of hers who was trading on the  
,ogowe ,river1 at a place at least three
 hundred miles distant2 no news had come
 of him4 ,evil news always flies fast   
and is always spread publicly4 ,she went
 to a magician4 ,divining1 he said1     
,your brother is dead4 ,but where8      
,what8 ,when did he die8 ,only recently4
 ,i see his body lying bleeding4 ,and he
 described the wounds1 the locality on  
the river1 the time1 and other details  
of a country where he had never been4   
,two months later news did come1 and it 
agreed in time1 place1 and circumstances
 with the divination4  ,such things     

occur in civilized lands4 ,they are     
accounted for without any reference to1 
or belief in1 demoniac or even          
supernatural causes or influences4 ,we  
call such recondite knowledge telepathy1
 and leave it for psychologists to study
 its character and application4 ,it has 
no religious significance or use4 ,the  
most devout ,christian may believe in it
 or be subject to its operation4 ,other 
cases of telepathy in ,africa ,i have   
been told of1 that had no fetich nor any
 divination of magic doctor connected   
with them2 but the natives attributed   
them to some unknown spirit-influence4  
,an outcome of the witchcraft of        
fetichism1 demonolatry1 though not      
necessarily identical with demoniacal   
possession1 intimately associates itself
 with it as a part of its development4  
,for the ,negro belief in such          
possession there is good basis4 ,the    
,bible recognizes the possibility of    
human beings in their free agency making
 pacts with the devil1 in virtue of     

which he was allowed1 under divine      
administration1 to share with them some 
of his supernatural power as prince of  
the power of darkness1 and god of this  
world4 ,such pacts were condemned by    
,jehovah as unholy4 ,those who made them
 were called witches and wizards2 such  
transgressors were directed to be       
destroyed4 ,thou shalt not suffer a     
witch to live#ee 7a command that does   
not necessarily prove that the professed
 diabolical compact was always a real   
one4 ,the mere professing to have       
satanic companionship and aid was an    
offence heinous to ,jehovah's theocratic
 government of his people47  ,but the   
witch of ,endor#ef certainly was a      
reality2 she did bring up real departed 
spirits2 perhaps only on that one       
occasion1 and then only by direct divine
 and not satanic power and will1 and for
 a divine object4 ,she herself seems to 
have been surprised#eg at the real      
success of divinations which formerly   
may have been1 in her hands1 only       

deceptions4  ,my native heathen chiefs  
have good precedent for their witchcraft
 executions4 ,new ,england history      
cannot wipe out the fact of the ,salem  
witchcraft trials4  ,demoniac           
possessions in supposed lunatics are    
possible2 they were actual and numerous 
in ,palestine during the ministry of    
,christ4 ,satan was loosed with unusual 
power1 that the ,son of ,god in his     
contest with him could give to the world
 convincing proof of his divine origin  
and authority1 even the devils being    
subject to him4 ,if demoniacal          
possessions are possible during a term  
of years1 they are equally possible for 
a few hours2 they never were nor are    
made by ,satan for a good purpose4 ,god1
 in the days of ,christ1 for the special
 purpose of the time1 overruled them for
 the defence of his kingdom2 since then1
 in the hearts of evil men1 their advent
 is only for evil and by evil4  ,if in  
,christian lands the enchantments of the
 hoodoo are only jugglery and nothing   

else1 it may be that ,satan's power is  
limited under the broad light of        
,christianity4 ,but in heathen lands1   
where for ages ,satan's power has not   
only been accepted but also sought1 ,i  
am disposed to believe that some        
apparent cases of lunacy are real       
possessions by ,satan1 in which cases   
both the physical disease and its       
associated mental aberration are the    
effect of the possession4 ,in lunacy    
pure and simple the mental aberration is
 the effect of disease alone1--some     
mental or physical injury4  ,the        
possibility of a permanent possession by
 ,satan being admitted1 it is easily    
possible that the fetich doctors or     
priestesses may be temporarily entered  
into by satanic power1 and that some    
wonderful things they do and say while  
endowed with that power are used by the 
devil to blind men's minds against the  
truth4  ,it may be1 therefore1 that the 
missionary in his contest with          
heathenism has literally to fight with  

the devil1 with principalities and      
powers in high places1 and needs weapons
 more subtle than ,martin ,luther's     
inkstand4 ,if so1 he puts his preaching 
and his work at a disadvantage in       
deriding the witchcraft side of         
fetichism1 revealed in black art1 as    
simply folly1 and reprehensible only as 
a superstition4 ,it is more than that2  
it is wickedness1--spiritual wickedness 
in high places4 ,while it is true that  
it has much that is mere jugglery and   
charlatanism1 it is quite possible that 
it may have something that is           
diabolically real4  ,but all this does  
not fully justify my ,negro chief in    
putting to death his slave1 who may or  
may not have been more than             
self-deceived and deceiving1 who may or 
may not have had a temporary satanic    
possession1 who may or may not have been
 guilty of murder before the bar of ,god
 or man4 ,that chief and all his        
assistants in the execution1 and all    
other users of the black art1 had1 in   

the beginning of their fetich life1 been
 users of only the defensive white art2 
had inevitably grown into the use of the
 offensive black art1 and in all        
probability at some time or other had   
used divinations1 with and by the aid of
 witchcraft doctors1 for the destruction
 of others in a similar way and under   
the same motives as those admitted by my
 poor slave woman4  ,my chief's argument
 syllogized would be3 ,whoever kills    
should be killed2 this woman has killed2
 therefore she should be killed4 ,his   
first premise stands2 but neither he nor
 any of his people had a right to use   
it2 consistently1 he and all his should 
themselves have been at the same bar    
with the woman2 they either had done1 or
 would some day be doing1 just what they
 were charging her with doing4 ,his     
second premise may or may not have been 
true2 certainly1 the only one who could 
know whether it was true was the accused
 herself1 and she may have been         
self-deceived2 and her confession should

 have no standing in court1 having been 
forced under torture4 ,i could not      
therefore admit his conclusion2 and ,i  
think that1 had the ,master stood       
visibly on ,corisco ,island that day1   
,he would have said1 ,he that is without
 sin among you1 let him first cast a    
stone at her4     ,,chapter ,x          
,,fetichism--,a ,,government   ,in      
civilization1 under governments other   
than autocratic1 law being made and     
executed1 at least professedly1 with the
 consent of the governed1 all enactments
 find not only their justification1 but 
also the possibility of their           
enforcement1 in their support by public 
opinion4 ,it is the general consensus as
 to the need of an enactment regarding  
certain conditions affecting the lives  
or happiness or rights of the majority1 
that crystallizes opinions into a form  
of words1 and gives authority for the   
enforcement of the decisions expressed  
by those words4  ,this is also partly   
true even under governments more or less

 despotic1 where the will of the ruler1 
not of the ruled1 is made the basis of  
law4 ,few despots are so utterly        
tyrannical as deliberately to arouse    
opposition on the part of their         
subjects4 ,even a ,nero1 who would      
refuse a petition if it happened to run 
counter to his whim or caprice of the   
day1 would grant that same petition if  
it happened to coincide with his own    
whim of another day4 ,even he thought it
 desirable to pander to the public taste
 for the butcheries of the amphitheatre1
 not simply because he himself enjoyed  
them4 ,though he could initiate no      
measure for the real good of ,rome1 he  
recognized the necessity of responding  
to the cry1 panem et circenses4  ,in all
 governments fear is recognized as one  
of the grounds for the enforcement of   
law4 ,in even the freest nations and    
under the highest form of civilization  
the public opinion that administers law 
makes its demand partly in the interest 
of essential right1 partly with the     

instinct of self-preservation against   
the forces of evil1 and partly for the  
punishment of wrong4 ,punishment in     
itself is not reformatory2 it is        
retributive2 it is deterrent2 it plays  
upon fear4  ,in the native ,african     
tribal forms of government1 while it    
would not be true to say that there is  
no justice in the customs they          
recognize1 it is true that the only     
sentiment appealed to1 in the           
enforcement and even in the enactment of
 supposed needed measures1 is that of   
fear4 ,their religion being one of fear1
 it is therefore appealed to to lend its
 sanction and aid4  ,fetiches are set up
 to punish offenders in certain cases   
where there is an intention to make a   
law specially binding2 this refers more 
particularly to crimes which cannot     
always be detected4 ,a fetich is        
inaugurated1 for example1 to detect and 
punish certain kinds of theft2 persons  
who are cognizant to such crimes1 and   
who do not give information1 are also   

liable to be punished by the fetich4    
,the fetich is supposed to be able not  
only to detect all such transgressions1 
but has power1 likewise1 to punish the  
transgressor4 ,how it exercises this    
knowledge1 or by what means it brings   
sickness and death upon the offender1   
cannot1 of course1 be explained2 but1 as
 it is believed in1 it is the most      
effectual restraint that can possibly be
 imposed upon evil-disposed persons4#eh 
,among the ,negro tribes of the ,bight  
of ,benin and the ,bantu of the region  
of ,corisco ,island and of the ,ogowe   
,river1 in what is now the              
,kongo-,franais1 there was a power known
 variously as ,egbo1 ,ukuku1 and ,yasi1 
which tribes1 native chiefs1 and headmen
 of villages invoked as a court of last 
appeal1 for the passage of needed laws1 
or the adjudication of some quarrel     
which an ordinary family or village     
council was unable to settle4  ,in those
 councils an offender could be proved   
guilty of a debt or theft1 or other     

trespass1 and when it was no longer     
possible for him by audacity or         
mendacity to persist in his assertion of
 innocence1 he would yield to the       
decision of the great majority against  
him4 ,but there was no central          
government to enforce that decision or  
exact from him restitution4 ,the only   
authority the native chiefs possessed   
was based on respect due to age1        
parental position1 or strength of       
personal character4 ,if an offender     
chose to disregard all these            
considerations1 an appeal was then made 
to his superstitious fear4  ,egbo1      
,ukuku1 ,yasi1 was a secret society     
composed only of men1 boys being        
initiated into it about the age of      
puberty4 ,members were bound by a       
terrible oath and under pain of death to
 obey any law or command issued by the  
spirit under which the society professed
 to be organized4 ,the actual1 audible  
utterance of the command was by the     
voice of one of the members of the      

society chosen as priest for that       
purpose4 ,this man1 secreted in the     
forest1 in a clump of bushes on the     
outskirts of the village1 or in one of  
the rooms of the ,council ,house1       
disguised his voice1 speaking only      
gutturally4 ,the whole proceeding was an
 immense fiction2 they believed in      
spirits and in the power of fetich      
charms1 and they made such charms part  
of the society's ceremonies2 but1 as to 
the decisions1 all the members knew that
 the decision in any case was their own1
 not a spirit's4 ,they knew that the    
voice speaking was that of their        
delegate1 not of a spirit4 ,yet for any 
one of them1 or for any woman1 girl1 or 
uninitiated boy1 to assert as much would
 have been death4 ,and those men who    
would not have submitted to the same    
decision if arrived at in open council  
of themselves as men1 and known before  
the whole village to be speaking only as
 men1 would instantly submit when once  
the case had been taken to ,ukuku's     

,court4 ,they carried out that fiction  
all their lives4 ,let a man order his   
wives and other slaves to clear the     
overgrown village paths1 they might     
hesitate to obey by inventing some      
excuse that they were too much occupied 
with other work1 or that they would do  
it only when other people who also used 
the same path should assist2 or if under
 the sting of a kasa-nguvu 7lash of     
hippopotamus hide or manatus skin7 they 
started to do the work1 they might do it
 only partly or very unsatisfactorily4  
,but let the man call in the other men  
of the village and summon a meeting of  
the society1 the recalcitrants would    
submit instantly1 and in terror of      
,ukuku's voice2 much as they might      
possibly have suspected it was a human  
voice1 they would not dare whisper the  
suspicion4 ,they helped to carry on a   
gigantic lie4 ,they taught their little 
children1 both girls and boys1 that the 
voice belonged to a spirit which ate    
people who disobeyed him4 ,when the     

society walked in procession to or from 
their appointed rendezvous1 they were   
preceded by runners who1 with a         
well-recognized cry and with kasa-nguvu 
in hand1 warned all on the path of the  
coming of the spirit4 ,women and        
children hastened to get out of the way2
 or1 if unable to hide in time1 they    
averted their faces4 ,the penalty when a
 woman even saw the procession was a    
severe beating2 that1 however1 might be 
commuted to a fine4  ,about thirty-nine 
years ago1 on the island of ,corisco1   
the then headquarters of the ,corisco   
,mission1 there was a long-standing feud
 between the ,benga tribe1 inhabiting   
that island1 and the ,kombe tribe1      
dwelling at the mouth of the ,eyo       
,river1 of the ,benita country1 fifty   
miles to the north4 ,benita was also a  
part of the mission field4 ,the quarrel 
between the two tribes greatly          
obstructed our mission work4            
,missionaries were entirely safe in     
travel between the two places1 respect  

being given them as foreigners1 and     
their presence in a boat protected their
 crews2 but it was often difficult to   
obtain a crew willing to go on the      
journey without the presence of a white 
man4 ,the difficulties caused by the    
feud fell heavily also on the ,benga    
people themselves4 ,the island itself   
had no products for trade2 ivory1       
dye-woods1 and rubber came from the     
,benita mainland4 ,many ,kombe women had
 married ,benga men1 and needed         
frequently to revisit their own country4
 ,finally1 to end the feud1 it was      
agreed that the ,kombe ,ukuku ,society1 
whose power was held in even greater    
fear than that of ,benga1 should come to
 ,corisco and settle the affair4  ,it   
was a day of terror at the ,girls'      
,boarding ,school1 of which ,i was then 
superintendent4 ,as the long1           
blood-curdling yell of the forerunners  
on the public path1 that ran only one   
hundred feet from the school dwelling1  
announced the approach of the           

procession1 the girls fled1 affrighted1 
to the darkness of the attic of the     
house4 ,after the procession had passed1
 they ran away secretly in byways to    
their own villages1 feeling safer in the
 darkness of their mother's huts than in
 the mission-house2 for it had been     
reported that ,ukuku1 besides settling  
the tribal feud1 intended to attack the 
mission work that had been successfully 
making converts among the ,kombe1       
because any native who became a         
,christian immediately withdrew from    
membership in the society4 ,it had      
therefore begun to feel a little anxious
 about its safety4 ,i stood at my door  
and saw the procession pass2 they saw   
me1 but1 because of my sex1 they did not
 show any displeasure4 ,they were       
painted with white and other colored    
chalks that gave a horrible expression  
to their faces2 their look was defiant1 
and a hoarse1 muttered chant had1 even  
on myself1 a depressing effect4 ,i could
 well imagine that to a superstitious   

native mind the tout ensemble would be  
terrifying4  ,the procession on its way 
chose to pass over a road that had by   
use become somewhat public1 but which   
was owned by the mission2 it was only   
fifty feet past the front door of the   
house of the senior missionary1 the     
,rev4 ,james ,l4 ,mackey4 ,mrs4 ,mackey 
was standing at the door of the house2  
not being a ,benga woman1 she saw no    
reason why she should retire before     
,ukuku1 and stood her ground4 ,ukuku    
went to their rendezvous in a rage1 and 
the ,kombe portion demanded the life of 
the woman who not only had not hidden   
her face in their presence1 but had     
dared persistently to look upon them4   
,this demand was modified by the ,benga 
portion to a fine2 its alternative1     
whipping1 not even they daring to       
suggest for a white lady4 ,this demand  
for a fine was actually brought to ,mr4 
,mackey1 who gave a dignified reply1    
pointing out that1 as foreigners1 white 
people were not subject to ,ukuku2 that 

,ukuku had trespassed on mission private
 property1 and was itself responsible   
for being seen2 that1 as a ,christian1  
in no case could he recognize the       
authority of ,ukuku to order or fine    
him4 ,in reply1 ,ukuku made the point   
that it was the government of the       
country1 and that even foreigners were  
bound to obey law4 7,corisco actually   
belonged to ,spain1 but ,spain in no way
 exercised any visible authority over   
it47  ,they admitted their trespass on  
private property1 but still demanded the
 fine4 ,mr4 ,mackey made no further     
reply2 and of course1 as a matter of    
conscience1 refused to pay the fine4    
,but it transpired afterwards that      
native friends1 fearful lest matters    
should come to an ugly pass through his 
refusal1 privately paid the fine        
themselves4 ,the missionary1 unaware of 
this1 thought he had triumphed2 really  
,ukuku had1 but not unqualifiedly1 for  
it was a shock to its power that it     
should have been disputed at all1 even  

by a white man4  ,about the same time a 
young slave man who was beginning to    
attend church with desire to become a   
,christian1 was sitting in a village    
where was being held a meeting of the   
local ,ukuku ,society4 ,the object of   
the meeting was to alarm and drive back 
to a more constant performance of fetich
 observances some of the villages on    
which heathenism was beginning to lose  
its hold4 ,in the course of his oracular
 deliverances the ,ukuku priest         
mentioned by name this young man4 ,in   
his fresh zeal as a convert he made a   
protest2 perhaps duty did not call for  
even that just at the time1 but he even 
went beyond4 ,as he was able to         
recognize the voice1 though disguised1  
and knew who its owner was1 he made a   
fatal mistake in saying1 ,you1          
such-a-one1 ,i know who you are2 you are
 only a man2 why are you troubling me8  
,he was promptly dragged to the seaside 
and decapitated4  ,while converts felt  
the propriety of abandoning their       

membership in the society and any       
participation in its ceremonies1 the    
mission had not required of them nor    
deemed it desirable that they should    
make a revelation of its secrets4 ,but  
it had occurred in the early history of 
the mission that one young man1 ,ibia1 a
 freeman1 member of a prominent family1 
had felt that in breaking away from     
heathenism and becoming a ,christian he 
should cast off the very semblance of   
any connection with evil or even tacit  
endorsement of it4 ,he knew the society 
was based on a great falsehood4 ,as a   
lad he had believed ,ukuku was a spirit2
 on his initiation he had found that    
this was not so2 but loyal to his       
heathenism and to his oath1 he had      
assented to the lie and had assisted in 
propagating it4 ,he was known for the   
fearlessness of his convictions1 and in 
his conversion he to a rare degree      
emerged from all superstitious beliefs4 
,few emerge so utterly as he4 ,he       
therefore publicly began to reveal the  

ceremonies practised in the ,ukuku      
meetings4 ,at once his life was in      
danger4 ,the two pioneer missionaries1  
,rev4 ,messrs4 ,mackey and ,clemens1    
were men of exceptional strength of     
character and wise judgment1 and had    
obtained a very strong hold on the      
respect and affection even of the       
heathen4 ,their influence1 united with a
 small party of ,ibia's own family and a
 few of the more civilized chiefs1 was  
able to save his life1 he being guarded 
in the mission-house until the          
fierceness of heathen rage should abate4
 ,but1 though his enemies presently     
ceased from open efforts to kill him by 
force1 they proclaimed that they would  
kill him by means of the very witchcraft
 power he was despising4 ,they said they
 would concoct fetich charms which would
 destroy the life of his child1 and that
 they would curse the ground on which he
 trod so that it should sicken his feet4
 ,not long afterwards his infant child  
did die1 and one of his feet for more   

than a year had a painful ulcer4 ,the   
coincidence was startling1 and somewhat 
triumphant for the heathen2 but infant  
mortality is large even among natives1  
and phagedenic ulcers of the leg are    
very common4 ,ibia recognized his       
afflictions as a trial of his faith     
permitted by ,god4 ,he came out of his  
fiery trial strong1 and his life since  
has been that of a reformer1            
uncompromising with any evil1 earning   
from his own people their ill-will by   
his scathing denunciations of anything  
that savored of superstition4 ,he became
 the ,rev4 ,ibia j',ikenge1 member of   
,corisco ,presbytery and pastor of the  
,corisco church2 and ,ukuku has long    
since ceased to exist as a power on the 
island4  ,like all government intended  
for the benefit and protection of the   
governed1 ,ukuku1 when it happened to   
throw its power on the side of right1   
was occasionally an apparent blessing4  
,it could end tribal quarrels and       
proclaim and enforce peace where no     

individual chief or king would have been
 able to accomplish the same result4 ,in
 this connection ,i quote from an       
editorial in a ,sierra ,leone newspaper3
  ,much of the ideas of our western     
civilization as to native ,african      
institutions have been crude and        
uninformed1 based on misconception and a
 predisposition to consider such        
institutions as an outcome of barbarism 
and savagery1 to be treated with        
unmitigated contempt4 ,but as the light 
of modern researches is reflected on the
 question by sympathetic students who   
have brought an unprejudiced mind to    
bear on the subject1 if haply they might
 discover the hidden truths underlying  
the fabric which age1 custom1 and       
intellect have combined to construct    
into a national system1 it is becoming  
more and more apparent to those who are 
interested in the material progress of  
,africa and the ,africans and who are   
believers in the fact that native races 
have a civilization of their own capable

 of development and expansion on right  
lines1 that the study of such questions 
should be intelligently and             
scientifically pursued1 and with a      
purpose to help those concerned in their
 onward progress towards the attainment 
of moral1 social1 and intellectual      
liberty4  ,that some native governmental
 institutions have wielded1 and are     
wielding1 a power for good in the       
several communities belonging to each   
distinctive tribe1 is a fact that cannot
 be disputed or contested1 in the past  
as well as in the present4 ,the ,aro of 
the ,yorubas in the ,niger ,delta1 the  
,porroh of the ,mendis of ,sierra       
,leone1 and the ,bondo of the mixed mass
 who inhabit ,sherbro-land1 have and    
exercise judicial functions exemplary   
and disciplinary in their effects4 ,by  
their means law and order are observed  
to such an extent that many of the      
unrestrained and rowdy outbursts        
cowardly indulged in by so-called       
civilized communities and people are    

practically unknown4  ,these            
institutions are connected with and     
govern the agencies that work in the    
sociology of all communities1 such as   
the marriage laws2 the relation of      
children to parents and of sex to sex2  
social laws2 the position of eldership  
and the deference to be paid to age and 
worth2 native herbs and medicines1 and  
the duties of the native doctor to the  
other members of the community4  ,on one
 occasion in #ahfa the ,rev4 ,william   
,clemens took a young ,benga man from   
,corisco ,island to locate him as       
evangelist in the bounds of a mainland  
heathen tribe where there was some doubt
 as to the young man's safety4 ,the     
village chief1 though a heathen and     
entirely uninterested in the religious  
aspect of the case1 was alive to the    
fact that the presence among his people 
of this young protg of the white man    
would increase his tribal importance1   
and that his people themselves would    
derive a pecuniary benefit from even the

 small amount of money that would be    
spent on the evangelist's food4 ,he     
therefore voluntarily offered to call an
 ,ukuku meeting and have a law enacted  
that no one should machinate against the
 ,benga's life by fetiches of any kind4 
,mr4 ,clemens declined the offer4 ,if he
 accepted ,ukuku's authority to defend  
him1 he might some day be called on to  
submit to the same power as an authority
 to punish him4 ,he wisely avoided an   
entangling alliance4 ,he told the chief 
that he preferred to entrust his protg  
to his care and to rely on his promise  
rather than on ,ukuku's4 ,this          
compliment put the chief on his mettle2 
the evangelist's protection became to   
him a case of noblesse oblige4  ,the    
power of this society was often used as 
a boycott to compel white traders as to 
the prices of their goods1 using        
intimidation and violence after the     
manner of trades unions in civilized    
countries4 ,this was true all along the 
,west ,coast of ,africa wherever no     

white government had been established4  
,it ceased at ,libreville1 in the ,gabun
 country1 after the establishment of a  
,french colony in #ahdc1 with a white   
governor1 a squad of soldiers1 police1  
and a gunboat4 ,also at other trade     
centres such as ,libreville1 ,ukuku     
early lost its position1 for the        
population was too heterogeneous and    
there were too many diverse interests4  
,at the large trading-houses were       
gathered native clerks and a staff of   
servants as cooks1 personal attendants1 
boatmen1 etc41 representing a score of  
tribes from distant parts of the coast4 
,whatever obedience they gave to similar
 societies in their tribes1 they did not
 feel bound by the local one1 to which  
they were strangers2 and they were      
disposed1 under a community of trade    
interests with their employers1 to      
disregard the society of the local      
tribe1 to many of whom they felt        
themselves socially superior4  ,but at  
,batanga1 in what is now the ,kamerun   

colony of the ,german ,government1 the  
,ukuku ,society forty years ago carried 
itself with a high hand4 ,batanga was   
not then claimed by any ,european       
nation1 and the number of white men were
 few4 ,its trade in ivory was one of the
 richest on the ,west ,coast of         
,africa1--so rich that the ,batanga     
people became arrogant4 ,some of them   
disdained to make plantations of native 
food supply1 and lived almost entirely  
on foreign imported provisions1 taking  
in exchange for their abundant ivory    
barrels of beef1 bags of rice1 and boxes
 of ship's biscuit4 ,it was a case of   
demand and supply4 ,the native got what 
he wanted in goods1 and the white man   
obtained the precious ivory4 ,but in the
 competitions of trade1 fluctuations in 
the market1 and the growing demand of   
the natives for a higher price1 there   
came days when some white man1 seeing   
the margin of his per cent of gain      
becoming too narrow1 refused the current
 price4 ,doubtless often the white men  

were arbitrary1 not only in prices but  
also in other matters4 ,doubtless1 also1
 the natives were often exorbitant in   
their demands4 ,when the differences    
became extreme1 the native chiefs called
 in the aid of ,ukuku4 ,the phrase was  
to put ,ukuku on the white man's house4 
,the trader was boycotted4 ,he stood as 
under a major excommunication4 ,no one  
should buy from1 or sell to him4 ,no one
 should work for him4 ,he was deserted  
by cook1 steward1 washerman1 and all    
other personal attendants4 ,sentinels   
stood on guard to prevent food being    
brought to him1 or even to prevent his  
lighting a fire in his own kitchen if he
 should attempt to cook for himself4    
,the white trader generally succeeded in
 breaking down the interdict put upon   
him by these means1 viz4 7#a7 ,he had in
 his house a supply of canned goods and 
ship's biscuit1 with which he would not 
starve4 7#b7 ,his ,negro mistress almost
 always remained faithfully with him1   
secretly assisting him1 divulging to him

 the plans of her own people1--as in the
 history of ,cortes and the conquest of 
,mexico4 ,she dared to do this1 being   
tacitly upheld by her own family4 ,the  
position of wife to a white man was     
considered by the natives an honorable  
one1 and was sought by parents for their
 daughters4 ,it was an exceptional      
source of wealth for them4 7#c7 ,if     
other means failed1 the trader could    
almost always break the boycott by      
bribes of rum4 ,time was money to him2  
often1 indeed1 in a malarial country it 
was life to him4 ,though time was worth 
nothing to the natives1 the rum they had
 learned to love became a necessity to  
them4 ,in cutting the white man from    
their ivory1 they had cut themselves    
from the white man's rum4 ,a judicious  
expenditure of demijohns in proper      
quarters generally enabled ,ukuku to    
revoke his own law4 ,then1 perhaps1 the 
white man would make some slight        
concession4  ,i had an experience of    
this kind in the ,benita country in     

#ahfh4 ,i had been there several years4 
,there was growth in the desire for the 
good things that money can buy1 but     
wages and prices had remained unchanged4
 ,i was obtaining all ,i needed of both 
labor and food without difficulty4 ,had 
,i had any difficulty1 ,i should        
naturally have offered more inducement4 
,i was not aware that there was any     
discontent4 ,none of my employees had   
asked for a rise1 nor had people1 in    
selling their produce1 complained of the
 price ,i gave4   ,illustration3        
,,elephants' ,,tusks ,,and ,,palm-,,leaf
 ,,thatch4 ,,two ,,hundred ,,miles ,,up 
,,the ,,ogowe ,,river4   ,suddenly1 one 
morning1 a company of about twenty men1 
led by an ambitious heathen whose manner
 had always been dictatorial to me and  
to whom ,i had shown no favor1 filed    
into the public meeting-room of our     
mission-house4 ,i knew them all2 none   
were in my employ1 nor were any of them 
,christians4 ,as if they thought it was 
hopeless to attempt to obtain anything  

from me by petition or respectful       
request1 they seemed to have decided to 
stake all on a demand and threat4 ,they 
suddenly and harshly began1 ,we've come 
to order you to change prices4          
,naturally ,i felt nettled and replied  
that ,i saw no reason why ,i should take
 orders from them4 ,they rose in a rage 
and said1 ,then we'll put ,ukuku on     
you--7#a7 no one shall work for you2    
7#b7 no one shall sell you food or      
drink2 7#c7 you shall not go yourself to
 your spring2 and with a savage yell    
they left the house4 ,instantly a great 
terror fell on the native members of my 
household4 ,those who were heathen      
dropped work and went to their villages4
 ,those who were ,christians came to me 
distressed1 saying that they desired to 
obey me1 but they feared the interdict4 
,i relieved the situation for them by   
excusing them from further work till ,i 
should call them1 and refrained from    
ringing the call-bell at the usual work 
hour4  ,with me were ,mrs4 ,nassau1 our 

child's nurse1 my sister ,miss ,i4 ,a4  
,nassau1 and two native girls1 members  
of another tribe4 ,nurse was a          
foreigner1 a ,christian ,liberian woman1
 who was not amenable to the interdict4 
,some of my ,christian employees1 though
 not working1 remained on the premises4 
,a few visitors came in the             
afternoon1--some1 as sincere friends1 to
 sympathize2 some in curiosity1 to see  
how we were feeling2 and some as spies1 
to see what we were doing4 ,the         
interdict1 except as an expression of   
ill-will and a possible check to my     
mission work1 did not trouble me4 ,as to
 food1 ,i had an ample supply of canned 
provisions1 sufficient for a long siege4
 ,in refusing to sell me their native   
products1 the people would miss more    
than ,i should4 ,as to work1 the        
cleaning of the premises was not        
pressing and could safely be neglected4 
,as to drinking-water1 enough could be  
caught from the roof in the almost daily
 rains4 ,food and labor were their own1 

to refuse if they chose4 ,but the spring
 was on my premises and belonged to me4 
,to refrain from going to it might be   
deemed cowardice2 at least it would be  
obeying an order of what ,ukuku claimed 
was a spirit4 ,an order from men ,i     
might submit to under compulsion2 to    
submit to this spirit went against my   
conscience4 ,after prayer and           
consideration overnight1 ,mrs4 ,nassau  
fully agreed with me that it was right  
,i should make a demonstration at the   
spring4 ,in parting with her next       
morning1 as ,i took up a bucket to go to
 the spring1 she knew ,i might not      
return alive4 ,a sandy path led through 
low bushes to the spring1 several       
hundred yards distant4 ,i saw no one on 
the way nor at the spring4 ,i filled the
 bucket and was turning homeward1 when a
 spy1 armed with a spear1 jumped out of 
his ambush and ordered me to leave the  
water4 ,as ,i did not do so1 but started
 to walk over the path1 he stabbed at my
 back4 ,i thrust the spear aside and    

faced him1 but walking backward all the 
time kept my eye steadily on his4 ,he   
feared my eye 7most native ,africans    
cannot stand a white man's fixed look7  
and did not attempt to stab me in front1
 but tried to spill the water in the    
bucket and stab me from behind4 ,but the
 bucket and its contents ,i guarded1 as 
he struck at it from right to left1 by  
rapidly changing it from left to right  
with one hand and warding off the spear 
with the other4 ,still walking backward1
 and keeping my eye on him1 the bucket  
and ,i reached the house in safety4  ,he
 hastened to the native villages1 whence
 soon ,i heard a great outcry4 ,a       
company of ,christian natives came in   
haste1 saying that ,ukuku was on his way
 to assault the house1 and that they and
 other young men1 even some who were not
 ,christians1 would fight for me against
 their heathen parents if ,i could      
provide them powder4 ,i supplied them4  
,then they bade me hasten and fasten all
 doors and windows4  ,the mission       

dwelling consisted of two houses joined 
by a covered veranda1--one1 a           
one-storied bamboo2 the other framed of 
boards1 one and a half story4 ,mrs4     
,nassau was in the latter1 closing it4  
,before ,i had finished closing the     
former1 the enemies came1 and ,i was    
alone in the bamboo house4 ,shots       
rattled against the walls4 ,through the 
chinks ,i could see the young men were  
guarding all entrances and firing4 ,i   
think that in this difficult situation1 
defending me against their own people1  
they purposely fired wide1 for no one   
was even wounded4 ,but their armed stand
 checked the enemies1 who then soon     
retired4 ,in after years these were     
ashamed of their assault1 and tried to  
minimize it1 when it was related to new 
missionaries1 by representing that they 
did not intend to kill me4 ,i accepted  
that as a kindly after-thought4         
,certainly the spy at the spring        
intended1 and tried hard1 to kill me4   
,certainly1 also1 their gunshots left   

their marks on the walls of the bamboo  
house1 and1 for aught they knew1 had    
penetrated the thin walls and might have
 struck me4  ,that their interdict had  
been successfully broken1 and that1 too1
 by the aid of their own sons1 was a    
great blow to the ,ukuku party4 ,it was 
the beginning of the end of its power4  
,four years later1 while ,i was absent  
on my furlough1 the number of the       
church-members having largely increased1
 two young men1 themselves of strong    
character and imbued with the courage of
 my able successor at ,benita1 ,rev4    
,samuel ,howell ,murphy1 deliberately   
determined to reveal ,ukuku4 ,they      
walked through a village street openly  
shouting to the women that ,ukuku is    
only a man4 ,at once their lives were   
demanded2 but so many of their          
companions stood up for them1 and said  
to their fathers1 ,the day you kill     
those two you will have to kill all of  
us1 for we all say also that ,ukuku is  
only a person1 that ,ukuku was amazed4  

,nevertheless the society met4 ,but when
 the members looked in each other's     
faces1 each one knew that in voting to  
put to death the other men's sons1 he   
was voting also against his own son4    
,the society could have dared to kill   
one or two1 but to kill a score6 ,they  
shrank from it4 ,every one thought of   
his own son thus involved1 and the great
 lie was exposed and died4  ,in #ahgi1  
on the ,ogowe ,river1 at my interior    
station1 ,kngwe1 near the town of       
,lambarene1 one hundred and thirty miles
 up the course of the river1 ,i had a   
similar experience with that same       
society1 known there in the ,galwa tribe
 by the name of ,yasi4  ,in my new work 
on the ,ogowe1 ,i pursued toward that   
society the same course ,i had followed 
with ,ukuku at ,benita4 ,i preached     
simply the gospel of ,christ2 but it is 
true that the gospel touches mankind in 
all their human relations4 ,i therefore 
was not silent about such sins as       
slavery and polygamy1 any more than ,i  

would be silent about the sins of       
drunkenness or theft4 ,all these were   
practices the evil of which in serious  
moments most natives would admit1       
however much they chose still to persist
 in them4 ,but witchcraft was their     
religion2 they believed in it4 ,to      
attack it openly would only offend1 and 
,i would lose the personal influence    
which ,i was able to exercise in quiet1 
private discussions4 ,yasi1 though a    
falsehood1 was their government4 ,to    
attack it would have simply emptied my  
church of every heathen auditor1 and    
would have debarred any women or        
children from receiving further         
instruction4 ,i could afford to bide my 
time1 for the entering wedge of         
,christian principles to overthrow what 
,i could never have removed by direct   
onslaught4 ,in conversations with my    
heathen friends1 the native chiefs1 in  
their own houses1 when no women or      
children happened to be present1 ,i     
would expostulate with them against such

 a mode of government4 ,i told them ,i  
would render them respect and even      
obedience1 if as persons they should    
enact laws affecting me as a person1 but
 that ,i could give neither respect nor 
obedience to what they knew ,i knew was 
a lie4 ,they looked troubled1 and       
replied1 ,yes1 that's so1 but don't tell
 it to the women4 ,and ,i did not4      
,nevertheless1 in my untrammelled       
conversations in the mission-house with 
my own ,christian male employees1 ,i was
 not careful to be silent if our        
school-boys happened to be present2 and 
these same employees in their own       
dormitories deliberately and            
intentionally told the boys of the      
falsities of their tribal superstitions4
 ,they were right4 ,this was ,christian 
principle1 working as ,i desired it     
should4 ,inevitably there grew up a     
generation of lads who began to deride  
,yasi1 and said that they would never   
join the society4  ,there came one day a
 delegation of them led by two          

,christian young men1 ,mmb and ,nguva1  
asking my permission to play a mock     
,yasi meeting4 ,i asked them1 ,will you 
dare to play that same play in your own 
villages8 ,no1 we would be afraid4 ,then
 don't do here what you are unable to   
carry out elsewhere4 ,i cannot defend   
you in your own villages4 ,you are safe 
here2 wait until you are stronger and   
more numerous4 ,just now your play will 
create confusion4 ,nevertheless they did
 play1 with the result which ,i had     
foretold4 ,the chiefs were deeply       
enraged4 ,they put ,yasi on my house1   
which meant that ,i was not to be       
visited nor sold any food4 ,there was a 
report1 also1 that the mission premises 
were to be assaulted with guns4 ,the    
loss of food supply was a serious       
difficulty4 ,i did not need any for     
myself and sister1 nor for the two young
 missionaries1 both of them laymen who  
were visiting me from a sea-coast       
station1 and who could not understand   
the case in all its aspects1 for they   

had never met with the society's power2 
it did not exist at their station1      
having been broken before they came to  
,africa4 ,but how was ,i to feed thirty 
hungry school-boys8 ,i had to send most 
of them away to their distant homes down
 the river2 and my canoes returned with 
a temporary food supply that they had   
been able to buy at places on the route 
where news of the interdict had not as  
yet been officially carried4  ,the dozen
 young men who remained with me ,i armed
 with guns obtained from a neighboring  
trading-house1 and ,i posted sentinels  
every night to guard against sudden     
assault4 ,i went to the native villages 
and met a council of several chiefs4    
,they seemed desirous to keep on        
friendly terms with myself1 but they    
were angry at their own children4 ,they 
took me to task for my warlike          
preparations4 ,these ,i told them were  
for defence1 that ,i would use the guns 
only when they compelled me to do so4   
,then they complained that ,i had taught

 their children to disobey them4 ,i     
denied1 stating that one of the greatest
 of ,god's commands which ,i had taught 
them was to honor their parents4 ,but ,i
 added that the ,father in ,heaven      
claimed priority even to an earthly     
parent2 and how could children really   
honor parents who were persistently     
deceiving them about ,yasi1 who they    
knew was only a person8 ,they winced1   
and looking towards some women who were 
passing by1 said1 ,don't speak so loud1 
the women will hear you4 ,they made     
another complaint1 viz41 that ,i was    
trying to change their customs2 they    
bade me leave them alone in their       
customs2 ,i could keep my white customs1
 and they would keep theirs4 ,i frankly 
told them that ,i would be pleased to   
see some of their customs which were    
evil changed1 but that neither ,i nor   
any other missionary could compel them  
to change2 that1 nevertheless1 these    
customs would be changed in their and my
 own lifetime4 ,they were terribly      

aroused1 and swore1 ,never6 never6 ,you 
can't change them4 ,no1 not ,i2 but they
 will be changed4 ,never6 ,who can or   
who will do it8 ,your own sons4 ,then we
 will kill our own sons4  ,they seemed  
to transfer their anger against me to   
their own children4 ,the interdict      
against my house was not formally       
removed1 but it was not rigidly         
enforced4 ,i no longer felt it necessary
 to post sentinels at night1 and        
secretly1 at night1 a sister of one of  
these very chiefs sold me food for my   
family4 ,but the heathen rage spread    
down the river to the villages of the   
disbanded school children and native    
,christians4 ,one of these1 ,nguva1 was 
seized1 chained1 and offered to ,yasi to
 be eaten4 ,he was rescued by a daring  
expedition made by my two lay missionary
 visitors1 who went in my six-oared gig 
with my twelve enthusiastic young native
 ,christian workmen4 ,they went fifteen 
miles down river1 were secretly directed
 by one of the little school-boys to the

 village where ,nguva was chained in    
stocks1 assaulted the village at the    
mid-afternoon hour1 when almost all the 
men were away1 cut ,nguva from the      
stocks1 and brought him in triumph to my
 house4 ,but in their retreat up the    
river they had for a distance of five   
miles been subjected to a fusillade of  
native guns from both sides of the      
river4 ,the river was wide1 and they    
kept in mid-stream1 and no one was      
injured4 ,but the consequences of that  
resort to arms made me much trouble     
after my visitors had safely returned to
 their seaside station4 ,according to   
native law1 ,i1 and not my guests1 was  
held as the responsible party1 and the  
affair was not satisfactorily settled   
until some months afterward4  ,my       
prophecy came true2 less than ten years 
later little children were playing ,yasi
 as amusement in the village streets4   
,nguva became an elder in the church4   
,he is now dead4 ,his chain is a trophy 
in the ,foreign ,board's ,museum1 #aef  

,fifth ,avenue1 ,new ,york ,city4  ,mmb 
still lives1 working faithfully as a    
church elder and evangelist4            
,,chapter ,,xi  ,,the ,,fetich--,,its   
,,relation ,,to ,,the ,,family   ,in    
most tribes of the ,bantu the unit in   
the constitution of the community is the
 family1 not the individual4 ,however   
successful a man may be in trade1       
hunting1 or any other means of gaining  
wealth1 he cannot1 even if he would1    
keep it all to himself4 ,he must share  
with the family1 whose indolent members 
thus are supported by the more energetic
 or industrious4 ,i often urged my      
civilized employees not to spend so     
promptly1 almost on pay-day itself1     
their wages in the purchase of things   
they really did not need4 ,i represented
 that they should lay by for a rainy    
day4 ,but they said that if it was known
 that they had money laid up1 their     
relatives would give them no peace until
 they had compelled them to draw it and 
divide it with them4 ,they all yielded  

to this1--the strong1 the intelligent1  
the diligent1 submitting to their       
family1 though they knew that their     
hard-earned pay was going to support    
weakness1 heathenism1 and               
thriftlessness4  ,not only financial    
rights1 but all other individual rights 
and responsibilities1 were absorbed by  
the superior right and duty of the      
family4 ,if an individual committed     
theft1 murder1 or any other crime1 the  
offended party would1 if convenient1 lay
 hold of him for punishment4 ,but only  
if it was convenient2 to this plaintiff 
justice in the case was fully satisfied 
if any member of the offender's family  
could be caught or killed1 or1 if the   
offence was great1 even any member of   
the offender's tribe4  ,families        
recognized this custom as proper1 and   
submitted to it2 for the family expected
 to stand by and assist and defend all  
its members1 whether right or wrong4    
,each member relied upon the family for 
escape from personal punishment1 or for 

help in their individual weakness or    
inability4  ,in getting a wife1 for     
instance1 no young man had saved up     
enough to buy one4 ,his wages or other  
gains1 year after year1 beyond what he  
had squandered on himself1 had been     
squandered on members of his family4    
,the family therefore all contributed to
 the purchase of the wife4 ,though he   
thenceforth owned her as his wife1 the  
family had claims on her for various    
services and work which neither he nor  
she could refuse4  ,if in the course of 
time he had accumulated other women as a
 polygamist1 and1 subsequently becoming 
a ,christian1 was required to put away  
all but one 7according to missionary    
rule71 it was difficult for him to do   
so1 not because of any special affection
 for the women involved in the          
dismissal1 nor for pity of any hardship 
that might come to the women themselves4
 ,true1 they would be a pecuniary loss  
to him2 but his ,christianity1 if       
sincere1 could accept that4 ,and the    

dismissal of the extra women does not1  
in ,africa1 impose on them special      
shame1 nor any hardship for             
self-support1 as in some other          
countries4 ,the real trouble is that    
they are not his to dismiss without     
family consent4 ,the family had a       
pecuniary claim on them1 and the heathen
 members thereof are not willing to let 
them go free back to their people4 ,if  
this man puts them away1 he must give   
them to some man or men in the family   
pale who probably already are           
polygamists4 ,the property must be kept 
in the family inheritance4 ,thus1 though
 attempting to escape from polygamy     
himself1 this man would be a consenting 
party in fastening it on others4 ,his   
offence before the church therefore     
would still be much the same4  ,for such
 concentrated interests as are          
represented in the family1 there        
naturally would be fetiches to guard    
those interests separate from the       
individual fetich with its purely       

personal interests4  ,respect for the   
family fetich is cognate to the worship 
of the spirits of ancestors4 ,among the 
,barotse of ,south ,africa1 for this    
worship1 they have altars in their huts 
made of branches1 on which they place   
human bones1 but they have no images1   
pictures1 or idols4  ,among the ,mpongwe
 tribes of ,western ,equatorial ,africa1
 the profound respect for aged persons1 
by a very natural operation of the mind1
 is turned into idolatrous regard for   
them when dead4 ,it is not supposed that
 they are divested of their power and   
influence by death1 but1 on the         
contrary1 they are raised to a higher   
and more powerful sphere of influence1  
and hence the natural disposition of the
 living1 and especially those related to
 them in any way in this world1 to look 
to them1 and call upon them for aid in  
all the emergencies and trials of life4 
,it is no uncommon thing to see large   
groups of men and women1 in times of    
peril or distress1 assembled along the  

brow of some commanding eminence or     
along the skirts of some dense forest1  
calling in the most piteous and touching
 tones upon the spirits of their        
ancestors4  ,images are used in the     
worship of ancestors1 but they are      
seldom exposed to public view4 ,they are
 kept in some secret corner1 and the man
 who has them in charge1 especially if  
they are intended to represent a father 
or predecessor in office1 takes food and
 drink to them1 and a very small portion
 of almost anything that is gained in   
trade4  ,but a yet more prominent       
feature of this ancestral worship is to 
be found in the preservation and        
adoration of the bones of the dead1     
which may be fairly regarded as a       
species of relic worship4 ,the skulls of
 distinguished persons are preserved    
with the utmost care1 but always kept   
out of sight4 ,i have known the head of 
a distinguished man to be dissevered    
from the body when it was but partly    
decomposed1 and suspended so as to drip 

upon a mass of chalk provided for the   
purpose4 ,the brain is supposed to be   
the seat of wisdom1 and the chalk       
absorbs this by being placed under the  
head during the process of              
decomposition4 ,by applying this to the 
foreheads of the living1 it is supposed 
they will imbibe the wisdom of the      
person whose brain has dripped upon the 
chalk4#ei  ,in the ,benga tribe1 just   
north of the equator1 in ,west ,africa1 
this family fetich is known by the name 
of ,yk4 ,it is a bundle of parts of the 
bodies of their dead4 ,from time to     
time1 as their relatives die1 the first 
joints of their fingers and toes1       
especially including their nails1 a     
small clipping from a lobe of the ear1  
and perhaps snippings of hair are added 
to it4 ,but the chief constituents are  
the finger ends4 ,nothing is taken from 
any internal organ of the body1 as in   
the composition of other fetiches4 ,this
 form descends by inheritance with the  
family4 ,in its honor is sacredly kept a

 bundle of toes1 fingers1 or other      
bones1 nail clippings1 eyes1 brains1    
etc41 accumulated from deceased members 
of successive generations4 ,this is     
distinctly an ancestor worship4  ,the   
worship of ancestors is a marked and    
distinguishing characteristic of the    
religious system of ,southern ,africa4  
,this is something more definite and    
intelligible than the religious         
ceremonies performed in connection with 
the other classes of spirits4#fj  ,what 
was described by ,dr4 ,wilson as respect
 for the aged among the tribes of       
,southern ,guinea forty years ago1 is   
true still1 in a large measure1 even    
where foreign customs and examples of   
foreign traders and the practices of    
foreign governments have broken down    
native etiquette and native patriarchal 
government4 ,perhaps there is no part of
 the world where respect and veneration 
for age are carried to a greater length 
than among this people4 ,for those who  
are in office1 and who have been        

successful in trade or in war1 or in any
 other way have rendered themselves     
distinguished among their fellow-men1   
this respect1 in some outward forms at  
least1 amounts almost to adoration1 and 
proportionately so when the person has  
attained advanced age4 ,all the younger 
members of society are early trained to 
show the utmost deference to age4 ,they 
must never come into the presence of    
aged persons or pass by their dwellings 
without taking off their hats and       
assuming a crouching gait4 ,when seated 
in their presence1 it must always be at 
a 'respectful distance1'--a distance    
proportioned to the difference in their 
ages and position in society4 ,if they  
come near enough to hand an aged man a  
lighted pipe or a glass of water1 the   
bearer must always fall upon one knee4  
,aged persons must always be addressed  
as 'father' 7rera1 lale1 paia7 or       
'mother' 7ngwe1 ina74 ,any disrespectful
 deportment or reproachful language     
toward such persons is regarded as a    

misdemeanor of no ordinary aggravation4 
,a youthful person carefully avoids     
communicating any disagreeable          
intelligence to such persons1 and almost
 always addresses them in terms of      
flattery and adulation4 ,and there is   
nothing which a young person so much    
deprecates as the curse of an aged      
person1 and especially that of a revered
 father4  ,the value of the ,yk seems to
 lie in a combination of whatever powers
 were possessed during their life by the
 dead1 portions of whose bodies are     
contained in it4 ,but even these are of 
use apparently only as an actual        
medicine1 the efficiency of the medicine
 depending on the spirits of the family 
dead being associated with those        
portions of their bodies4 ,this         
efficiency is called into action by     
prayer1 and by the incantations of the  
doctor4  ,in some cases all the bones of
 a beloved father or mother1 having been
 dried1 are kept in a wooden chest1 for 
which a small house is provided1 where  

the son or daughter goes statedly to    
hold communication with their spirits4  
,they do not pretend to have any audible
 responses from them1 but it is a relief
 to their minds in their more serious   
moods to go and pour out all the sorrows
 of their hearts in the ear of a revered
 parent4  ,this belief1 however much of 
superstition it involves1 exerts a very 
powerful influence upon the social      
character of the people4 ,it establishes
 a bond of affection between the parent 
and child much stronger than could be   
expected among a people wholly given up 
to heathenism4 ,it teaches the child to 
look up to the parent1 not only as its  
earthly protector1 but as a friend in   
the spirit land4 ,it strengthens the    
bonds of filial affection1 and keeps up 
a lively impression of a future state of
 being4 ,the living prize the aid of the
 dead1 and it is not uncommon to send   
messages to them by some one who is on  
the point of dying2 and so greatly is   
this aid prized by the living that ,i   

have known an aged mother to avoid the  
presence of her sons1 lest she should by
 some secret means be despatched        
prematurely to the spirit world1 for the
 double purpose of easing them of the   
burden of taking care of her1 and       
securing for themselves more effective  
aid than she could render them in this  
world4  ,all their dreams are construed 
into visits from the spirits of their   
deceased friends4 ,the cautions1 hints1 
and warnings which come to them through 
this source are received with the most  
serious and deferential attention1 and  
are always acted upon in their waking   
hours4 ,the habit of relating their     
dreams1 which is universal1 greatly     
promotes the habit of dreaming itself1  
and hence their sleeping hours are      
characterized by almost as much         
intercourse with the dead as their      
waking hours are with the living4 ,this 
is1 no doubt1 one of the reasons of     
their excessive superstitiousness4      
,their imaginations become so lively    

that they can scarcely distinguish      
between their dreams and their waking   
thoughts1 between the real and the      
ideal1 and they consequently utter      
falsehood without intending1 and profess
 to see things which never existed4#fa  
,all that is quoted above from ,dr4     
,wilson is still true among tribes not  
touched by civilization4 ,what he       
relates of the love of children for     
parents and the desire to communicate   
with their departed spirits is          
particularly true of the children of men
 and women who have held honorable      
position in the community while they    
were living4 ,and it is also all        
consistent with what ,i have described  
of the fear with which the dead are     
regarded1 and the dread lest they should
 revenge some injury done them in life4 
,the common people1 and those who have  
neglected their friends in any way1 are 
the ones who dread this4 ,the better    
classes1 especially of the superior     
tribes1 hold their dead in affectionate 

remembrance4  ,i have met with instances
 of the preservation of a parent's      
brains for fetich purposes1 as mentioned
 above by ,dr4 ,wilson4 ,as honored     
guest1 ,i have been given the best room 
in which to sleep overnight4 ,on a flat 
stone1 in a corner of the room1 was a   
pile of grayish substance2 it was chalk 
mixed with the decomposed brain-matter  
that had dripped on it from the skull   
that formerly had been suspended above4 
,i then remembered how1 on visiting     
chiefs in their villages1 they          
frequently were not in the public       
reception-room on my arrival1 but ,i was
 kept awaiting them4 ,they had been     
apprised of the white man's approach1   
had retired to their bedrooms1 and when 
they reappeared1 it was with their      
foreheads1 and sometimes other parts of 
their bodies1 marked with that grayish  
mixture4 ,the objects to be attained    
were wisdom and success in any question 
of diplomacy or in a favor they might be
 asking of the white man4  ,around the  

doctor and his power is always a cloak  
of mystery which ,i have not been able  
to solve entirely1 and of which the     
natives themselves do not seem to have a
 clear understanding4 ,the other factors
 in their fetich worship have to them a 
degree of clearness sufficient to make  
them able to give an intelligible       
explanation4 ,it is plain1 for instance1
 that the component parts of any fetich 
are looked upon by them as we look upon 
the drugs of our materia medica4 ,it is 
plain1 also1 that these drugs are       
operative1 not as ours1 by certain      
inherent chemical qualities1 but by the 
presence of a spirit to whom they are   
favorite media4 ,and it is also clear   
that this spirit is induced to act by   
the pleasing enchantments of the magic  
doctor4 ,but beyond this1 what8 ,whence 
does the doctor get his influence8 ,what
 is there in his prayer or incantation  
greater than the prayer or drum or song 
or magic mirror of any other person8    
,for1 admittedly1 he himself is subject 

to the spirits1 and may be thwarted by  
some other more powerful spirit which   
for the time being is operated by some  
other doctor2 or he may be killed by the
 very spirit he is manipulating1 if he  
should incur its displeasure4  ,belief  
in the necessity of having the doctor is
 implicit1 while the explanation of his 
modus operandi is vague1 and he is      
feared lest he employ his utilized      
spirit for revenge or other harmful     
purpose4 ,a patient and his relatives   
who call in the services of a doctor are
 therefore careful to obey him1 and     
avoid offending him in any way4  ,the   
,yk is appealed to in family            
emergencies4 ,suppose1 for instance1    
that one member has secretly done       
something wrong1 e4 g41 alone in the    
forest1 he has met and killed a member  
of another family1 devastated a         
neighbor's plantation1 or committed any 
other crime1 and is unknown to the      
community as the offender4 ,but the     
powerful ,yk of the injured family has  

brought disease or death1 or some other 
affliction1 on the offender's family4   
,they are dying or otherwise suffering1 
and they do not know the reason why4    
,after the failure of ordinary medicines
 or personal fetiches to relieve or heal
 or prevent the continuance of the evil1
 the hidden ,yk is brought out by the   
chiefs of the offender's family4 ,a     
doctor is called in consultation2 the   
,yk1 is to be opened1 and its ancestral 
relic contents appealed to4 ,at this    
point the fears of the offender overcome
 him1 and he privately calls aside the  
doctor and the older members of the     
clan4 ,he takes them to a quiet spot in 
the forest and confesses what he has    
done1 taking them to the garden he had  
devastated1 or to the spot where he had 
hidden the remains of the person he had 
killed4 ,if this confession were made to
 the public1 so that the injured family 
became aware of it1 his own life would  
be at stake4 ,but making it to his ,yk1 
and to only the doctor and chosen       

representatives of his family1 they are 
bound to keep his secret2 the doctor on 
professional grounds1 and his relatives 
on the grounds of family solidarity4    
,the problem1 then1 is for the doctor to
 make what seems like an expiation4 ,the
 explanation of this1 as made to me1 is 
vague4 ,i am uncertain whether the ,yk  
of the injured family is to be appeased 
or the offender's own ,yk aroused from  
dormant inaction to efficient           
protection1 or both4 ,the ,yk bundle is 
solemnly opened by the doctor in the    
presence of the family2 a little of the 
dust of its foul contents is rubbed on  
the foreheads of the members present2 a 
goat or sheep is killed1 and its blood  
sprinkled on them1 the while they are   
praying audibly to the combined         
ancestor-power in the ,yk4 ,these       
prayers are continued all the while the 
doctor1 who makes his incantations long 
and varied1 is acting4 ,the sanctifying 
red-wood powder ointment is rubbed over 
their bodies1 and the ,yk spirit having 

eaten the life essence of the sacrificed
 animal1 its flesh is eaten by the      
doctor and the family4 ,the ,yk bundle  
is tied up again1 and again is hidden   
away in one of their huts1 care being   
taken to add to it from the body of the 
member who next dies4 ,the curse that   
had fallen on them is supposed to be    
wiped out1 and the affliction under     
which they were lying is believed to be 
removed4  ,recently 7#aija7 a ,mpongwe  
man had gone as a trader into the       
,batanga interior4 ,he was sick at the  
time of his going1 one of his legs being
 swollen with an edematous affection1 so
 much so that people in the interior1   
natives of that part of the country1 and
 fellow-traders1 wondered that he should
 travel so far from his home in that    
condition4 ,he said he was seeking among
 different tribes for the cure he had   
failed to obtain in his own tribe4      
,later on1 he died4 ,he happened to die 
alone1 while others who lived with him1 
one of them a relative1 were temporarily

 out of the house4 ,the suddenness of   
the death aroused the superstitious     
beliefs of the relative1 and he rushed  
to the conclusion that it had been      
caused by black art machinations of some
 enemy4 ,but of the whereabouts or the  
personality of that enemy he had not    
even a suspicion4 ,he cut from the dead 
man's body the first joints of his      
fingers and all the toe-nails1 put them 
in the hollow of a horn1 and closed its 
opening1 intending to add its contents  
to his family ,yk when he should return 
to ,gabun4 ,then he waved the horn to   
and fro toward the spirits of the air1  
held it above his head1 and struck it on
 the back of his own neck1 uttering at  
the same time an imprecation that as his
 relative had died1 so might die that   
very day1 even as he had died1 the      
unknown enemy who had caused his death4 
,there is another family medicine1 still
 used in some tribes1 that was formerly 
held in reverence by the ,bank and      
,bapuku tribes of the ,batanga country  

of the ,german ,kamerun colony4 ,it was 
called ,malanda4 ,for description of it 
see ,chapter ,,xvi4  ,another medicine  
similar to the ,yk in its family        
interest is called by the ,balimba      
people living north of ,batanga1        
,ekongi4 ,the following statement is    
made to me by intelligent ,batanga      
people who know the parties1 and who    
believe that what they report actually  
occurred4  ,at ,balimba1 in the ,german 
,kamerun territory1 lived a man1 by name
 ,elesa4 ,he possessed a little bundle  
containing powerful fetich medicines1 so
 compounded that they constituted the   
kind of charm known as ,ekongi4 ,like   
,aladdin's lamp1 and almost as powerful1
 it warned him of danger1 helped him in 
all his wishes1 assisted him in his     
emergencies1 and when he was away from  
it1 as it was hidden in one of his      
chests in his house1 caused him to be   
able to see and hear anything that was  
plotted against him4 ,only he could     
handle it aright2 no one else would be  

able to manage it4  ,a brother-in-law of
 ,elesa1 husband of his sister1 knew of 
this ,ekongi1 and asked ,elesa to loan  
it to him in order that he also might be
 successful in some of his projects4    
,now1 the peculiarity of the ,ekongi    
medicine is that it acts for and assists
 only the family of the person who owns 
it4 ,elesa refused his brother-in-law1  
telling him that as they did not belong 
to the same family1 he would not know   
what to do with a strange ,ekongi1 nor  
would ,ekongi be willing to answer a    
stranger4  ,the brother-in-law knew     
perfectly well that this was the manner 
of all ,ekongi medicine2 but he was so  
covetous and so foolishly determined    
that he hoped that in some way this     
,ekongi might be of use to him if only  
he could possess himself of it4  ,one   
day ,elesa went off into the forest on a
 hunting trip1 leaving his ,ekongi      
safely locked in a chest in his house4  
,the brother-in-law obtained a number of
 keys1 and going secretly to ,elesa's   

house1 tried them on the various chests 
stored in the back room4 ,finally a key 
fitted1 and a lock turned4 ,suddenly the
 lid flew up1 and out of the now opened 
chest jumped the little ,ekongi bundle1 
followed by all the goods that had been 
packed in the chest2 and these spread   
themselves at his feet1--yards of cloth1
 and hats1 and shirts1 and coats1 and a 
multitude of smaller articles4 ,he      
rejoiced at the success of his effort4  
,his covetousness overcame him4 ,he said
 to himself that he would put back      
,ekongi into the chest1 would lock it1  
gather up all this wealth and carry it  
away2 and no one would see them1 or know
 that the chest had been opened by him4 
,he started to step forward1 but his    
feet were held fast by some invisible   
power4 ,he tried to stoop down to lay   
hold of some of the goods within reach1 
but his arms and back were held fast and
 stiff by the same invisible power4 ,and
 he realized that he was a prisoner in  
,ekongi's hands4  ,off in the forest    

,elesa1 in his chase1 was enabled by his
 ,ekongi to see and know what was going 
on in his house4 ,he saw his            
brother-in-law's attempt at theft1 and  
that his unlawful eyes had looked on the
 sacred ,ekongi4 ,he abandoned the chase
 that day1 and came back in great anger 
to his house4 ,there was his            
brother-in-law rooted to the spot on    
which he stood1 the chest open and      
empty1 and the goods scattered on the   
floor4  ,elesa controlled his anger1 and
 at first said nothing4 ,he quietly took
 a chair from the room out into the     
street and sat down on it1 opposite to  
the doorway1 as if on guard4 ,then he   
spoke3 ,so6 now6 ,you have looked on my 
,ekongi6 ,and you have tried to steal6  
,i will not speak of the shameful thing 
of stealing from a relative4#fb ,that is
 a little thing compared with the sin   
you have done of looking on what was not
 lawful for your eyes4 ,we are of       
different families4 ,i will punish you  
by taking away my sister1 your wife4    

,you shall stand there until you agree  
to deliver up your wife1 and also an    
amount of goods equal to what you paid  
for her4 ,the brother-in-law began to   
plead against the hard terms1 and       
offered to put his father into ,elesa's 
hand instead of the wife4 ,but ,elesa   
insisted4  ,the brother-in-law's father1
 at a distant village1 possessed also   
his own family ,ekongi1 which enabled   
him to see and know what was being said 
and done at ,elesa's house4 ,he was     
angry at the hard terms demanded2       
according to native view1 he would      
defend any one of his family1 even if he
 were in the wrong4 ,a native eye does  
not look at essential wrong or right2 it
 looks at family interest4 ,his son's   
attempt at theft did not disturb him4   
,it was enough that ,elesa had seized   
his son as prisoner4 ,he snatched up his
 spear1 and hasted away to quarrel with 
his marriage relative ,elesa4  ,on      
reaching the house1 he saw his son still
 standing helpless1 and ,elesa seated1  

still pressing his hard terms on him4   
,the father said to ,elesa1 ,you are not
 doing well in this matter4 ,let my son 
go at once6  ,elesa refused1 saying1 ,he
 wanted that which was sacred to me4 ,he
 has looked upon it and has desecrated  
it4 ,i will not agree that the angry    
,ekongi shall let him go free4 ,he shall
 pay his ransom4 ,after a long          
discussion ,elesa changed his terms1 and
 demanded a money substitute of one     
thousand ,german marks in silver 7#bej74
 ,the father also receded from his      
demand that the son should be released  
unconditionally4 ,and after further     
discussion the father1 having saved both
 his son and himself from the first     
terms of the ransom1 returned again to  
the question of a person instead of     
money1 and offered his daughter in      
marriage instead of the #bej4 ,elesa    
accepted4 ,he picked up the now         
satisfied ,ekongi1 and put it back into 
the chest2 and all the scattered goods  
followed it1 drawn by its power4 ,and   

when the lid was again closed down and  
locked1 the brother-in-law felt his     
limbs suddenly released from            
constriction1 and was able to walk away4
  ,this was gravely told me by my cook1 
a member of the ,roman ,catholic church1
 and was endorsed by a woman of my own  
church1 who was present during the      
recital4  ,my friend the late ,miss     
,mary ,h4 ,kingsley1 on page #bgc of her
 ,travels in ,west ,africa1 mentions an 
incident which shows that she had       
discovered one of these ,yk bundles1    
though apparently she slid not know it  
as such and suspected it to be a relic  
of cannibalism4 ,it is true1 however1   
that she did come in contact with       
cannibalism4 ,she had been given lodging
 in a room of a house in a ,fang village
 in the country lying between the       
,azyingo branch of the ,ogowe ,river and
 the ,rembwe branch of the ,gabun       
,river4 ,on retiring at night1 she had  
observed some small bags suspended from 
the wall4 ,waking up again1 ,i noticed  

the smell in the hut was violent1 from  
being shut up1 ,i suppose1 and it had an
 unmistakably organic origin4 ,knocking 
the end off the smouldering bush-light  
that lay burning on the floor1 ,i       
investigated1 and tracked it to those   
bags2 so ,i took down the biggest one1  
and carefully noted exactly how the     
tie-tie 7rattan rope7 had been put      
around its mouth2 for these things are  
important1 and often mean a lot4 ,i then
 shook its contents out in my hat for   
fear of losing anything of value4 ,they 
were a human hand1 three big toes1 four 
eyes1 two ears1 and other portions of   
the human frame4 ,the hand was fresh1   
the others only so-so and shrivelled4   
,replacing them1 ,i tied the bag up1 and
 hung it up again4 ,it was well she     
noticed a peculiarity in the tying of   
the calamus-palm string or tie-tie4 ,a  
stranger would not have been put in that
 room of whose honesty or honor there   
was doubt4 ,white visitors are          
implicitly trusted that they will       

neither steal nor desecrate4  ,another  
family medicine in the ,batanga region  
is known by the name of ,mbati4 ,an     
account of the mode of its use was given
 me in #aijb by a ,batanga man1 as      
occurring in his own lifetime with his  
own father4 ,the father was a heathen   
and a polygamist1 having several wives1 
by each of whom he had children4 ,one   
day he went hunting in the forest4 ,he  
observed a dark object crouching among  
the cassava bushes on the edge of a     
plantation4 ,assuming that it was a wild
 beast wasting the cassava plants1 he   
fired1 and was frightened by a woman's  
outcry1 ,oh6 ,i am killed6 ,she was his 
own niece1 who had been stooping down1  
hidden among the bushes as she was      
weeding the garden4 ,he helped her to   
their village1 where she died4 ,she made
 no accusation4 ,the bloodshed being in 
their own family1 no restitution was    
required1 nor any investigation made4   
,the matter would have passed without   
further comment had not1 within a year1 

a number of his young children died in  
succession2 and it began to be whispered
 that perhaps the murdered woman's      
spirit was avenging itself1 or perhaps  
some other family was using witchcraft  
against them4 ,a general council of     
adjacent families was called4 ,after    
discussion1 it was agreed that the other
 families were without blame2 that the  
trouble rested with my informant's      
father's family1 which should settle the
 difficulty as they saw best1 by        
inflicting on the father some           
punishment1 or by propitiation being    
made by the entire family4 ,the latter  
was decided on by the doctors4 ,they    
gathered from the forest a quantity of  
barks of trees1 leaves of parasitic     
ferns1 which were boiled in a very large
 kettle along with human excrement1 and 
a certain rare variety of plantain1 as  
small as the smallest variety of banana4
 ,to each member of the family present1 
old and young1 male and female1 were    
given two of these unripe plantains4    

,the rind does not readily peel off from
 unripe plantains and bananas2 a knife  
is generally used4 ,but for this        
medicine the rinds were to be picked off
 only by the finger-nails of those      
handling them1 and then were to be      
shredded into the kettle in small       
pieces1 also only by their finger-nails4
 ,a goat or sheep was killed1 and its   
blood also mixed in4 ,this mess was     
thoroughly boiled4 ,then the doctor took
 a short bush having many small branches
 7a tradition of hyssop871 and dipping  
it into the decoction1 frequently and   
thoroughly sprinkled all the members of 
the family1 saying1 ,let the displeasure
 of the spirit for the death of that    
woman1 or any other guilt of any hidden 
or unknown crime1 be removed6 ,the      
liquid portion of the contents of the   
kettle having been used in the          
propitiatory sprinkling1 the more solid 
pottage-like debris was then eaten by   
all members of the family1 as a         
preventive of possible danger4 ,and the 

rite was closed with the usual drum1    
dance1 and song4 ,my informant told me  
that at that time1 and taking part in   
the ceremonies1 was his mother1 who was 
then pregnant with him4 ,the ,mbati     
medicine seems to have been considered  
efficient1 for he1 the seventh child1   
survived2 and subsequently three others 
were born4 ,the previous six had died4  
,though two of those three have since   
died1 in some way they were considered  
to have died by ,njambi 7,providence71  
i4 e41 a natural death2 for it is not   
unqualifiedly true that all tribes of   
,africa regard all deaths as caused by  
black art4 ,there are some deaths that  
are admitted to be by the call of ,god1 
and for these there is no witchcraft    
investigation4  ,the father also is     
dead4 ,my informant and one sister      
survive4 ,they think the ,mbati medicine
 was satisfactory1 notwithstanding that 
the sister believes that their father   
was secretly poisoned by his cousins1   
they being jealous of his affluence in  

wives and children4  ,the last step in  
the ,mbati rite is the transplanting of 
some plant4 ,a suitable hole having been
 dug at one end1 or even in the middle  
of the village street1 each person takes
 a bulb of lily kind1 probably a crinum 
or an amaryllis1 such as are common on  
the rocky edges of streams1 and pressing
 it against their backs and other parts 
of their body1 and with a rhythmic      
swaying of their bodies plant it in the 
hole4 ,thereafter these plants are not  
destroyed4 ,they are guarded from the   
village goats by a small enclosure1 and 
should at any time the village remove1  
the plants are also removed and         
replanted on the new site4 ,such plants 
are seen in almost every village4       
,,chapter ,,xii  ,,the ,,fetich--,,its  
,,relations ,,to ,,daily ,,work ,,and   
,,occupations ,,and ,,to ,,the ,,needs  
,,of ,,life   ,in the great emergencies 
of life1 such as plagues1 famines1      
deaths1 funerals1 and where witchcraft  
and black art are suspected1 the aid or 

intervention of special fetiches is     
invoked1 as has been described in the   
,yk and other public ceremonies4 ,the   
ritual required in such cases is often  
expensive1 as money is needed for the   
doctor's fee1 for purchase of           
ingredients and other materials for the 
medicine1 and in the entertainment of   
the assemblage that always gather as    
participants or spectators4  ,there is  
also loss in time1 little as the native 
,african values time1 and slow as he is 
in the expedition of any matter4 ,houses
 that should be erected and gardens that
 should be planted are neglected while  
the rite to be performed is in hand4 ,it
 may require even a month4 ,during that 
time either the favorable season for    
building or planting may have passed1 or
 the work has only partly been          
completed4 ,the division of the seasons 
into two rainy 7of three months each7   
and two dry 7a short hot and a long     
cool7 make it desirable1 as in the      
temperate zones1 for certain work to be 

done in certain seasons4  ,but for the  
needs of life1 day by day1 with its     
routine of occupations1 whose outgoings 
and incomings are known and expected1   
the ,bantu fetich worshipper depends on 
himself and his regular fetich charms1  
which1 indeed1 were made either at his  
request by a doctor 7as we would order a
 suit of clothes from a tailor71 or by  
himself on fetich rule obtained from a  
doctor2 and when paid for1 the doctor is
 no longer needed or considered4 ,the   
worshipper keeps these amulets and mixed
 medicines hanging on the wall of his   
room or hidden in one of his boxes4 ,but
 he gives them no regular reverence or  
worship1 no sacrifice or prayer1 until  
such times as their services are needed4
 ,he knows that the utilized actual     
spirits 7or at least their influence71  
each in its specific material object1 is
 safely ensconced and is only waiting   
the needs of its owner to be called into
 action4  ,these needs come day by day4 
,almost daily some one in the village is

 hunting1 warring1 trading1 love-making1
 fishing1 planting1 or journeying4  ,for
 ,hunting4 ,the hunter or hunters start 
out each with his own fetich hanging    
from his belt or suspended from his     
shoulder2 or1 if there be something     
unusual1 even if it be not very great1  
in the hunt about to be engaged in1 a   
temporary charm may be performed by the 
doctor or even by the hunters           
themselves4 ,this is the more likely to 
be done if there is an organized hunt   
including several persons4 ,such        
ceremonies preliminary to the chase are 
described by ,w4 ,h4 ,brown#fc as       
performed by an old witch-doctor among  
the ,mashona tribe3 ,fat of the zebra1  
eland1 and other game was mixed with    
dirt and put into a small pot4 ,then    
some live coals were placed on the      
grease1 which caused it to burn1 so that
 clouds of thick smoke arose4 ,the      
huntsmen sat in a circle around the pot1
 with the muzzles of their old          
flint-locks and cap-guns sticking into  

the smoke4 ,in unison they bent over and
 took a smell of the fumes1 and at the  
same time called out the name of the    
'medicine' or spirit they were invoking1
 which was ,saru1 saying thus1 ',saru1  
,i must kill game2 ,i must kill game1   
,saru6 ,now1 ,saru1 ,i must kill game6' 
,after this performance was finished1   
each of the candidates in turn sat down 
near the doctor1 to be personally       
operated upon by him4 ,he placed a bowl 
of medicated water upon the huntsman's  
head1 and stirred it with a stick while 
the latter repeated the names of all the
 kinds of game he wished to kill4 ,this 
was to ascertain whether or not the hunt
 was to be successful4 ,if any of the   
water splashed out and ran down over the
 patient's head and face1 success was   
assured4 ,if not a drop had left the    
bowl1 then the huntsman might as well   
have laid aside his gun and assegai1 for
 his efforts would have been doomed to  
failure4  ,among the ,matabele of       
,southeast ,africa1 when they are about 

to start for the chase1 they arrange    
themselves in a circle at sunset1 and   
the doctor comes with the bark of a tree
 filled with medicine1 and with his     
finger marks the chiefs on the forehead1
 in order to give them authority over   
the animals4  ,for ,journeying4 ,no     
journey of importance is made without   
preparation of a fetich1 to which more  
forethought and time and care are given 
than to the preparation of food1        
clothing1 etc41 for the way4 ,arnot#fd  
describes the process3 ,on behalf of a  
caravan to start for ,bihe1 ,msidi and  
his fetich priests have been at work a  
whole month1 preparing charms and so    
forth4 ,the process in such a case is   
first to divine as to the dangers that  
await them2 then to propitiate with the 
appointed sacrifices to forefathers 7in 
this case two goats were killed72       
afterwards to prepare the charms        
necessary either as antidotes against   
evil or to secure good4 ,the noma or    
fetich spear to be carried in front of  

the caravan1 with charms secured to it1 
was thus prepared4 ,the roots of a sweet
 herb were tied around the blade2 then a
 few bent splinters of wood were tied   
on1 like the feathers of a shuttle-cock4
 ,in the cage thus formed1 there were   
placed a piece of human skin1 little    
bits of the claws of a lion1 leopard1   
and so forth1 with food1 beer1 and      
medical roots2 thus securing1           
respectively1 power over their enemies1 
safety from the paws of fierce animals1 
food and drink1 and finally health4 ,a  
cloth was sewn over all1 and finally the
 king spat on it and blessed it4 ,after 
all these performances they set out with
 light hearts1 each man marked with     
sacred chalk4  ,before starting on a    
journey a man will spend perhaps a      
fortnight in preparing charms to        
overcome evils by the way and to enable 
him to destroy his enemies4 ,if he is a 
trader1 he desires to find favor in the 
eyes of chiefs and a liberal price for  
his goods4   ,illustration3 ,,war       

,,canoe4--,,calabar1 ,,west ,,africa4   
,for ,warring4 ,so implicit is ,african 
faith in signs1 charms1 and auspices1   
that when the sign before going into war
 is inauspicious1 the natives'          
hopelessness of success sometimes makes 
them seem almost cowardly4 ,among the   
people of ,garenganze in ,southeast     
,africa1 when the chiefs meet in war1   
victory does not depend on merely       
strength and courage1 as we should      
suppose1 but on fetich 'medicines4' ,if 
some men on the side of the more        
powerful chief fall1 they at once retire
 and acknowledge that their medicines   
have failed1 and they cannot be induced 
to renew the conflict on any            
consideration4#fe  ,among the ,matabele1
 before a war the doctors concoct a     
special medicine1 and taking some of the
 froth from it1 mark with it the        
forehead of those who have already      
killed a man4  ,a native of ,batanga    
recently described to me the war-fetich 
as formerly prepared by his people4 ,the

 medicine for it is arranged for thus4  
,a house is built at least several      
hundred yards from the village4 ,there  
will be present no one but the doctor1  
who eats and sleeps there while he is   
arranging with the spirits and deciding 
on the medicine4 ,after two days he     
tells the people that he has finished   
it1 that his preparations are ready1 and
 that they must assemble at his house4  
,he tells them to bring with them a     
certain shaped spear with prongs4 ,men  
have already gathered in the village1 to
 the number of several hundred1 waiting 
for the war4 ,the doctor chooses from   
among them some man whom he sends to the
 forest to get a certain ingredient1 a  
red amomum pod4 7,it contains the       
,guinea grains1 or ,malaguetta pepper1  
which taste like cardamom seeds1 which a
 century ago were so highly valued in   
,europe that only the rich could buy    
them47 ,then the doctor and the man1    
leaving the crowd1 go together to the   
forest with knife and machete and       

basket4 ,they may have to go several    
miles in order to find a tree called    
unyongo-muaele4 ,the doctor holds the   
chewed amomum seeds in his mouth1 and   
blows them out against the tree1 saying1
 ,pha-a-a6 ,the gun shots6 ,let them not
 touch me6 ,the assistant holds the     
basket while the doctor climbs the tree 
and rubs off pieces of loose bark which 
are caught in the basket as they fall4  
,they then go on into the forest to find
 another tree named kota4 ,there he     
blows the chewed seeds in the same way  
saying the same1--,pha-a-a6 ,thou tree6 
,let not the bullets hit me6 ,and the   
assistant1 with basket standing below1  
catches the bark scraped down as the    
doctor climbs this tree4  ,they return  
to the village and enter the doctor's   
house4 ,no women or children may enter  
the house or be present at the          
ceremonies4 ,the men bring into the     
house a very big iron pot1 and the      
doctor says1 ,this is what is to contain
 all the ingredients of the medicine4   

,then the doctor1 with two other men1   
takes that spear by night1 leaving all  
the other men to occupy themselves with 
songs of war1 while the townspeople are 
asleep2 they go to the grave of some man
 who has recently died4 ,they dig open  
the grave1 and force off the lid of the 
coffin4 ,the doctor thrusts the spear   
down into the coffin into the head of   
the corpse4 ,he twirls the spear about  
in the skull1 so as to get a firm grip  
on it with the prongs of the spear4 ,he 
changes his voice1 and speaking in a    
hoarse guttural manner says1 ,thou      
corpse6 ,do not let any one hear what ,i
 say6 ,and do not thou injure me for    
doing this to you6 ,when the spear is   
well thrust into the skull1 he stoops   
into the grave1 and with a machete cuts 
off the head4 ,he goes away carrying the
 head on the spear-point4 ,while doing  
all this1 he wears not the slightest    
particle of clothing4 ,they go back to  
the village to the doctor's house2 and  
there they catch a cock1 and in the     

presence of the crowd the doctor twists 
7not cuts7 off its head4 ,the blood of  
the cock is caught in a large fresh     
leaf4 ,he takes the fowl to the big pot1
 and lets some of its blood drip into   
it4 ,the head of the corpse is also put 
into the pot1 with water1 and all the   
other ingredients1 including the spear4 
,the bullets of the doctor's gun are    
also to go into the pot1 which is then  
set over a fire4  ,after the water has  
boiled the doctor takes a furry skin of 
a bush-cat1 and all the hundreds of men 
stand on one side in a line4 ,he dips   
the skin into the pot1 and shakes it    
over them4 ,as he thus sprinkles them1  
he lays on them a prohibition1 thus3    
,all ye6 this month1 go ye not near your
 wives6 ,all that month is spent by them
 practising war songs and dances4  ,then
 the doctor takes the blood that was    
collected on the leaf1 and mixes it with
 powdered red-wood4 ,this mixture is    
tied up with the human head in a        
flying-squirrel's skin4 ,he hangs this  

bundle up in the house over the place   
where he sits4 ,the body of the fowl    
next day is torn in pieces1 not cut with
 a knife1 and placed in a small earthen 
pot with njabi oil 7the oil of a large  
pulpy forest fruit71 and ngnd 7gourd7   
seeds4 ,an entire fresh plantain bunch  
is cut1 and successive squads of the men
 peel each man his small piece with his 
finger-nails4 ,these also they shred    
with their nails1 part into the pot1 and
 part on a plantain leaf1 as the pot is 
small1 and all the pieces will be added 
as the contents of the pot are gradually
 reduced4 ,the doctor himself lifts the 
pot from the fire1 and first eats of the
 mess1 and then gives each of the men1  
with his hand1 a small share4  ,when all
 have finished eating1 he opens the     
bundle that had been tied in the        
squirrel skin1 and with the fibrous     
inner bark of a tree1 kimbwa-mbenje     
7from which formerly was made the native
 bark-cloth71 sponges the red rotten    
stuff on their breasts1 saying1 ,let no 

bullet come here6 ,then1 led by the     
doctor1 they march in procession to the 
town4 ,there he tells the people of the 
town to try to shoot him1 explaining    
that he does not wish any one to be in  
doubt of the efficacy of the charm4 ,as 
he leads the procession1 he holds the   
bundle in his hand1 shouting1 ,budu6    
hah6 hah6 ,budu6 hah6 hah6 ,the hah is  
uttered with a bold aspiration4 ,this is
 to embolden his followers4 7,budu6 hah6
 does not mean anything2 it is only a   
yell47 ,the people are terrified1 though
 he is still shouting to them to fire at
 him4 ,he is safe2 for he leads the     
procession to where is stationed a      
confederate1 who does fire at him point 
blank from a gun from which the bullets 
have been removed4 ,it is a triumph for 
him6 ,the crowd see that not only he    
does not fall dead1 but he is not even  
wounded6 ,the charm has turned aside the
 bullets6  ,the townspeople are then    
invited to join the procession4 ,they   
stand up with the doctor and his crowd1 

and dance the war-dance4 ,when the      
dancing is ended1 he takes the bundle   
and anoints all the townspeople1 even   
the women and children4 ,and the men go 
to their war1 sure of victory4 ,but the 
doctor himself does not go2 he remains  
safely behind1 saying that it is        
necessary for him to watch the bundle in
 his house4 ,defeat in the war is easily
 explained by saying that some one in   
the crowd had spoiled the charm by not  
obeying some item in the ritual4  ,for  
,trading4 ,one method is described to me
 by a ,batanga native who had seen it   
used by a certain man of his tribe4     
,this man obtained the head of a dead   
person who had been noted for his       
intelligence4 ,this he kept hidden in   
his house1 lying in a white basin4 ,to  
assure himself that it should be seen by
 no one else1 he built a small hut in   
the behu 7kitchen-garden71 detached from
 his dwelling1 and into which none but  
himself and wife should enter4 ,there he
 kept the head in its basin4 ,when he   

had occasion to go to a white man's     
trading-house to ask for goods or any   
other favor1 he first poured water into 
this basin1 mixed it with the decomposed
 brain that had oozed from the skull1   
and washed his cheeks in this dirty     
water4 ,he also took some brain-matter1 
mixed it with palm-oil1 and rubbed it   
over his hands4 ,then1 on his going to  
the trading-house1 when the white man   
shakes hands with him and looks on his  
face1 he will be pleased and generously 
disposed1 and will grant any request    
made4  ,my informant told me that when  
he was a lad he assisted his father in  
using another method4 ,his father was   
intimate with white men1 trading        
extensively with them in ivory4 ,to     
increase his credit1 he set out to make 
a new fetich4 ,he called the son to     
accompany him to the forest1 and handed 
him a basket to carry4 ,they searched   
among the trees until they found two    
growing near together1 but bent in such 
a way toward each other that their      

trunks crossed in contact1 and were     
rubbed smooth by abrasion2 and when     
violently rubbing1 in a storm1 gave out 
a creaking sound4 ,in that mysterious   
sound inhered the fetich power4 ,he     
chose the trees1 not for any value in   
their kind1 but because of their        
singular juxtaposition and their weird  
sounds4 ,he gathered bark from these    
trees1 and the son carried the basketful
 back to their village4 ,the father     
fixed the time of arrival and point of  
entrance so that they should not be seen
 as they came to their house4 ,he then  
went out to the behu 7kitchen-garden7   
and plucked four ripe plantains         
7mehole72 and gathered leaves of a      
certain tree1 by name boka4 ,an earthen 
pot containing water and pieces of the  
twin-tree bark was set over the fire1   
and into the pot were finely sliced the 
mehole and the boka leaves4 ,to these   
were added a certain kind of fish1 by   
name hume1 a bottle of palm-oil1 gourd  
seeds1 and ground-nuts4 ,all these were 

thoroughly boiled together4 ,when they  
were sufficiently boiled1 he lifted off 
the pot from the fire1 not by his hands1
 but by clasping its hot sides with his 
feet1 as he sat on a low stool1 and     
placed it on the ground4 ,sitting by it1
 he held his face over it1 with a cloth 
thrown over his head1 thus inhaling the 
steam4 ,he remained in this steam bath  
for about an hour4  ,at food time he cut
 two pieces of leaves from plantains1   
spread them on the ground and sat on    
them1 and ate the mess that was in the  
pot4 ,while eating1 he uttered into the 
pot adjurations1 e4 g41 ,let no one1 not
 even a ,mabeya tribesman1 hinder me    
from the white man's good-will6 ,when ,i
 go some day to make my request to the  
white man1 let him grant it6 ,when he   
had finished eating1 he told his son to 
carry the pot into an inner room and    
deposit it in a large box1 which the    
father opened for that purpose4 ,the pot
 was not washed2 it still contained the 
remains of the pottage4 ,he told his son

 to reveal to no one what they had done4
  ,that very day he heard that his trade
 friend in the adjacent inferior ,mabeya
 tribe had obtained an ivory tusk for   
him4 ,he at once started out alone to   
meet his friend on the way1 so as to be 
sure that it would not be carried to    
some one else2 but not as on other      
ordinary journeys4 ,he was to look      
neither to the right nor to the left 7as
 if watchful of possibly ambushed       
enemies71 nor to look back1 even if     
called by name2 but with eye            
straightforward1 to walk steadily to the
 goal4 ,before starting1 he had rubbed  
some of the pottage mess on his hand and
 tongue4 ,on reaching the ,mabeya       
village1 his friend did not hesitate or 
haggle about the price1 but promptly    
told him to take the tusk4 ,before      
selling it to the white trader1 he      
scraped some ivory flakes from the      
outside of the tusk1 put them into a    
decanter with two bottles of rum 7before
 foreign liquor was known1 native       

plantain beer was used7 and pieces of   
the twin-tree bark4 ,when subsequently  
he had occasion to go to the            
trading-house1 he first drank a little  
from this decanter4  ,another           
,bwanga-bwa-,ibm1 or trade medicine1 is 
concocted as follows3 ,a man who decides
 to make one for himself does not allow 
any one but his wife to know what he is 
about to do4 ,he gathers from the forest
 leaves of a tree1 by name kota1 the    
skin of a flying-squirrel 7ngunye71 from
 some dead person the nail from the     
fourth or little finger 7of either      
hand71 and the tip of the tongue1 some  
drops of his wife's menses1 a solution  
of red-wood powder1 and the long        
tail-feathers of a forest bird1 by name 
kilinga4 ,he then provides himself with 
an antelope's horn4 ,having burned the  
squirrel skin1 he puts its ashes into   
the horn1 mixed with the above-named    
articles1 including the feather1 whose  
end is allowed to stick out4 ,then1 with
 the gum of the okume1 or ,african      

mahogany tree1 he closes the mouth of   
the horn1 as with a cork1 to prevent the
 liquid contents from escaping4 ,this   
horn he suspends by a string from his   
neck or shoulder whenever he takes it   
with him on a journey4 ,he uses it in   
his trade dealings with both whites and 
blacks4 ,before beginning a bargain or  
asking a white trader or another person 
for gifts of goods1 he secretly pulls   
out the feather through the soft gum1   
and rubs a little of the liquid on the  
end of his nose4 ,when this fetich is   
not in use1 it is hidden in his bedroom 
or other private part of his house4 ,but
 no one1 not even his own family1 is    
allowed to know where it is kept4       
,among the ,mpongwe tribes of the       
equator in ,west ,africa there are trade
 medicines that involve actual murder4  
,one of these is called ,okundu4 ,like  
modern spiritualism1 it seeks to employ 
a human medium to communicate with the  
dead2 but it is unlike spiritualism in  
that the medium must actually be killed 

before he can go on his errand4  ,in the
 case of a man who seeks to become      
wealthy in trade and goes to a magic    
doctor for that purpose1 the doctor     
tells him of the different kinds of     
medicine1 and some of the most important
 things required for each4 ,the seeker  
may choose what he is able and willing  
to do4 ,for ,okundu medicine it is      
required that the seeker shall name some
 one or more of his relatives who he is 
willing should die1 and that their      
spirits be sent to influence white      
traders or other persons of wealth1 and 
make them favorably disposed toward the 
seeker1 so that they may employ him in  
positions of honor and profit4 ,if the  
seeker hesitate to do the actual murder1
 the doctor1 by his black art1 is to    
kill the person nominated and send him  
on his errand4 ,if the fear should occur
 to the seeker that perhaps the murdered
 relative1 instead of devoting himself  
in the spirit-world to the trade        
interests of his murderer1 should       

attempt to avenge himself1 the subject  
is dismissed by the doctor's assurance  
that either the spirit shall not know   
that the death of its body was          
premature1 or that he will overrule it  
for the desired purpose4  ,i know1      
personally1 a ,mpongwe man still living 
in ,gabun who is believed to have done  
this ,okundu4 ,he is of prominent       
family1 and had held lucrative service  
with white traders4 ,his fortunes began 
to wane2 he fell into debt1 and white   
men began to doubt him and hesitated to 
entrust him4 ,though wearing the dress  
of a civilized gentleman1 he is a       
heathen at heart4 ,he had a little slave
 boy4 ,the child suddenly and           
mysteriously disappeared4 ,those who    
asked questions received evasive and    
contradictory answers4 ,a very reliable 
native told me that it was known that   
this man had been communicating with an 
,okundu doctor1 and many believed that  
the child had been put to death4 ,but no
 one dared to say anything openly1 and  

there was not sufficient proof on which 
to lay an information before the ,french
 governor1 only a mile distant4         
,another ,mpongwe trade medicine is     
,mbumbu 7which means rainbow74 ,old     
tradition said that the rainbow was     
caused by a forest vine which a great   
snake had changed to the form of the    
sun-colored arc4 ,the seeker of wealth  
is aided by the doctor to obtain a piece
 of this rainbow1 which he keeps in     
secret1 and can carry hidden with him4  
,by it he is able at any time to kill   
any one of his relatives whom he may    
choose 7of course unknown to them7 and  
send their spirits off to induce foreign
 traders to give him a store of goods   
7the children's pot of gold at the      
rainbow's end874  ,for ,sickness4 ,among
 the ,mpongwe and adjacent tribes there 
are three kinds of spirits invoked1     
according to the character of the       
disease4 ,these are ,nkinda1 ,ombwiri1  
and ,olg4  ,it is clear that these1 as  
explained in a previous chapter1 are    

names of spirits1 but the same names 7as
 in the case of other fetich mixtures7  
are given to the medicines in whose     
preparation they are invoked4 ,but my   
informants differed in their opinions   
whether these names indicate different  
kinds of spirits1 or only a difference  
in the functions or works done by them4 
,one very intelligent and prominent     
native at first seemed uncertain1 but   
subsequently said that ,nkinda indicated
 the spirits of the common dead2        
,ombwiri the spirits of distinguished   
dead1 kings1 and other prominent men2   
and ,olg1 a higher class1 who had been  
admitted to an angelic position in the  
spirit-world4 ,all1 however1 asserted   
that all these are spirits of former    
human beings4 ,which kind shall be      
invoked depends on the doctor's         
diagnosis of the disease4               
,illustration3 ,,natives ,,trading ,,in 
,,plantains ,,and ,,bamboo ,,building   
,,materials4--,,gabun4   ,take the case 
of some one who has been sick with an   

obscure disease that has not yielded to 
ordinary medication3 the doctor begins  
his incantations with drum and dance and
 song4 ,this is sometimes kept up all   
night1 and in minor cases the patient is
 required to join in these ceremonies4  
,but in the more mystic ,nkinda1        
,ombwiri1 and ,olg the sick person sits 
still1 being required to do so as a part
 of the diagnosis4 ,for if after a while
 the patient shall begin to nod his head
 violently1 it is a sign that a spirit  
of some one of these three classes has  
taken possession of him4 ,the doctor    
then takes him to a secret place in the 
forest1 and asks the spirit what kind it
 is1 and what the nature of the disease4
 ,the reply1 though made by the patient1
 is not supposed to be his1 but the     
spirit's who is using his mouth4 ,really
 the sick1 dazed1 submissive patient    
does not know what he is saying4 ,after 
this diagnosis the doctor goes to seek  
plants suitable for the disease4 ,by    
chance the patient may recover4 ,if he  

does not1 the doctor asserts that the   
spirit had misinformed him1 and the     
ceremony must be performed again4  ,one 
of the physical signs indicating that   
,olg1 rather than ,nkinda or ,ombwiri1  
is the medicine to be used1 is vomiting4
 ,hemorrhages from the lungs would be   
included in the ,olg diagnosis4  ,among 
the ,mashonas of ,south ,africa a       
'medicine' used is a small antelope horn
 called 'egona1' in which was a mixture 
of ground-nut oil and a medicinal bark  
known as 'unchanya4' ,the concoction is 
taken out on the end of a stick termed  
'mutira1' and administered to the       
patient by dropping it into his ear4    
,the doctor stated that it was a sure   
cure for headache4  ,another horn1 four 
inches long1 called 'mulimate1' was for 
the purpose of cupping and bleeding1 and
 is used in this wise3 ,an incision is  
made with a knife into the body1 the    
large end of the horn is placed over the
 wound2 then a vacuum is formed by the  
doctor's sucking the air out through an 

opening at the little end4 ,the small   
hole is closed with wax1 and the horn is
 left until it has become filled with   
clotted blood4 ,this is the process of  
curing rheumatism and other maladies1   
which are supposed by the ,mashonas to  
be literally drawn out with the blood4  
,bleeding is practised extensively2 and 
,i have seen natives bled from arms1    
legs1 body1 and head until they were so 
exhausted that weeks were required for  
their recovery4  ,another important     
instrument was a brush made of a zebra's
 tail1 among the hairs of which were    
tied many small roots and herbs         
possessing various medicinal properties4
 ,one of the remedies was known as      
'gwandere1' and1 taken internally1 was a
 sure cure for worms1 so the doctor     
stated4 ,the brush was called 'muskwa1' 
this being the name of any animal's     
tail4 ,the doctor demonstrated its use  
by operating upon a man in my presence4 
,he placed some powdered herbs in a bowl
 of water1 then dipped the brush in1 and

 sprinkled the patient4 ,next1 he       
performed several magic evolutions with 
the brush around the patient's body1 at 
the same time repeating1 ',may the      
sickness leave this person6' and so     
forth4 ,the doctor told me that after   
this operation the patient was certain  
of recovery1 unless some witch or spirit
 intervened to prevent it or to cause   
his death4#ff  ,for ,loving4 ,love      
philtres are common1 even among the     
civilized and professedly ,christian    
portion of the community4 ,philtres are 
both male and female4 ,if a woman says  
to herself1 ,my husband does not love   
me2 ,i will make him love me6 or if any 
woman desires to make any man love her1 
she prepares a medicine for that        
purpose4 ,this charm is called ,iyele4  
,the process is as follows3 ,first1 she 
scrapes from the sole of her foot some  
skin1 and lays it carefully aside4      
,next1 when she has occasion to go to   
the public latrine at the seaside or on 
the edge of the forest1 she washes her  

genitals in a small bowl of water1 which
 she secretly carries to her house4     
,then1 with a knife1 she scrapes a      
little skin and mucous from the end of  
her tongue4 ,these three ingredients she
 mixes in a bottle of water1 which is to
 be used in her cooking4  ,the most     
attractive native mode of cooking fish  
and meat is in jomba 7bundle74 ,the     
flesh is cut into pieces and laid in    
layers with salt1 pepper1 some crushed  
oily nut1 and a little water4 ,these all
 are tied up tightly in several         
thicknesses of fresh green plantain     
leaves1 and the bundle is set on a bed  
of hot coals4 ,the water in the bundle  
is converted into steam before the thick
 fleshy leaves are charred through4 ,the
 steam1 unable to escape1 permeates the 
fibres of the meat1 thoroughly cooking  
it without boiling or burning4  ,when   
the above-mentioned woman cooks for the 
man1 her husband1 or any other for whom 
she is making the philtre1 the water she
 uses in the jomba is taken from that   

prepared bottle4 ,this jomba she sets   
before him1 and he eats of it 7unaware1 
of course1 of her intention1 or of the  
special mode of preparation74 ,it is    
fully believed that the desired effect  
is immediate2 that1 as soon as he has   
finished eating1 all the thoughts of his
 heart will be turned toward this woman1
 and that he will be ready to comply    
with any wish of hers4 ,no objection to 
her1 or to what she says1 coming from   
any other person in the village1 male or
 female1 will be regarded by him4  ,i   
know a certain ,gabun woman who boasted 
of her power1 by the above-described    
means1 to cause a certain white man whom
 she loved 7but who was not her husband7
 to do anything at all that she bade    
him4  ,also a small portion from that   
bottle may be poured 7secretly7 into the
 glass of liquor that is to be drunk by 
a favored guest4 ,this is practised     
alike on visitors1 white or black4  ,the
 process of making a love charm by a man
 is more elaborate4 ,the ingredients are

 more numerous and require more time in 
their collection4 ,having fixed his     
desire on some woman1 he decides in his 
heart1 ,i am going to marry such and    
such a woman in such and such a village6
 ,but he keeps his intention entirely   
secret4 ,he proceeds to make the male   
charm called ,ebbi4 7,i do not know the 
origin of this word2 it looks as if it  
belonged to the adjective bobbu  soft1  
which is a derivative of the verb bbk1  
to yield1 to consent1 to soften47 ,the  
first ingredient is coconut oil1 which  
is poured into a flask made of a small  
gourd or calabash4 ,then1 going to the  
forest1 he gathers leaves of the bongm  
tree4 ,another day he will go again to  
the forest1 and find leaves of the      
bokadi tree4 ,then he plucks some hairs 
from his arm-pits1 and puts them and the
 bruised leaves1 with some of his own   
urine1 into the flask4 ,this flask he   
then suspends from his kitchen roof     
above the itaka frame or hanging-shelf  
that in almost all kitchens is placed   

above the fire-hearth4 ,it remains there
 in the smoke for ten days4 ,then taking
 it down1 he inserts into it1 tip       
downward1 a long tail-feather of a large
 bird called koka4 ,he is ready then for
 his experiment4 ,any day that he       
chooses to go to seek the woman1 he     
first draws out the feather1 with       
whatever of the mixture clings to it1   
and wipes it on his hands4 ,his hands he
 then rubs over his face rapidly and    
vigorously1 saying1 ,so will ,i do to   
that woman6 ,he must immediately then   
start on his journey4 ,this act of      
anointing his hands and face must have  
been his very last act before starting4 
,and there are several prohibitions4 ,he
 must have thought beforehand of all    
things needed to be done or handled1 for
 after the anointing he must not touch  
any other thing4 ,in taking the         
gourd-flask from above the hanging-shelf
 he must not touch the shelf4 ,he must  
not rub or scratch his head4 ,he must   
not handle a broom4 ,he must not shake  

hands with any one on the path to the   
woman's village4 ,all these prohibitions
 are in order that the anointed mixture 
may not be rubbed off1 or its effect    
counteracted by contact with anything   
else4 ,when he reaches the woman's      
village1 he goes directly to her1 and   
clasping her on the shoulder1 he rubs   
his hands downward on her arm1 saying1  
,you6 you woman6 ,i love you6 ,instantly
 the medicine is operative1 and she is  
willing to go with him4  ,if it is only 
a love affair1 she goes secretly4 ,if he
 offers her marriage1 there is first the
 amicable settlement by the council that
 is then held by the woman's family as  
to the amount of the dowry to be paid   
for her4 ,presents having been given to 
her by him1 the woman goes with the man 
without further objection4 ,on reaching 
his house1 he points out to her the     
gourd-flask hanging in the kitchen1 and 
tells her1 ,let that thing alone4 ,but  
he does not inform her what it is2 nor  
does she know or suspect that it is     

anything more than an ordinary fetich4  
,nor does any one else know2 for no one 
had been allowed to see him perform any 
part of the several processes of the    
ritual in compounding the charm4  ,for  
,fishing4 ,the prescription for making  
the fetich for success in fishing is as 
follows3 ,go in the morning early1 while
 the rest of the villagers are asleep1  
to an adjacent marsh or pond4 7,almost  
all ,african villages are built on or   
near the bank of some stream or lake47  
,find a place where pond-lilies are     
growing4 ,wade into the pond1 bend low  
in the water1 and pluck three lily-pads4
 ,there are water-spiders1 called       
mbwa-ja-miba 7dogs of the water71       
generally running over the surface of   
the water at such places2 catch four of 
them4 ,gather also leaves of another    
water-plant called ngma4 ,all these     
articles leave in the village in a safe 
place4 ,when other fishers come in from 
the sea1 go to the beach to meet them2  
and if they have among their catch a    

certain fish called hume1 having three  
spines1 beg or buy it4 ,this you are to 
dry over the fire4 ,watch the daily     
fishing until some one has killed a     
shark2 obtain its heart1 which also is  
to be dried4 ,take also a plate full of 
gourd seeds 7ngnd7 and some ground-nuts 
7mbenda72 also five fingers of unripe   
plantains cut from the living bunch on  
the stalk1 and a tumblerful of palm-oil4
 ,all these above-named ingredients are 
to be mixed in one pot 7which must be   
earthen7 and are to be cooked in it4    
,while the mess is boiling1 sit by1 face
 over the pot1 in the steam rising from 
it1 and speak into the pot1 ,let me     
catch fish every day6 every day6 ,no    
people are to be present1 or to see any 
of these proceedings4 ,take the pot off 
the fire1 not with your hands1 but by   
your feet1 and set it on the ground4    
,take all your fish-hooks1 and hold them
 in the steam arising from the pot4     
,take a banana leaf that is perfect and 
not torn by wind1 and laying it on the  

ground1 spread out the hooks on it4     
,then eat the stewed mess1 not with a   
real spoon1 but with a leaf twisted as a
 spoon4 ,in eating1 the inedible        
portions1 such as fish-bones1 skins1    
rind1 and so forth1 are not to be       
ejected from the mouth on the ground1   
but must be removed by the fingers and  
carefully laid on the banana leaf4      
,having finished eating1 call one of the
 village dogs1 as if it was to be given 
liberty to eat the remains of the mess4 
,as the dog begins to eat1 strike it    
sharply1 and as the animal runs away    
howling1 say1 ,so6 may ,i strike fish6  
,then kick the pot over4 ,take the      
refuse of food from the banana leaf1 and
 the hooks1 and lay them at the foot of 
the plantain stalk from which the five  
fingers were cut4 ,leave the pot lying  
as it was until night4 ,then1 unseen1   
take it out into the village street1 and
 violently dash it to pieces on the     
ground1 saying1 ,so6 may ,i kill fish6  
,it is expected that the villagers shall

 not hear the sound of the breaking of  
the vessel2 for it must be done only    
when they are believed to be asleep4    
,when the bunch of plantains from which 
those fingers were taken ripens1 and is 
finally cut down for food by others1 you
 are forbidden to eat not only of it1   
but of the fruit of any of its shoots   
that in regular succession1 year after  
year 7according to the manner of bananas
 and plantains71 take the place of the  
predecessor stalk4 ,you may never eat of
 their fruit4  ,for ,planting4 ,planting
 is done almost entirely by women4 ,if a
 woman says to herself1 ,i want to have 
plenty of food6 ,i will make medicine   
for it6 she proceeds to gather the      
necessary ingredients4 ,she takes her   
ukwala 7machete71 pavo 7knife71 short   
hoe 7like a trowel71 and elinga         
7basket71 and goes to the forest4 ,she  
must go very early in the morning1 and  
alone4 ,she gathers a leaf called tube1 
another called injenji1 the bark of a   
tree called bohamba1 the bark also of   

elmb1 and leaves of bokuda4 ,hiding them
 in a safe place1 she goes back to her  
village to get her earthen pot4         
,returning with it to the forest1 she   
makes a fire1 not with coals from the   
village1 but with new1 clean fire made  
by the two fire-sticks4 ,these1 used by 
natives before steel and flint were     
introduced1 require often an hour's     
twirling before friction develops       
sufficient heat to cause a spark4 ,the  
sparks are caught on thoroughly dried   
plantain fibre4 ,then she builds her    
fire4 ,she goes to some spring or stream
 for water to put in the pot with the   
leaves and barks1 and sets it on the    
fire4 ,all this while she is not to be  
seen by other people4 ,when the water   
has boiled1 she sets the pot in the     
middle of the acre of ground which she  
intends to clear for her garden until   
its contents cool4 ,in the meanwhile she
 goes to some creek and gets chalk 7a   
white clay is found in places in the    
beds of streams74 ,she washes it clean  

of mud and rubs it on her breast4 ,then 
she takes the pot1 and empties its      
decoction by sprinkling it1 with a bunch
 of leaves1 over the ground1 saying1 ,my
 forefathers6 now in the land of        
spirits1 give me food6 ,let me have food
 more abundantly than all other people6 
,then she again sets the pot in the     
middle of the proposed plantation4 ,she 
takes from it the tube leaves and puts  
them into four little cornucopias       
7ehongo71 which she rolls from another  
large leaf of the elende tree4 ,she sets
 these in the four corners of the       
garden4 ,whenever she comes on any other
 day to work in the garden1 she pulls a 
succulent plant1 squeezes its juice into
 the ehongo2 and this juice she drops   
into her eye4 ,to be efficient1 this    
medicine has a prohibition connected    
with it1 viz41 that during the days of  
her menses she shall not go to the      
garden4  ,when her plants have grown1   
and she has eaten of them1 she must     
break the pot4 ,having done so1 she     

makes a large fire at an end of the     
garden1 and burns the pieces of         
earthenware so that they shall be       
utterly calcined4 ,it is not required   
that she shall stay by the fire awaiting
 that result4 ,she may1 if she wishes1  
in the meanwhile go back to her village4
 ,she takes the ashes of the pot1 mixes 
them with chalk in a jomba 7bundle7 of  
leaves1 which she ties to a tree of her 
garden in a hidden spot where people    
will not see it4  ,another strict       
prohibition is required of her by the   
medicine1 viz41 that she is not to steal
 from another woman's garden4 ,if she   
break this law1 her own garden will not 
produce4 ,the jomba is kept for years1  
or as long as she plants at that place1 
and the chalk mixture is rubbed on her  
breast at each planting season4 ,from   
time to time also1 as the leaves of the 
jomba decay or break away1 she puts     
fresh ones about it1 to prevent the     
wetting of its contents by raid or its  
injury in any other way4     ,,chapter  

,,xiii  ,,the ,,fetich--,,superstition  
,,in ,,customs   ,the observances of    
fetich worship fade off into the customs
 and habits of life by gradations1 so   
that in some of the superstitious       
beliefs1 while there may be no formal   
handling of a fetich amulet containing a
 spirit1 nor actual prayer or sacrifice1
 nevertheless spiritism is in the       
thought1 and more or less consciously   
held4  ,in our civilization there are   
thousands of professedly ,christian     
people who are superstitious in such    
things as fear of ,friday1 ,no4 #ac1    
spilled salt1 etc4 ,in my childhood1 at 
,easton1 ,pa41 ,i was sent on an errand 
to a ,german farmhouse4 ,the            
kind-hearted ,frau was weeding her      
strawberry bed in the spring            
garden-making1 and was throwing over the
 fence into the public road superfluous 
runners4 ,i asked permission to pick    
them up to plant in my own little       
garden4 ,she kindly assented1 and ,i    
thanked her for them1 whereupon she     

exclaimed1 ,ach6 nein6 nein6 ,das ist no
 goot6 ,you say1 ',dank you'2 now it no 
can grow any more6 ,i was too young to  
inquire into the philosophy of the      
matter4 ,surely she would not forbid    
gratitude4 ,i think the gist of what she
 thought my error was1 that ,i had      
thanked her for what she considered a   
worthless thing and had thrown away4 ,i 
do not think she would have objected to 
thanks for anything she valued          
sufficiently to offer as a gift4  ,the  
difference between my old               
,pennsylvania-,dutch lady and my ,number
 #ac acquaintances1 and my ,african     
,negro friend is that to the former1    
while they are somewhat influenced by   
their superstition1 it is not their     
,god4 ,to the latter it is the practical
 and logical application of his         
religion4 ,theirs is a pitiable         
weakness2 his a trusted belief4  ,it    
would be impossible to enumerate all the
 thousands of practices dominated by the
 superstitious beliefs of the           

,bantu1--practices which sometimes erect
 themselves into customs and finally    
obtain almost the force of law4 ,many of
 these are prevalent all over ,africa2  
others are local4   ,,rules ,,of        
,,pregnancy4  ,everywhere are rules of  
pregnancy which bind both the woman and 
her husband4 ,during pregnancy neither  
of them is permitted to eat the flesh of
 any animal which was itself pregnant at
 the time of its slaughter4 ,even of the
 flesh of a non-pregnant animal there   
are certain parts--the heart1 liver1 and
 entrails--which may not be eaten by    
them4 ,it is claimed that to eat of such
 food at such a time would make a great 
deal of trouble for the unborn infant4  
,during his wife's pregnancy a man may  
not cut the throat of any animal nor    
assist in the butchering of it4 ,a      
carpenter whose wife is pregnant must   
not drive a nail4 ,to do so would close 
the womb and cause a difficult labor4   
,he may do all other work belonging to  
carpentering1 but he must have an       

assistant to drive the nails4  ,in my   
early years on ,corisco ,island1 and    
while ,i was expecting to become a      
father1 ,i was one day superintending   
the butchering of a sheep4 ,it was not  
necessary that ,i should actually use   
the knife2 that was done by the cook2   
but ,i stood by to see that the work was
 done in a cleanly manner1 and that in  
the flaying the skin should be rolled   
constantly away1 so that the hair should
 not touch the flesh4 ,in the dissection
 ,i assisted1 so that the flesh should  
not be defiled by a carelessly wounded  
entrail4 ,my servant was amazed1 and    
said my child would be injured4 ,he was 
still more shocked when ,mrs4 ,nassau   
herself came to urge haste and to secure
 the liver for dinner4  ,among the      
station employees on ,corisco in #ahfd  
was an ex-slave1 a recent convert1 whose
 freedom had been purchased by one of   
the missionaries4 ,the native           
non-,christian freemen begrudged him his
 position as a mission employee2 for his

 wages were now his own1 and could no   
longer be claimed by his former master4 
,some of his fellow-servants1 freemen1  
put off on him1 as much as they could1  
the more menial tasks4 ,it was          
incumbent1 therefore1 on the            
missionaries to see that he was not     
oppressed by his fellows4 ,clearing of  
the graveyard was a task no one liked to
 have assigned to him2 and it was often 
thrown on poor ,evosa4 ,one day a newly 
arrived missionary1 the ,rev4 ,george   
,paull1 the noblest of my associates    
these forty years1 who just then knew   
little of the language or of native     
thought or custom1 ordered ,evosa to    
take his hoe and clean the cemetery     
path4 ,evosa bluntly said1 ,mba haye6   
7,i won't74 ,you won't6 ,you refuse to  
obey me8 ,mba haye6 ,then ,i dismiss    
you4 ,evosa went away1 much cast down4  
,some of his fellow-,christians came to 
me saying they were sorry for him1 and  
asked me to interfere4 ,but1 ,i said1 he
 should obey2 the work is not hard4 ,oh6

 but he can't do it6 ,why not8 ,because 
his wife is pregnant4 ,immediately ,i   
understood4 ,evosa may not have believed
 in the superstition1 but for all that1 
if he did the work and subsequently     
there should be anything untoward in his
 wife's confinement1 her relatives would
 exact a heavy fine of him4 ,we had not 
required our converts to disregard these
 prohibitions1 if only they did not     
actually engage in any act of fetich    
worship4 ,i was careful to say nothing  
to the natives that would undermine my  
missionary brother's authority2 but     
privately ,i intimated to ,mr4 ,paull   
that ,i thought that if he had been     
fully aware of the state of the case1 he
 would not have dismissed the man4 ,he  
was just1 and reversed the dismissal4   
,evosa was pardoned also for the        
bluntness of his refusal2 it was a part 
of his slavish ignorance4 ,in           
conclusion1 ,i warned him that he should
 have explained to ,mr4 ,paull the      
ground of his refusal1 and should have  

asked for other work4 ,he had not       
supposed that the white man did not     
know2 and the asking of excuse is a part
 of politeness that has to be taught4   
,almost every new missionary makes      
unwise or unjust orders and decisions   
before he learns on what superstitious  
grounds he is treading4 ,not all are    
willing to be rectified as was my noble 
brother ,paull4  ,in the burial of a    
first-born infant the lid of the coffin 
is not only not allowed to be nailed    
down1 but it must not entirely cover the
 corpse2 a space must be left open      
7generally above the child's head72 the 
superstition being that if the coffin be
 closed1 the mother will bear no more   
children4   ,,omens ,,on ,,journeys4    
,almost every traveller in ,africa1 in  
publishing his story1 has much to say   
about the difficulties in getting his   
caravan of porters started on their     
daily journey4 ,his detailed account of 
slowness1 disobedience1 and desertions  
is as monotonous to the reader as they  

were distressing to himself4 ,did he but
 know it1 the fault was often largely   
his own4 ,the man of haste and          
exactitude1 that has grown up on        
railroad time-tables1 demands the       
impossible of aborigines who never have 
needed to learn the value of time4      
,anglo-,saxon1 ,teutonic1 and even      
,latin diligence expects too much of the
 happy-go-lucky ,african4 ,the traveller
 fumes1 and frets1 and works himself    
into a fever4 ,he would gain more in the
 end if he would festina lente4 ,he     
would save himself many a quarrel or    
case of discipline 7for which he earns  
the reputation of being a hard master2  
and for which1 further on in the        
journey1 he may be shot by one of his   
outraged servants7 if he only knew that 
superstition had met his servant1 as the
 angel with his sword drawn met         
,balaam's ass1 in a narrow place2 and   
that servant could no more have dared to
 go on in the way than could that wise  
ass who knew and saw what his angry     

master did not know4  ,mr4 ,r4 ,e4      
,dennett1 for many years a resident in  
,loango among the ,bavili people1 and   
author of ,seven ,years among the       
,fjort1 recognizes this in ,a ,few      
,signs and ,omens1 contributed recently 
to a ,liverpool weekly journal1 ,west   
,africa4 ,what he says of the ,fyt      
7,fiot7 tribes is largely true of all   
the other ,west ,african tribes4 ,they  
have a number of things to take into    
consideration1 when setting out upon a  
journey1 which may account for many of  
those otherwise inexplicable delays     
which so annoy the white man at times   
when anxious to start 'one time' for    
some place or other4  ,the first thing a
 white man should do is to see that the 
,negro's fetiches are all in order2     
then1 when on the way1 he must manage   
things so that the first person the     
caravan shall meet shall be a woman2 for
 that is a good sign1 while to meet a   
man means that something evil is going  
to happen4 ,then1 to meet the bird ,kna 

that is all black is a bad sign2 while  
the ,kna that has its wings tipped with 
white is a good sign4  ,the rat ,benda  
running across your path from left to   
right is good2 from right to left fairly
 good2 should it appear from the left   
and run ahead in the direction you are  
going1 ',oh6 that is very good6' but    
should it run towards you1 well1 then   
the best thing for you to do is to go   
back2 for you are sure to meet with bad 
luck6  ,see that your men start with    
their left foot first1 and that they are
 'high-steppers'2 for if their left foot
 meet with an obstacle1 and is not badly
 hurt1 it is not a bad sign2 but if     
their right foot knocks against         
anything1 you must go back to town4     
,see that you do not meet that nasty    
brown bird called ,mvia1 that is always 
crying out1 ',via1 via'2 for that means 
'witch-palaver1' and strikes            
consternation into your people4 ,nobody 
likes to be reminded of his sins or     
witch deeds1 and be condemned to be     

burnt in the fire2 and that is what     
'via' means4  ,then there is that       
moderately large bird with wings tipped 
with white called ',nxeci1' also        
reminding one of 'witch-palaver1' and   
continuously crying out1 ',ke-e-e1' or  
',no4' ,you had far better not start4   
,take care also to shoot the cukoo o    
,nkuku before it crosses your path2 for 
if you allow it to pass1 you had better 
return2 it is a bad omen4  ,then1       
concerning owls3 see that your camp at  
night is not disturbed by the cry of the
 ,kulu 7spirit of the departed71 that   
warns you that one of you is going to   
die2 or that of the ,xi-futu-nkubu1     
which means that you may expect some    
evil shortly4 ,on the other hand1 let   
the ,mampaulo-paulo hoot as much as it  
likes2 for that is a good sign4  ,then  
look out that the snake ,nduma does not 
cross your path2 for that is a sign of  
death1 or else of warning to you that   
you should return and see to the fetich 
obligations the iron bracelet ,ngofu    

reminds you of4 ,examine your men1 and  
ask those who wear the bracelet the     
following questions3 ,have you eaten the
 flesh of anything 7save birds7 on the  
same day that it was killed8 ,have you  
pointed your knife at any one8 ,did you 
know your wife on the ,day of ,rest     
7,nsna1 ,sunday78 ,have you looked upon 
a woman during a certain period of the  
month8 ,have you eaten those long       
'chilli' peppers instead of confining   
yourself to the smaller kinds8  ,you    
must send those who have not the        
bracelet1 together with those who have  
not been true to ngofu1 back to town1 to
 set this 'palaver' right4 ,take great  
care of your fowls1 and see that you    
have no ill-regulated cock to crow      
between #f ,p4 ,m4 and #c ,a4 ,m41 as   
that means that there is a palaver in   
town to which your men are called1 so   
that it may be settled at once4  ,then1 
there is that large bird ,knakna1 whose 
cry warns your men that there is        
something wrong with the fetich ,mabili 

7'the east wind1' on the gateway at the 
east entrance to each town71 and this   
knowledge will hang as a dead weight on 
all their energies until they have just 
run back to town to see what the matter 
may be4  ,get your men to sleep early1  
lest they should see the 'falling       
stars'2 for it means that one of their  
princes is about to die1 and that is    
disquieting4 ,then don't let it thunder 
out of season2 for that portends the    
death of an important prince4  ,and if  
you determine to go out fishing1 and    
meet the rat ,benda 7as above noted71 go
 or not1 as the signs command you4 ,if  
you meet the bird ,mbixi that sings     
'luelo-elo-elo1' go on your way         
rejoicing2 or when the little bird      
,nxexi1 true to nature1 sings 'xixexi1' 
all is well2 but when it sings1         
'tietie1' go back1 for you will catch   
nothing4  ,then there is the wild dog   
,mbulu2 well1 that must not cross your  
path at starting4 ,you laugh8 ,well1 so 
did ,nyambi1 the brother of my headman1 

,bayona2 and what happened8 ,nyambi had 
come down from the interior with his    
master2 and after a short stay was      
ordered back to his trading post1 his   
master saying that he would follow him  
shortly4 ,a friend handed him a son of  
his for him to educate1 and to attend   
upon him2 in fact1 to be his 'boy4'     
,everything being ready1 he set out from
 ,loango2 and the first thing they met  
on the road was the wild dog4 ,now      
,nyambi was a plucky ,bantu and took no 
notice of this warning1 but continued on
 his way4 ,on reaching the forest       
country in ,mayomba1 the boy entrusted  
to him ran away4 ,nyambi1 true to his   
trust1 came after him back to his town1 
to see that the boy was once more placed
 in the care of his father1 and so to   
avoid any further complications4 ,then  
he once more started on his way1 and1   
nearing the forest country again1 was   
bitten severely on the foot by a snake4 
,he tied a rag around his leg just under
 the knee1 and another just above his   

ankle1 and squeezed as much blood as he 
could from the wound itself4 ,then he   
hobbled into the nearest town1 and      
waited there for assistance from his    
family1 to whom he had at once          
despatched a messenger4 ,they sent men  
and women to bring him back to ,loango1 
where he arrived in a very weak         
condition1 and with a fearful sore on   
his foot1--an awful warning to all those
 who will not take the omens sent to    
them in earnest6 ,what6 you still laugh8
 ,well1 there is no hope for you2 you   
are too persistent1 and have not read   
the story of the rabbit and the         
antelope1 and of the trap laid for the  
former4#fg ,and if you keep on laughing 
at these superstitions of the natives1  
don't blame any one if they call you a  
'rabbit1' and refuse to follow you in   
your wanderings through their land4     
,most haste is very often worst speed in
 ,africa2 and the white man who ignores 
all but physical difficulties does well 
to stay his impatient hand when about to

 strike his most provoking and          
apparently dilatory black carrier1 who  
is beset by endless moral obstacles     
retarding his progress as no physical   
difficulties can4  ,when ,i was         
beginning my pioneering of the ,ogowe   
,river in ,september-,november1 #ahgd1  
,i had with me one ,christian coast     
native4 ,i completed my canoe's crew    
with four heathen ,galwa1 placed myself 
under the patronage of the ,akele chief 
,kasa1 resided in his village1 and      
bought from him a site1 ,belambila1 for 
my mission station1 about a mile distant
 from him4 ,daily ,i went with my crew  
in the canoe to work at the building of 
a temporary house on the ,belambila     
premises4 ,one day a water-snake crossed
 the canoe's bow1 and ,i struck at it4  
,the ,christian looked serious1 and the 
four heathen laid down their paddles4   
,it was sufficiently disastrous that the
 snake had crossed our path2 ,i had made
 matters worse by attempting to injure  
it4 ,they said1 ,you should not have    

done that4 ,why8 ,because somewhere and 
sometime it will follow us and will bite
 us4 ,let us go back to ,kasa's4 ,i     
refused1 and insisted on our proceeding 
with the day's work4 ,i might better    
have yielded to their request4 ,it was  
as if ,i were under an ,ancient         
,mariner's curse4 ,my snake was as bad  
as his albatross4 ,my men either could  
not or would not4 ,everything went      
wrong4 ,they worked without heart and   
under dread4 ,what they built that day  
was done with so many mistakes that ,i  
had to tear it down4 ,i did not fully   
appreciate at that time1 but ,i do not  
now think that they were intentionally  
disobedient or recalcitrant4 ,just as   
well compel a crew of ignorant sailors  
to start their voyage on a ,friday4 ,the
 fear of ominous birds and other animals
 is over all ,africa4 ,in ,garenganze1  
according to ,arnot1 many have a        
superstitious dread of the horned       
night-owl4 ,its cry is considered an    
evil omen1 which can only be            

counteracted effectually by possessing a
 whistle made out of the windpipe of the
 same kind of bird4   ,illustration3    
,,traveling ,,by ,,canoe4--,,ogowe      
,,river4   ,jackals1 wild dogs1 also are
 very much disliked4 ,the weird cry of  
one of these animals will arouse the    
people of a whole village1 who will rush
 out and call upon the spirit-possessed 
animal to be quiet and leave them1 or to
 come into the village1 and they will   
feed and satisfy it4  ,when travelling1 
they are careful to notice the direction
 this animal may take4 ,should its cry  
come from the direction in which they   
are going1 they will not venture a step 
farther until certain divinations have  
been performed that they may learn the  
nature of the calamity about to befall  
them4#fh  ,the chameleon is an object of
 dread to all natives wherever ,i have  
lived4 ,i have never met1 even among the
 most civilized1 any man or woman who   
would touch one4 ,for friendship1 or to 
make a sale1 they would bring it to me  

at the end of a long stick1 in my       
various efforts at zological and other  
collections4  ,the millepedes they also 
dread4 ,i handle them with impunity1 and
 my little daughter1 on the ,ogowe1 in  
#ahhh did so too1 under my example4 ,but
 her young ,negro companions soon made  
her afraid4 ,true1 the adult millepede  
ejects a dark liquid which stained my   
hands and which natives said was        
poisonous if taken internally4 7,that ,i
 never tested47  ,a native friend1 one  
of my ,batanga female church-members1 a 
sincere ,christian1 of bright mind but  
limited education1 told me recently     
7#aijb7 of her belief in the chameleon  
as a bad omen4 ,she was visiting        
relatives a dozen miles north4 ,word was
 sent her to return1 as another         
relative1 a woman in my ,bongaheli      
village1 was dangerously ill4 ,her host 
told her to go1 and advised her to      
gather on the way a certain fern1       
parasitic on trees1 that is used        
medicinally in the disease of which the 

woman was sick4 ,my friend started on   
her day's journey1 came to the tree1 and
 was about to pluck the ferns when she  
observed a chameleon clasping the tree2 
it stood still and looked at her4 ,she  
instantly left the tree1 abandoned the  
ferns1 went back to tell her host that a
 chameleon was in possession of them and
 had stared at her1 and that it was     
useless to gather the medicine1 for she 
was sure their relative was dead4 ,and  
she resumed her journey1 coming back to 
,bongaheli in order to attend the       
mourning4 ,it was true2 the relative was
 dead1 and the mourning had begun4 ,her 
belief was not shaken when ,i reminded  
her that that chameleon was only doing  
just what all chameleons do when they   
are not walking1 and when confronted by 
any one4 ,they all clasp the branch on  
which they happen to be1 and stare at   
their supposed pursuer1 if unable to    
escape4   ,,leopard ,,fiends4  ,formerly
 a strange superstition said that on him
 who should kill a leopard there would  

come an evil disease1 curable only by   
ruinously expensive ceremonies of three 
weeks' duration1 under the direction of 
the ,ukuku 7,spirit7 ,society4 ,so the  
natives allowed the greatest ravages1   
until their sheep1 goats1 and dogs were 
swept away2 and were aroused to         
self-defence only when a human being    
became the victim of the daring beast4  
,the carcass of a leopard1 or even the  
bones of one long dead1 were not to be  
touched4  ,while ,i was living at       
,benita1 about #ahfi1 the losses by     
leopards became so great that1 in       
desperation1 some of the braver young   
men1 under my encouragement1 determined 
that the depredator should be caught4   
7,nothing was just then said about what 
should be done with it when caught47 ,a 
trap was built in one of the villages1  
and baited with a live goat4 ,soon a    
leopard was entrapped4 ,what to do with 
it was then the question4 ,some favored 
leaving it alone till they could ask    
permission of ,ukuku to kill it1 even if

 they had to pay heavily for the        
permission4 ,others1 who had heard me   
laugh at their superstition1 proposed   
that ,i should be asked to shoot it4    
,they came at night2 ,i willingly and   
promptly went with my ,winchester       
repeating rifle1 which could easily be  
thrust into the chinks between the logs 
of which the trap was built4 ,when the  
animal was shot1 came the question1 ,who
 should remove it8 ,none would touch it4
 ,among my employees were two young men 
of another tribe with whom that         
superstition did not exist4 ,with their 
aid ,i lifted the carcass upon a        
wheelbarrow1 and took it to a place     
where ,i could comfortably skin it4     
,some objected to my retaining the skin4
 ,they wanted the whole animal put out  
of sight4 ,but the majority agreed that 
the skin should be my compensation for  
my rifle's service4 ,then a deputation  
carefully followed me out on the        
prairie1 to see that the spot where the 
skinning was to be done was not near any

 of their frequented paths4 ,after the  
flaying was complete1 what was best to  
do with the carcass8 ,the majority      
objected to its being buried1 fearing to
 tread over its grave4 ,so ,i sent the  
two young men in a canoe1 to sink the   
carcass out in the river's mouth toward 
the sea4 ,even then there were those who
 for two weeks afterward would eat no   
fish caught in the river4  ,with this   
fear of the leopard was united a        
superstition similar to that of the     
wehr-wolf of ,germany1 viz41 a belief in
 the power of human metamorphosis into a
 leopard4 ,the natives had learned1 from
 foreigners who were ignorant of the    
fact that there are no tigers in        
,africa1 to call this leopard fiend a   
man-tiger4 ,they got their fears still  
more mixed by a belief in a third       
superstition1 viz41 that sometimes the  
dead returned to life and committed     
depredations4 ,this belief was not      
simply that disembodied spirits 7mekuku7
 returned1 but that the entire person1  

soul and body 7ilina na nyolo71 rose    
temporarily from the grave1 with a few  
changes 7among the rest1 that the feet  
were webbed74 ,such a being1 as         
mentioned in a previous chapter1 was    
called ,uvengwa4 ,at one time1 while ,i 
was at ,benito1 intense excitement      
prevailed in the community3 doors and   
shutters were violently rattled at      
night2 marks of leopard's claws         
scratched doorposts2 their tracks lay on
 every path2 women and children in      
lonely places saw their flitting forms1 
in the dark were knocked down by their  
spring1 or heard their growl in the     
thickets4 ,it was difficult to decide1  
in hearing these reports1 whether it was
 a real leopard1 a leopard fiend1 or    
only an uvengwa4 ,to native fear1 they  
were practically the same4 ,i felt      
certain that the uvengwa was a thief    
disguised in a leopard skin4 ,under such
 disguise murders were sometimes        
committed4 ,by bending my thumb and     
fingers into a semi-closed fist1 ,i     

could make an impression in the sand    
that exactly resembled a leopard's      
track2 and this confirmed my conclusions
 as to the real cause of the phenomenon4
  ,the pioneer of the ,gabun ,mission1  
,rev4 ,dr4 ,j4 ,l4 ,wilson1 in #ahdb1   
found the wehr-wolf superstition        
prevalent among all the tribes of       
,southern ,guinea4 ,the leopard is      
invested with more terror than it       
otherwise would have1 by a superstitious
 apprehension on the part of the        
natives1 that wicked men frequently     
metamorphose themselves into leopards   
and commit all sorts of depredations1   
without the liability or possibility of 
being killed4 ,the real leopard is      
emboldened by impunity1 and often       
becomes a terrible scourge to the       
village he infests4 ,i have known large 
villages to be abandoned by their       
inhabitants1 because they were afraid to
 attack these animals on account of     
their supposed supernatural powers4  ,at
 ,gabun1 about #ahfe1 there still       

remained a jungle on one side of the    
public road that constituted the one    
street of the town of ,libreville1 as it
 followed the curve of the bay for three
 miles4 ,there were frequent alarms and 
occasional murders along lonely parts of
 that road4 ,the natives believed that  
the leopard fiend was a beast2 the      
,french commandant believed it was a    
human being4 ,he had the jungle cut     
away4 ,since then1 no mangled bodies    
have been found there4  ,among the      
,garenganze people1 in #ahhd1 ,mr4      
,arnot often chid them for their want of
 bravery in not hunting down the many   
wild animals that prey around their     
towns1 carrying off the sick people1 and
 frequently attacking and seizing       
solitary strangers4 ,they excused       
themselves by explaining that these wild
 animals are really 'men of other       
tribes1' turned1 by the magic power they
 possess1 into the form of lions1       
panthers1 or leopards1 who prowl about  
to take vengeance on those against whom 

they are embittered4 ,in defending this 
absurd theory1 one man said it was not  
possible for a ,luba and a ,lamba man to
 go out into the country together       
without one stealing a march on his     
neighbor1 getting out of sight1 and     
returning again in the form of a lion or
 leopard1 and devouring his travelling  
companion4 ,such things1 they say1 are  
of daily occurrence amongst them2 and   
this foolish superstition leads them not
 only to tolerate the wild animals      
about1 but almost to hold them sacred4  
,this particular superstition still     
exists extensively4 ,as late as #ahih1  
it is stated of the ,barotse of         
,southeast ,africa3 ,they believe that  
at times both living and dead persons   
can change themselves into animals1     
either to execute some vengeance or to  
procure something that they wish for3   
thus a man will change himself into a   
hyena or a lion in order to steal a     
sheep1 and make a good meal off it2 into
 a serpent1 to avenge himself on some   

enemy4 ,at other times1 if they see a   
serpent1 it is one of the ',matotela' or
 slave tribe1 which has thus transformed
 himself to take some vengeance on the  
,barotse4#fi   ,,luck4  ,there exists a 
custom1 even among the civilized1 for   
the seller of an article to hold back a 
small portion after his price has been  
paid4 ,when ,i first met with this      
custom1 ,i was indignant at what seemed 
like stealing2 and yet it was so open1  
and without any attempt at concealment1 
that ,i was amazed4 ,one who brought for
 sale a bunch of plantains twisted off  
and took away one of its fingers4       
,another who had just been paid for a   
peck of sweet potatoes deliberately     
picks off one tuber4 ,another who       
brought a gazelle for sale would not    
complete the bargain till ,i had        
consented that he might remove the      
gall-bladder and a portion of the liver4
 ,i learned that all these were for     
luck3 in order that the garden whence   
came that plantain bunch or potato      

should be blessed with abundance2 and   
the hunter1 that he might be successful 
in his next hunt4 ,the gazelle is       
credited with being a very artful       
animal1 the cunning being located       
especially in the liver4  ,one might ask
 why1 if those pieces are so needed for 
luck1 the owner did not take them before
 selling1 and while they were still his 
own and under his entire control4 ,i do 
not know their exact thought2 but the   
statement was that the chances of good  
luck were greater if the pieces of      
plantain1 potato1 meat1 etc4 were       
abstracted after the article had        
actually passed out of the seller's     
possession4  ,on the ,ogowe1 at ,lake   
,azyingo1 in #ahgd1 ,i was present at   
the cutting up of a female hippopotamus 
which a hunter had killed the night     
before4 ,by favor of the native ,ajumba 
chief1 ,anege1 ,i was allowed to see the
 ceremonies4 ,they were many2 of most of
 them ,i did not understand the         
significance2 and the people were loath 

to tell me1 lest ,i should in some way  
counteract them4 ,even my presence was  
objected to by the mother of the hunter 
7he1 however1 was willing74  ,after the 
animal had been decapitated1 and its    
quarters and bowels removed1 the hunter1
 naked1 stepped into the hollow of the  
ribs1 and kneeling in the bloody pool   
contained in that hollow1 bathed his    
entire body with that mixture of blood  
and excreta1 at the same time praying   
the life-spirit of the hippo that it    
would bear him no ill-will for having   
killed it1 and thus cut it off from     
future maternity2 and not to incense    
other hippopotami that they should      
attack his canoe in revenge4 7,hippos   
are amphibians1 but are generally killed
 in the water47 ,he kept choice parts of
 the flesh to incorporate into his luck 
fetich4  ,mr4 ,arnot mentions the same  
custom in ,garenganze3 ,one morning ,i  
shot a hyena in my yard4 ,the chief sent
 up one of his executioners to cut off  
its nose and the tip of its tail1 and to

 extract a little bit of brain from the 
skull4 ,the man informed me that these  
parts are very serviceable to elephant  
hunters1 as securing for them the       
cunning1 tact1 and power to become      
invisible1 which the hyena is supposed  
to possess4 ,i suppose that the brain   
would represent the cunning1 the nose   
the tact1 and the tip of the tail the   
vanishing quality4 ,the stomach of the  
hyena is valued by the ,ovimbundu 7of   
,southwest ,africa7 as a cure for       
apoplexy4   ,,twins4  ,mr4 ,arnot states
 that in ,garenganze cases of           
infanticide are very rare4 ,twins1      
strange to say1 are not only allowed to 
live1 but the people delight in them4   
,though they are not regarded as        
monstrosities deserving death1 as among 
the ,calabar people on the ,west ,coast1
 it is nevertheless considered necessary
 that certain preservative ceremonies   
should be performed on the infants and  
their parents4  ,mr4 ,swan1 an associate
 of ,mr4 ,arnot1 describes a ceremony he

 was unexpectedly made to share in while
 on a visit to the native king ,msidi3  
,my attention was drawn to a crowd of   
folk1 mostly women1 who approached1     
singing and ringing a kind of bell4     
,they formed in lines opposite to us4   
,in front of the rest were a man and    
woman1 each holding a child not more    
than a few days old4 ,i learned that the
 little ones were twins1 the man and    
woman holding them being the happy      
parents1 who had come to present their  
offspring to the king4 ,they wore       
nothing but a few leaves about their    
loins1--a hint to ,msidi1 ,i suppose1   
that they would like some cloth4  ,after
 chanting a little1 an elderly woman    
came forward1 with a dish in her left   
hand and an antelope's tail in her      
right4 ,when she reached ,msidi1 ,i was 
astonished at her dipping the tail in   
the dish and dashing the liquid over his
 face4 ,msidi's wife had a like dose4   
,but my surprise increased when she came
 to us and gave us a share4 ,what was in

 the dish ,i cannot say1 but it struck  
me as possessing a very disagreeable    
odor4 ,this discourteous creature was   
the ,ocimbanda 7fetich doctor74 ,she did
 not cease her dousing work till she had
 favored all sitting around4 ,the king  
then went into the house1 and his wife  
came out with some cloth1 which she tied
 around the mother's waist2 and then a  
piece of cloth was given to the husband4
 ,the friends had brought some native   
beer2 and when ,msidi came out1 he went 
to one of the pots1 filled his mouth1   
spouting the beer in his wife's face2   
she did the same to him1 after which the
 spouting became general4444 ,they told 
me it was their custom to act thus when 
twins are born4  ,in the ,benga tribe1  
thirty-five years ago1 ,i observed that 
if one of a pair of twins died1 a wooden
 image was substituted for it on the bed
 or in the cradle-box1 alongside of the 
living child4 ,i strongly suspected     
,animism in the custom2 but some        
,christians explained that the image was

 only a toy1 so that the living babe    
should not miss the presence of an      
object resembling its mate4  ,names of  
twins are always the same1 in the same  
cognate tribes4 ,in ,benga they are     
always ,ivaha 7a wish7 and ,ayenwe      
7unseen74 ,these names are given        
irrespective of sex4 ,but not every man 
or woman whom one may meet with these   
names is necessarily a twin4 ,they may  
have inherited the name from ancestors  
who were twins4  ,all over ,africa the  
birth of twins is a notable event1 but  
noted for very different reasons in     
different parts of the country4 ,in     
,calabar they are dreaded as an evil    
omen1 and until recently were           
immediately put to death1 and the mother
 driven from the village to live alone  
in the forest as a punishment for having
 brought this evil on her people4  ,in  
other parts1 as in the ,gabun country1  
where they are welcomed1 it is          
nevertheless considered necessary to    
have special ceremonies performed for   

the safety of their lives1 or1 if they  
die1 to prevent further evil4  ,in the  
,egba tribes of the ,yoruba country they
 become objects of worship4 ,as in other
 parts of ,africa where twins are       
preserved1 they are given twin names2   
which1 of course1 differ in different   
languages4 ,among the ,egbas the        
first-born is ,taiwo1 i4 e41 the first  
to taste the world1 and the other       
,kehende1 i4 e41 the one who comes      
last4#gj ,about eight days after their  
birth1 or as soon as the parents have   
the money for the sacrificial feast1    
they invite all relatives on both sides1
 neighbors and friends together4        
,various kinds of food are prepared1    
consisting chiefly of beans and yams4 ,a
 little of each kind of food is set     
apart with some palm-oil thrown upon it1
 and the small native plates or basins  
containing it are set before the        
children in their cradle4 ,they are then
 invoked to protect their mother from   
sickness1 to pity their parents and     

remain with them1 to watch over them at 
all times4 ,i quote in this connection  
the following from a ,west ,african     
newspaper3  ,after the ceremony an      
elderly man or woman who has been a twin
 is called upon to split the kola nuts1 
in order to find out whether the        
children will live or die4 ,this is     
their way of asking the god or goddess  
to answer their requests 7and it is     
singular that this throwing of kolas may
 be done repeatedly until the reply is  
favorable to the inquirer74 ,thus3 if a 
kola nut is split into four parts in    
throwing it down1 they say1 ,you ,idol1 
please foretell if the children will    
live long or die4 ,if all the four      
pieces of the kola fall flat on their   
backs1 or all flat with their faces to  
the ground1 or if two of them fall with 
their faces downward and the other two  
upward1 then in each of those cases the 
reply is favorable1 and it means they   
will live long and not die4 ,but if     
three pieces of the kola should turn    

their faces to the ground and only one  
fall flat on its back1 or if the three  
pieces should turn their faces upward   
and only one downward1 the reply is     
unfavorable1 and it means that the      
children will die before long4 ,in such 
cases they continue throwing the kola   
nut indefinitely until they obtain their
 wish2 or1 in rare cases of total       
failure1 the subject of inquiry is      
reserved till a future time1 when they  
hope the idol may speak more favorably4 
,thus1 twin children are worshipped     
every month4  ,in some cases1 where the 
parents have the means1 an invitation   
goes round to as many twins as they can 
get to partake of the sacrificial       
feasts4 ,of course1 the people enjoy    
themselves at the feast4  ,the twins    
have everything in common2 they eat the 
same kind of food and wear the same     
dress4 ,if one of them should die1 the  
mother is bound to make a wooden image  
to represent the dead child4 ,this kind 
of image is generally about a foot in   

length1 and is made of ,ire wood1 which 
is flexible and durable4 ,it is carved  
in such a manner as to represent the    
human anatomy4  ,these images1          
substitute for a dead twin1 are used    
very extensively among all the tribes of
 ,africa4 ,various reasons are given for
 their use3 that the surviving twin     
shall not be lonely2 that the departed  
one may be sure it is not forgotten2 and
 other reasons4 ,the images are retained
 as family fetiches1 to ward off evil   
from the mother4  ,if both children     
should die1 the mother must have two    
wooden images1 and regard them as her   
living children2 she worships them every
 morning by splitting kola nuts and     
throwing down a few drops of palm-oil   
before them4 ,of course1 the occasional 
feasts follow in their due course1 and  
as oftentimes as she may happen to see  
them in her dreams4  ,if they should    
live1 and both are males1 they make     
engagements and marry at the same time4 
,if one is male1 and the other is       

female1 their dowry must be given the   
same day2 the parents believe that if   
things done for them are not alike or do
 not go together1 one will soon die4#ga 
,,customs ,,of ,,speech4  ,superstition 
mingles in customs of speech4 ,there is 
the custom of ,kombo1 existing to-day4  
,something about the act of sneezing is 
considered uncanny4 ,a phrase or a      
cabalistic word1 intended as an         
adjuration or a protestation in the     
nature of a prayer for protection or    
blessing1 is very commonly ejaculated by
 one who sneezes and sometimes when one 
stumbles4 7,in the old despotic days of 
native kings1 in the ,benito region1 if 
a king1 on first emerging from his house
 in the morning1 should happen to       
stumble1 he would order the nearest     
person in sight to be killed47 ,that    
word is uttered by an adult for himself1
 by a parent or other relative for an   
infant child4 ,it may be an archaism    
whose meaning has been forgotten4       
,generally the ,kombo is an epigrammatic

 phrase invented by the individual      
himself1 and to be used only by him4    
,sometimes1 instead of a phrase1 the    
single word ,kombo6 as representing the 
custom1 is uttered4  ,some forty years  
ago the ejaculation1 before the         
invariable ,mbolo salutation was        
uttered1 that was used by visitors to   
the ,mpongwe king on the south side of  
the ,gabun estuary1 was1 ,what evil law 
has ,god made8 ,the response was1       
,death6 ,little as the heathen natives  
liked to talk of death1 their use of    
that word to their king was in the      
nature of a good wish that he might     
escape the universal law4 ,and the      
,mbolo6 7gray hairs7 that followed was a
 wish that he might live to have gray   
hairs4  ,his son1 an educated man and a 
nominal ,romanist1 is now saluted quite 
as formally1 but the ejaculation has    
been changed to a more respectful and   
,christian recognition of ,god4         
,,oaths4  ,blasphemy of the ,divine     
name1 so fearfully common in professedly

 ,christian countries1 is almost unknown
 to the ,african heathen4 ,though the   
native name for ,god1 ,anyambe1 is      
improperly used in names of persons     
7which is not intended for disrespect71 
it is not often actually blasphemed4 ,an
 equivalent blasphemy1 is occasionally  
practised in the misuse of the name of  
their great and sacred spirit-society4  
,in the ,benga tribe ,saba8 and ,sabali8
 used interrogatively1 mean only ,true8 
,is that so82 but1 used positively1 they
 are of the nature of an oath1          
especially when the society's name      
7,ukuk7 was added3 ,saba n' ,ukuku      
7,true6 by ,ukuk674  ,on the ,ogowe     
,river1 in the ,galwa tribe1 the name of
 that society was ,isyoga1 more commonly
 spoken of as ,yasi4 ,in the initiation 
into it the neophytes were taught a long
 and very solemn adjuration1 that could 
be uttered only among the initiated1 as 
an oath2 but they were allowed commonly 
to use simply its title ,yasi1 the      
utterance of that one word being        

accompanied by a downward sweep of the  
right hand over the left arm from       
shoulder to hand4 ,it was not permitted 
to women to speak this word4  ,in no    
tribes with which ,i have lived was this
 ,by-the-,spirit oath used so much as   
among the ,galwa of the ,ogowe4 ,it     
became monotonously frequent1 in and out
 of season1 in all conversations and on 
the slightest assertion or the simplest 
excitement4  ,i became very tired of    
,yasi6 ,yasi6 ,yasi6 and that sweep of  
the right hand1 for the doing of which  
the canoe paddle or a tool was laid     
down4 ,and1 by the way1 the more of a   
liar a man was1 the more frequent and   
vociferous was he in his persistent use 
of ,by ,yasi6   ,,totem ,,worship4      
,totem worship is found in ,africa1     
though nothing at all to the extent to  
which it existed among the ,indian      
tribes of the ,united ,states1 and      
especially ,alaska4  ,in ,southern      
,africa it exists among the ,bechuanas  
7who1 however1 are not pure ,bantu72 not

 in the form of carving and setting up  
poles in their villages1 but in the     
respect which different clans give to   
certain animals1 e4 g41 one clan being  
known as buffalo-men1 another as        
lion-men1 a third as crocodile-men1 and 
so forth4 ,to each clan its totem animal
 is sacred1 and they will not eat of its
 flesh4 ,in some parts this sanctity is 
regarded as so great that actual prayer 
and sacrifice are made to it4 ,but in   
most of the ,bantu tribes this totem    
idea does not exist as a worship4       
,indeed1 the animal 7or part of an      
animal7 is not sacred to an entire clan1
 but only to individuals1 for whom it is
 chosen on some special occasion2 and   
its use is prohibited only to that      
individual4 ,only in the sense that it  
may not be used for common purposes is  
it sacred or holy to him4   ,,taboo4    
,taboo is a ,polynesian term1 and       
indicates that which man must not touch 
because it belongs to a deity4 ,the     
god's land must not be trodden1 the     

animal dedicated to the god must not be 
eaten1 the chief who represents the god 
must not be lightly treated or spoken   
of4 ,these are examples of taboo where  
the inviolable object or person belongs 
to a good god1 and where the taboo      
corresponds exactly with the rule of    
holiness4 ,but instances are still more 
numerous1 among savages1 of taboo       
attaching to an object because it is    
connected with a malignant power4 ,the  
savage is surrounded on every side by   
such prohibitions2 there is danger at   
every step that he may touch on what is 
forbidden to him1 and draw down on      
himself unforeseen penalties4#gb  ,this 
idea exists very largely in the ,gabun  
and ,loango coasts3 as described in a   
previous chapter1 the custom is there   
called orunda2 e4 g41 such and such an  
animal 7or part of an animal7 is orunda1
 or taboo1 to such and such a person4   
,the ,portuguese ,roman ,catholic       
missionaries to the ,kingdom of ,kongo1 
more than two hundred and fifty years   

ago1 found this custom of interdicting  
to every person at their birth some one 
article of food1 which they were not    
through life1 upon any consideration1 to
 put into their mouths4 ,this practice  
was regarded by those ,roman ,catholic  
priests as specially heathenish1 and was
 unconditionally forbidden4             
,explanation may here be found why a    
church which two hundred years ago had  
baptized members by the hundreds of     
thousands1 with large churches1 fine    
cathedrals1 schools1 colleges1 and      
political backing1 and no other form of 
,christianity to compete with it1 shows 
in ,kongo to-day no results in the      
matters of civilization1 education1     
morality1 or pure religion4 ,its baptism
 was only an outward one1 the heathen   
native gladly accepting it as a powerful
 charm4 ,for each and all his heathen   
fetiches the priest simply substituted a
 ,roman ,catholic relic4 ,the ignorant  
,african1 while he learned to bow to the
 ,virgin1 kept on worshipping also      

fetich4 ,the ,virgin was only just      
another fetich4 ,the ,roman ,catholic   
priests were to him only another set of 
powerful fetich doctors4 ,they commanded
 that1 instead of the orunda1 the       
parents should enjoin their children to 
observe some particular devotion1 such  
as to repeat many times a day the rosary
 or the crown1 in honor of the ,virgin2 
to fast on ,saturdays2 to eat no flesh  
on ,wednesdays2 and such other things as
 are used among ,christians4  ,a similar
 substitution was made in the case of a 
superstition of the ,kongo country which
 exists universally among all ,african  
tribes to-day1 viz41 to bind a cord of  
some kind around the body of every      
new-born infant1 to which were fastened 
the bones and teeth of certain kinds of 
wild animals4 ,in place of this1 the    
,roman ,catholic records enjoin that all
 mothers should make the cords with     
which they bound their infants1 of      
palm-leaves that had been consecrated on
 ,palm ,sunday1 and1 moreover1 guard    

them well with other such relics as we  
are accustomed to use at the time of    
baptism4  ,thus the heathen1 in becoming
 a baptized ,christian1 left behind him 
only the name of his fetich ceremonies4 
,some new and professedly more powerful 
ones were given him1 which were called  
by ,christian names1 but which very much
 resembled what he had been using all   
his life4 ,his conversion caused no jar 
to his old beliefs1 nor change in its   
practice1 except that the new fetich was
 worshipped in a cathedral and before a 
bedizened altar4   ,,baptism4  ,forty   
years ago1 on ,corisco ,island1 ,i found
 the remains of a custom which resembled
 baptism4#gc ,before that time it was   
very prevalent in other parts of the    
,gabun country1 whose people probably   
had derived it1 like their circumcision1
 from ,east ,africa and from ,jewish    
traditions4 ,as described at that time1 
a public crier announces the birth1 and 
claims for the child a name and place   
among the living4 ,some one else1 in a  

distant part of the village1            
acknowledges the fact1 and promises1 on 
the part of the people1 that the        
new-born babe shall be received into the
 community1 and have all the rights and 
immunities pertaining to the rest of the
 people4 ,the population then assemble  
in the street1 and the new-born babe is 
brought out and exposed to public view4 
,a basin of water is provided1 and the  
headman of the village or family        
sprinkles water upon it1 giving it a    
name1 and invoking a blessing upon it1  
such as1 that it may have health1 grow  
up to manhood or womanhood1 have a      
numerous progeny1 possess much riches1  
etc4#gd ,the circumcision of the child  
is performed some years later4          
,,spitting4  ,the same ,benga word1     
tuwaka1 to spit1 is one of the two words
 which mean also to bless4 ,in          
pronouncing a blessing there is a       
violent expulsion of breath1 the hand or
 head of the one blessed being held so  
near the face of the one blessing that  

sometimes in the act spittle is actually
 expelled upon him4  ,this blessing     
superstition exists among the ,barotse  
of ,south ,africa 7whose dialect is     
remarkably like the ,benga74 ,relatives 
take leave of each other with elaborate 
ceremony4 ,they spit upon each other's  
faces and heads1 or1 rather1 pretend to 
do so1 for they do not actually emit    
saliva4 ,they also pick up blades of    
grass1 spit upon them1 and stick them   
about the beloved head4 ,they also spit 
on the hands3 all this is done to warn  
off evil spirits4 ,spittle also acts as 
a kind of taboo4 ,when they do not want 
a thing touched1 they spit on straws1   
and stick them all about the object4#ge 
,,notice ,,of ,,children4  ,recently    
7#aijc71 in passing through a street of 
,libreville1 ,i saw several women       
sitting on the clay floor of the wide   
veranda of a house4 ,in their arms or   
playing on the ground were a number of  
children4 ,i was attracted by their     
gambols1 and stopped on my way1 and     

having saluted the mothers1 ,i began to 
notice the children4 ,the women knew me 
by sight1 but ,i was a stranger to most 
of them4 ,i thought they would be       
pleased by attention to their children4 
,there were seven of them2 and ,i       
exclaimed1 ,oh6 so many children6 ,and  
,i began counting them1 ,one1 two1      
three1 four-- ,but ,i was interrupted by
 a chorus from the mothers1 of ,no6 no6 
no6 ,stop6 ,that is not good6 ,the      
spirits will hear you telling how many  
there are1 and they will come and take  
some away6 ,they were quite vexed at me4
 ,but ,i could not understand why1 if   
spirits can see1 they would not know the
 number without hearing my count4       
,perhaps my enthusiastic counting       
brought the number more obviously to the
 attention of the surrounding spirits4  
,,chapter ,,xiv  ,,fetich--,,its        
,,relation ,,to ,,the ,,future          
,,life--,,ceremonies ,,at ,,deaths ,,and
 ,,funerals   ,when a heathen ,negro is 
sick1 the first thing done1 just as in  

civilized lands1 is to call the doctor1 
who is to find out what is the          
particular kind of spirit that1 by      
invading the patient's body1 has caused 
the sickness4  ,this diagnosis is not   
made by an examination and comparison of
 the physical and mental symptoms1 but  
by drum1 dance1 frenzied song1 mirror1  
fumes of drugs1 consultation of relics1 
and conversation with the spirit itself4
 ,next1 as also in civilized lands1 must
 be decided the ceremony particular to  
that spirit1 and the vegetable and      
mineral substances supposed to be either
 pleasing or offensive to it4 ,if all   
those cannot be obtained1 the patient   
must die2 the assumption probably being 
that some unknown person is antagonizing
 the doctor with arts of sorcery4       
,fearing this1 all the family relatives 
and friends come1 having been informed  
by a messenger of the state of the case4
 ,they speak to and try to comfort the  
sick1 as would be done in civilization4 
,but to believers in fetich their coming

 means more than that4 ,they have come  
from distant places as soon as the news 
had spread that their relative was      
seriously ill1 without waiting for      
summons4 ,their coming is1 indeed1 a    
necessary mark of respect for the sick2 
but it may happen1 too1 in case of the  
sick man's dying1 that it would be a    
proof for them of their innocence if a  
charge should come up of witchcraft as  
the cause of death4 ,the neglect to make
 this prompt visit of condolence would  
be resented by the sick should he       
recover1 or1 in case of his death1 in   
the days when witchcraft arts were more 
common1 would have been held as a proof 
that the absentee had purposely absented
 himself1 under a sense of guilt4  ,in  
the sick man's village there already has
 been a slight wailing the while that he
 is dying4 ,before life is extinct1 and 
while yet the sick may still be         
conscious though speechless1 a low wail 
of mourning is raised by the female     
relatives who have gathered in the room4

  ,these visitors have sat quietly in   
the sick-room while the patient was     
still conscious4 ,to a foreigner that   
quiet is very strange in its oppressive 
silence and in the stolidity of faces   
7at other times expressive71 whose very 
reason for being present is supposed to 
be the expression of sympathy4 ,only a  
few assist in the making of food or     
medicine for the patient1 even when the 
medicines are not fetich4 ,all the      
others are spectators1 smoking1         
lounging1 dozing1 or1 if conversing1    
speaking in a low tone4 ,at the first   
report that death has actually come1 the
 women break into a louder wail4  ,but  
about a quarter of an hour is spent by  
some of the old members of the family1  
testing to see whether life is really   
extinct4 ,when that fact is fully       
certified to the crowd in the street1   
the wailing breaks forth unrestrainedly 
from men1 women1 and children4 ,the     
moment that death is declared1 grief is 
demonstrated in screams1 shrieks1 yells1

 pitiful supplication1 and extravagant  
praise by the entire village4  ,shortly 
after this first frantic outburst quiet 
is ordered1 and the arrangements for    
burial begin4 ,the body is bathed and   
the limbs are straightened4 ,the stomach
 is squeezed so as to make the contents 
emerge from the mouth in order that     
decomposition may be delayed and the    
body kept as long as possible4 ,the time
 will vary according to the necessity of
 the case and the social position of the
 dead4 ,usually the corpse is retained  
only one day2 but in case of a prominent
 person as many as five days1 and in    
case of kings in some tribes1 e4 g41 of 
,loango1 the rotting corpse1 rolled in  
many pieces of matting1 is retained for 
weeks4  ,when the washing and vomiting  
have been done1 the corpse is dressed in
 its finest clothing4 ,the bed-frame is 
often enlarged so that many of the chief
 mourners may be able to sit on it4     
,the body is generally taken from the   
bed and laid on a piece of matting on   

the floor4 ,the chief female mourner is 
given the post of honor1 to sit nearest 
to the dead1 holding the head in her    
lap4  ,during the time until the burial 
the women keep bending the joints of the
 corpse to prevent the body becoming    
stiff4 ,the day before the burial 7but  
if in haste1 on the very day of the     
death7 the coffin is made4 ,during the  
making the mourning which had been      
resumed is again bidden to cease1 in    
order that the spirit may be pleased    
with the wooden house that is being     
constructed for it4 ,for the same reason
 the wailing is again intermitted while 
the grave is being dug4 ,those who are  
digging it must not be called off or    
interrupted in any way4 ,when begun1 the
 job must be continued to completion4   
,after the grave is completed1 when they
 leave it and go to arrange the coffin1 
they must put into the excavation some  
article1 e4 g41 a stick of wood1 as a   
notice to any other wandering spirit not
 to occupy that grave4  ,when all these 

preparations are complete1 the corpse is
 laid in the coffin1 and some goods of  
the deceased1 such as pieces of cloth   
and other clothing1 are stuffed into it 
for his use in the other world4 ,if the 
deceased was addicted to smoking1 a pipe
 and tobacco are laid in the coffin1 or 
if accustomed to spirituous drink1 some 
liquor is often placed there1 either    
native palm-wine or foreign rum4        
,recently1 while the ,rev4 ,f4 ,s4      
,myongo1 a native clergyman1 was        
visiting on ,corisco ,island1 he saw a  
mother put into a coffin a bundle of    
salt for her daughter to eat in the     
future world4  ,if the deceased was a   
rich man1 the people of his mother's    
side do not allow him to be buried      
without their first being given a part  
of his property by the people of the    
father's side4  ,if there be a suspicion
 that he has been killed by witchcraft1 
and yet not enough proof to warrant a   
public charge and investigation1 the    
relatives take amomum seeds 7cardamom71 

chew them1 and put them into the mouth  
of the dead1 as a sign that the spirit  
shall itself execute vengeance on the   
murderer1 and that the survivors will   
take no further steps4 ,it is a nolle   
prosequi of a judicial case4  ,all being
 ready1 the lid of the coffin is nailed 
down1 except in the case of a first-born
 only child1 as has been stated4  ,in   
former days1 before coffins were used1  
the bamboo tatta of the bed-frame1 the  
pandanus leaf mat1 palm-fibre           
mosquito-net1 and other bedding were all
 rolled about the corpse as it lay1 and 
were buried with it4  ,while the corpse 
is being arranged in the coffin1 the    
women have resumed their wailing4 ,the  
coffin is lifted by strong men and      
hurriedly taken to the grave1 the       
locality of which varies in different   
tribes1--sometimes in the adjacent      
forest1 sometimes in the kitchen-garden 
of plantains immediately in the rear of 
the village houses1 sometimes under the 
clay floor of the dwelling-house4 ,with 

the men who are carrying the coffin may 
go some women as witnesses4  ,formerly  
also slaves carried boxes of the dead   
man's goods1 cloth1 hardware1 crockery1 
and so forth1 to be laid by the body1   
which in those days was not interred1   
but was left on the top of the ground   
covered with branches and leaves4  ,in  
carrying the coffin to the grave it must
 not be taken through the village street
 but by the rear of the houses1 lest the
 village be defiled4 ,as a result of    
such defilement1 all sorts of           
difficulties will arise1 such as poor   
crops from the gardens and short        
supplies of fish4  ,the coffin is laid  
with the face of the dead looking       
eastward4 ,during the interment people  
must not be moving about from place to  
place1 but must remain at whatever spot 
they were when the coffin passed1 until 
the burial is completed4  ,the digging  
of the grave1 the carrying of the       
coffin1 and the closing of the grave are
 all done only by men4 ,when these have 

finished the work of burial1 they are in
 great fear1 and are to run rapidly to  
their village1 or to the nearest body of
 water1 river or lake or sea4 ,if in    
their running one should trip and fall1 
it is a sign that he will soon die4     
,they plunge into the water as a means  
of purification from possible           
defilement4 ,the object of this         
purification is not simply to cleanse   
the body1 but to remove the presence or 
contact of the spirit of the dead man or
 of any other spirit of possible evil   
influence1 lest they should have        
ill-luck in their fishing1 hunting1 and 
other work4  ,during the time of these  
burial and other ceremonies the women   
have refrained from their mourning4     
,women who have babes must not go along 
the route that was taken in the carrying
 of the coffin1 lest their children     
shall become sick4  ,when all parties   
have returned from the grave1 the       
wailing is resumed4 ,they all mark their
 faces with ashes1 and then begins the  

regular official kwedi 7mourning74      
,during the continuance of this1        
pregnant women and mothers with young   
children are not allowed to come near   
lest evil happen to them4 ,to prevent   
any possibility of the just-departed    
spirit injuring any children of the     
village1 leaves of a common weed1 klkhi1
 are laid on their heads4  ,the day     
after the funeral a decoction is made of
 the bark of a well-known tree1 bolondo4
 ,with it the doctor sprinkles the      
people1 their houses1 their utensils and
 weapons1 and the two entrances to the  
village4 ,during the ceremony the people
 are shouting an ejaculatory prayer1    
,goods6 ,possessions6 ,wealth6 ,do not  
allow confusions to come to us6 this is 
distinctly a petition that the spirit   
should bring to them goods or help them 
to obtain wealth2 ,let us have food6 and
 many other similar cries for good      
things4 ,what remains in the vessel of  
the decoction of bolondo bark after the 
general sprinkling is carried to the    

ends of the village street1 and emptied 
there1 as a prevention against the entry
 of evil spirits4  ,also there is made a
 mixture of scrapings of bolondo1       
powdered red-wood1 and chalk4 ,this is  
rubbed on the cheeks of the people to   
keep off the evil spirits4 ,it is rubbed
 also1 for that same purpose1 on the    
walls of houses4  ,the cutlass 7machete7
 and native hoe that was used in the    
digging of the grave are washed with the
 bolondo decoction after having been    
left exposed to rain over night4  ,then 
one of the houses of the village is     
chosen as the ndabo ya kwedi 7house of  
mourning74 ,the mourners are to sit only
 in that house4 ,if they should eat in  
any other house1 the spirit of the dead 
would come and eat with them and would  
make them sick4 ,during the days of     
kwedi the men go in the mornings to     
fish2 while they are away at the work1  
the weeping is intermitted lest in some 
way it spoil the fishing4  ,the bedstead
 in the house of mourning must be       

constantly occupied1 even during the    
daytime1 by some persons sitting there1 
lest the spirit come to take any vacant 
space2 and the house itself must not1 by
 day or night1 be without some occupant4
 ,the near relatives1 when one has      
occasion to go out of that house1 must  
not go unaccompanied1 lest the spirit   
follow them and attempt to resume       
earthly companionship and thus injure   
them4  ,if it was a great man who has   
died1 an occasional dance is held during
 the prescribed mourning time to please 
his spirit1 which is supposed to be     
walking around and observing what is    
done4  ,the kwedi formerly lasted a     
month1 or1 for a prominent person1 a    
month and a half4  ,people who while    
they were living were supposed to have  
witch power are believed to be able to  
rise in an altered form from their      
graves4 ,to prevent one who is thus     
suspected from making trouble1 survivors
 open the grave1 cut off the head1 and  
throw it into the sea1--or in the       

interior1 where there is no great body  
of water1 it is burned2 then a decoction
 of the bolondo bark is put into the    
grave4 7,the bolondo is a poison2 even a
 little of it may be fatal47  ,when     
affairs are going wrong in the villages1
 and the people do not know the cause1  
offerings of food and drink are taken to
 the grave to cause the spirit to cease 
disturbing them1 and prayers are made to
 it that it may the rather bless them4  
,if the deceased was a very important   
person1 the kwedi is interrupted on the 
fifth day1 for the selection of his     
successor as chief or king4 ,this       
ceremony is called ampenda 7glories74   
,the successor is placed on the vacant  
seat or throne2 and songs are sung in   
his praise4 ,but first1 a herald is sent
 to the forest1 or wherever the burial  
was made1 to call the dead to come and  
dispute his right to the throne1 if he  
be not really dead4 ,the herald stands  
and calls on the dead by name1 ,such an 
one6 ,this he does slowly once1 twice1  

thrice1 until five times4 ,he returns1  
and reports to the waiting assembly1 ,he
 is really dead4 ,i called five times1  
and he did not answer4 ,then1 this      
herald1 standing in the street before   
all the people1 praises the dead for all
 his good deeds1 and blames for some of 
his bad ones4 ,he turns to the chosen   
successor sitting on the throne1 and    
asks pardon for the candor he is about  
to exercise3 ,to-morrow ,i will bow to  
you and take off my hat1 but to-day ,i  
will tell the whole truth about you4    
,turning to the crowd1 he says1 ,the man
 who is gone was good1 and he has given 
us this new man4 ,we hope that he too   
will be good4 ,you all help me now to   
tell him his bad points4 ,then1         
addressing the new chief1 he specifies1 
,you have a bad habit of so and so4 ,and
 the crowd responds affirmatively1 ,bad6
 cease it6 ,after this1 when the herald 
has ended his own list of rebukes1 any  
one else may call him aside and tell him
 of any other evil of which he knows1   

and ask him to direct the new king to   
reform it4 ,this ceremony was           
particularly observed by the            
,mpongwe-speaking tribes of the ,gabun  
country4 ,in the presence of the        
domination by foreign governments1 but  
little of it now exists there or in any 
other tribes to the north4  ,in the     
improvised songs and ejaculations of the
 kwedi period the goodness and greatness
 of the dead are recounted4 ,the praise 
is fulsome1 exaggerated1 and often      
preposterously untrue4 ,some declare    
their hopelessness of ever again seeing 
any joy4 ,supplications are shrieked by 
others for the departed to come back and
 reanimate the dead body4 ,by most the  
wailing is a song in moans4 ,men tear   
their garments2 women dishevel their    
hair2 all take off their ornaments1 and 
disfigure their faces with ashes or     
clay4 ,the female relatives reduce their
 clothing to a minimum of decency4 ,in  
all tribes formerly1 and in some        
interior tribes still1 the wives are    

made naked1 and compelled to remain so  
for months1 especially if they were     
known not to have been as submissive as 
is expected in the slavery of savage    
,african marriage4  ,during my early    
days in the ,ogowe1 about #ahgf1 a      
native ,akele chief1 ,kasa1 who had been
 my patron at my first residence in the 
,ogowe1 ,belambila1 died after ,i had   
removed to my second station1 ,kngwe4 ,i
 made a ceremonious visit of respect and
 condolence about a month after his     
death1 for ,kasa1 though a heathen and  
often cruel1 to me had been true and    
helpful4 ,his family appreciated the    
compliment of my visit4 ,i looked around
 the room1 and missed his wives4 ,i did 
not know that they had been divested of 
all clothing4 ,i asked for them4 ,a man 
hastened to go out and call them4 ,i    
wondered somewhat at the delay in their 
coming4 ,i was afterward told that      
though they were accustomed to the      
disgrace of nakedness before native     
eyes1 they did not wish to meet mine1   

for ,i had always treated them          
respectfully4 ,a half-dozen of them     
sidled into the room1 each carrying in  
their hands1 as their only protection1 a
 plate1 and quickly huddled together in 
a corner of the room4 ,i as quickly     
dismissed them1 telling them ,i had not 
known of the rule under which they were 
living4  ,in the ,batanga interior1     
among the ,bulu-,fang tribe1 where women
 at all times wear scarcely any         
clothing1 most widows are still required
 to go perfectly naked1 sometimes for a 
whole year4  ,all this wailing and      
mourning1 while sincere on the part of  
some1 is by most simply a yielding to   
the contagion of sympathy4 ,by some it  
is a mere formality1 and with many even 
a pretence4  ,in the older days1 before 
,christianity had obtained any          
influence1 or before foreign governments
 had exercised power to force away      
barbarous rites and compel civilized    
ones1 when almost every death was       
regarded as due to the exercise of black

 art1 and was always followed by a      
witchcraft investigation and by the     
putting to death of from one to ten     
so-called witches and wizards 7in the   
case of kings1 fifty to one hundred71 no
 one1 except the doctor and his secret  
councillors1 knew on whom suspicion for 
the death might fall1 and all were quick
 to be demonstrative in their grief1    
whether real or feigned1 as a means of  
warding off the dreaded accusation      
against themselves4  ,though those      
witchcraft executions have ceased       
wherever foreign power exists1 the      
wailing is still as demonstrative1      
either as a sign of real grief or as a  
mere custom2 and the mourning after     
burial continued for weeks 7or even     
months7 is an enormous evil4 ,wives and 
husbands abandoning their duties to     
their own villages2 children either     
slighted at their own homes or idly     
helping to swell the confusion at the   
town of mourning2 men neglecting their  
fishing1 and women neglecting their     

gardens1--all these visitors are an     
expensive draft on the hospitality and  
resources of the town of kwedi1 or on   
their other relatives who may happen to 
be living near4 ,inevitably there is not
 enough food for all1 and they stanch   
their hunger by immoderate drinking of  
foreign alcoholic liquors4  ,after the  
first paroxysms of grief1 in a few days 
the mourning is reduced to a perfunctory
 wail by the women for a short time each
 morning and evening4 ,the remainder of 
the day is spent in idle talk1 which    
always runs into quarrels2 and the      
nights in dances1 which generally end in
 dissolute revelry4 ,a month of mourning
 lays up a list of assignations and     
intrigues that result in trials for     
adultery and broken marriage relations4 
,the feelings in the hearts of the      
mourners are very mixed4 ,the outcry of 
affection1 pleading with the dead to    
return to life1 is sincere1 the survivor
 desiring the return to life to be      
complete2 but almost simultaneous with  

that cry comes a fear that the dead may 
indeed return1 not as the accustomed    
embodied spirit1 helpful and            
companionable1 but as a disembodied     
spirit1 invisible1 estranged1 perhaps   
inimical1 and surrounded by an          
atmosphere of dread imparted by the     
unknown and the unseen4 ,the many then  
ask1 not that the departed may return1  
but that1 if it be hovering near1 it    
will go away entirely4  ,few were those 
who during the life of the departed had 
not on occasions had some quarrel with  
him1 or had done him some injustice or  
other wrong1 and their thought is1 ,his 
spirit will come back to avenge itself6 
,so guns are fired to frighten away the 
spirit1 and to cause it to go off to the
 far world of spirits1 and not take up a
 residence in or near the town to haunt 
and injure the living4  ,nevertheless1  
the kwedi is kept up1 if for nothing    
else than to satisfy the                
self-complacence of the dead4 ,it is    
believed that the dead1 sometimes       

dissatisfied with the extent or         
character of the mourning ceremony1 have
 returned and inflicted some sickness on
 the village1 for the removal of which  
other ceremonies have to be performed4  
,thus far acts which are dictated by    
natural feelings1 good and otherwise1   
have been dealt with2 but there are a   
multitude of other ceremonies1 varied in
 different tribes and never the same in 
any one tribe1 which are performed under
 the direct influence of religious duty 
as well as superstitious fear4 ,what has
 been thus far described is especially  
true of the ,mpongwe1 ,benga1 and       
,batanga tribes of western ,equatorial  
,africa1 typical for most ,bantu tribes 
of the continent4 ,the following        
quotations afford a comparison of the   
burial customs of savages in other      
regions with those ,i have observed3    
,lumholtz1#gf describing the burial     
customs of ,australia1 writes3 ,the     
natives in the neighborhood of ,portland
 ,bay1 in the southwestern part of      

,south ,australia1 cremate their dead by
 placing the corpse in a hollow tree and
 setting fire to it4444 ,the natives of 
,australia have this peculiarity1 in    
common with the savages of other        
countries1 that they never utter the    
names of the dead1 lest their spirits   
should hear the voices of the living and
 thus discover their whereabouts4 ,there
 seems to be a widespread belief in the 
soul's existence independently of       
matter4 ,on this point ,fraser relates  
that the ,kulie tribe 7,victoria7       
believes that every man and animal has a
 muriep 7ghost or spirit7 which can pass
 into other bodies4 ,a person's muriep  
may in his lifetime leave his body and  
visit other people in his dreams4 ,after
 death the muriep is supposed to appear 
again1 to visit the grave of its former 
possessor1 to communicate with living   
persons in their dreams1 to eat remnants
 of food lying near the camp1 and to    
warm itself by the night fires4 ,a      
similar belief has been observed among  

the blacks of ,lower ,guinea4 ,on my    
travels ,i1 too1 found a widespread fear
 of the spirits of the dead1 to which   
the imagination of the natives          
attributed all sorts of remarkable      
qualities4 ,the greater the man was on  
earth1 the more his departed spirit is  
feared4444 ,an old warrior who has been 
a strong man and therefore much         
respected by his tribe1 is1 after his   
death1 put on a platform made with      
forked sticks1 cross-pieces1 and a sheet
 or two of bark2 he is hoisted up amidst
 a pandemonium of noise1 howling1 and   
wailing1 besides much cutting with      
tomahawks1 and banging of heads with    
nolla-nollas4 ,he is laid on his back   
with his knees up1 like the females1 and
 the grass is cleared away from under   
and around4 ,the place is now for a long
 time carefully avoided1 till he is     
quite shrivelled1 whereupon his bones   
are taken away and put in a tree4  ,the 
common man is buried like a woman1 only 
that logs are put over him1 and his     

bones are not removed4 ,young children  
are put bodily into the trees4  ,the    
fact that the natives bestow any care on
 the bodies of the dead is doubtless    
owing to the fear of the spirits of the 
departed4 ,in some places ,i have seen  
the legs drawn and tied fast to the     
bodies1 in order to hinder the spirits  
of the dead1 as it were1 from getting   
out to frighten the living4 ,women and  
children1 whose spirits are not feared1 
receive less attention and care after   
death4  ,in several tribes it is        
customary to bury the body where the    
person was born4 ,i know of a case where
 a dying man was transported fifty miles
 in order to be buried in the place of  
his nativity4 ,it has even happened that
 the natives have begun digging outside 
a white man's kitchen door1 because they
 wanted to bury an old man born there4  
,in ,central ,queensland ,i saw many    
burial-places on hills4 ,such are also  
said to be found in ,new ,south ,wales  
and in ,victoria4 ,these burial grounds 

have been in use for centuries1 and are 
considered sacred4  ,in ,south          
,australia and in ,victoria the head is 
not buried with the body1 for the skull 
is preserved and used as a drinking-cup4
 ,it is a common custom to place the    
dead between pieces of bark and grass on
 a scaffold1 where they remain till they
 are decayed1 and then the bones are    
buried in the ground4  ,in the northern 
part of ,queensland ,i have heard people
 say that the natives have a custom of  
placing themselves under these scaffolds
 to let the fat drop on them1 and that  
they believe that this puts them in     
possession of the strength of the dead  
man4  ,a kind of mummy dried by the aid 
of fire and smoke1 is also found in     
,australia2 male children are most      
frequently prepared in this manner4 ,the
 corpse is then packed into a bundle1   
which is carried for some time by the   
mother4 ,she has it with her constantly1
 and at night sleeps with it at her     
side4 ,after about six months1 when     

nothing but the bones remain1 she buries
 it in the earth4 ,full-grown men are   
also sometimes carried in this manner1  
particularly the bodies of great        
warriors4  ,w4 ,h4 ,brown1 in ,on the   
,south ,african ,frontier1 describes a  
burial in ,mashona-land3 ,when a member 
of the community dies1 he or she1 as the
 case may be1 is usually buried under a 
shelf of rock in a reclining position1  
with arms folded and legs doubled up4   
,in some districts1 where heaps of rocks
 are scarce1 ,i have seen graves made in
 large ant-heaps4 ,as a rule1 a small   
canopy or thatched roof is built over   
the grave1 and under this it is common  
to see placed1 as an offering1 a pot of 
beer and a plate of sadza4 ,the beer    
evaporates1 and the ants eat the sadza2 
but1 to the ,mashona mind1 the          
disappearance is due to supernatural    
causes4 ,at the burial the near         
relatives of the deceased cry aloud4 ,i 
was camping one night near a village    
where a child died4 ,the obsequies took 

place next morning between dawn and     
sunrise4 ,the mother cried loudly while 
the ceremony was proceeding1 but her    
wailing ceased soon after the funeral1  
and there was no more noise made over   
it4 ,i went into the village about two  
hours later1 and saw some men1 women1   
and children quietly sitting around the 
hut in which the death had taken place1 
and looking very solemn4 ,the child was 
about two weeks old1 and the cause of   
death was attributed by the ,mashonas to
 the fact that the mother had not given 
beer to her grandfather when he wanted  
it at his death4  ,if a woman's husband 
dies1 and she afterwards procures       
another1 the new man takes up his abode 
in the hut of the dead one1 becomes     
owner of his assegais and battle-axes1  
and assumes his name4 ,whether or not   
the second husband is supposed to enter 
into possession of the spirit of the    
deceased1 ,i could not discover4 ,some  
,mashonas have told me that they believe
 that the spirits of their departed     

relatives enter the bodies of animals1  
particularly those of lions4  ,at the   
end of the lunar month during which a   
death has taken place1 the surviving    
partner1 man or woman1 kills a goat1 and
 its meat is cooked1 as well as         
quantities of other food1 and a large   
amount of ,kaffir beer is brewed4 ,the  
people gather from the neighboring      
kraals1 and an all-night feast and dance
 ensue4  ,monthly 'dead-relative        
dances1' which are called 'machae' are  
very common2 and if no one has been     
accommodating enough to die during the  
month1 the feast and dance may be held  
in honor of some one who departed years 
before4  ,a similar dance is held in the
 ,gabun region of ,west ,africa1 partly 
as a consolatory amusement for the      
living1 near the close of whatever      
prescribed time of mourning4 ,it is     
called ,ukukwe 7for the spirit71 as if  
for the gratification of the hovering   
spirit of the dead2 but in many places  
in that region this dance has lost all  

reference to or for the dead1 or even   
any connection with a time of mourning1 
and has become simply a common          
amusement4  ,in the ,bihe country of    
,southwest ,africa1#gg death is         
surrounded by many strange and absurd   
superstitions4 ,it is considered        
essential that a man should die in his  
own country1 if not in his own town4 ,on
 the way to ,bailundu1 shortly after    
leaving ,bihe territory1 ,i met some men
 running at great speed1 carrying a sick
 man tied to a pole1 in order that he   
might die in his own country4 ,i tried  
to stop them2 but they were running1 as 
fast as their burden would allow them1  
down a steep rocky hill4 ,by the sick   
man's convulsive movements ,i could see 
that he was in great pain1 perhaps in   
his death throes2 hence the great haste4
 ,if a ,bailundu man dies in ,bihe1 the 
,bihe people have to pay the ,bailundu  
heavily for the shameful conduct of the 
,bihe demons in killing a stranger2 and 
vice versa4  ,when a man dies at home1  

his body is placed on a rude table1 and 
his friends meet for days round the     
corpse1 drinking1 eating1 shouting1 and 
singing1 until the body begins actually 
to fall to pieces4 ,then the body is    
tied in a fagot of poles and carried on 
men's shoulders up and down some open   
space1 followed by doctors and drummers4
 ,the doctors demand of the dead man the
 cause of his death1 whether by poison  
or witchcraft2 and if by the latter1 who
 was the witch8 ,most of the deaths ,i  
have known of in ,negro-land were from  
pulmonary diseases1 but all were set    
down to witchcraft4 ,the jerking of the 
bier to and fro1 causing the men bearing
 it to stumble hither and thither1 is   
taken as the dead man's answer2 thus1 as
 in the case of spirit-rapping at home1 
the reply is spelled out4 ,the result of
 this enquiry is implicitly believed in2
 and1 if the case demands it1 the witch 
is drowned4  ,among the ,barotse of     
,south ,africa#gh funerals take place at
 night1 and generally immediately after 

death1 while the body is still warm4 ,if
 the person1 when alive1 possessed the  
skin of an animal1 they wrap the body in
 it1 and also in a plain mat1 and then  
bury it near the hut4 ,but death        
inspires them with a mortal terror1 and 
thus the hut of the dead man is nearly  
always abandoned4 ,anything that has    
been used for the burial1 such as the   
wood on which the corpse was carried1 is
 left near the grave4 ,it is the fashion
 to display great external signs of     
grief1 howls and cries of lamentation   
and the like4 ,formerly the graves of   
chiefs were distinguished by elephant   
tusks turned toward the east4 ,all      
cattle belonging to the deceased are    
killed2 and any animal of which he was  
particularly fond1 such as the cow whose
 milk he drank1 is killed first4 ,they  
bury in the kraal itself those who died 
in the kraal2 but whenever it is        
possible1 the dying are taken out and   
laid in the fields or forest4 ,there are
 two reasons for this3 first1 they think

 that away from other people is a better
 chance of the invalid making a         
recovery2 and1 secondly1 wherever the   
person dies he must be buried2          
therefore1 if possible1 far from their  
habitations4 ,when a man dies1 visits of
 condolence are paid to the relatives1  
the visitors bringing a calf or a head  
of cattle as a mark of sympathy1 which  
is killed and eaten as a kind of        
consolation4 ,the night after the       
funeral is passed in tears and cries4 ,a
 few days later1 the doctor comes and   
makes an incision on the forehead of    
each of the survivors1 and fills it with
 medicine1 in order to ward off         
contagion and the effect of the sorcery 
which caused the death4 ,they place on  
their tombs some souvenir of the        
profession or vocation of the defunct2  
for example1--if he had been a hunter1  
horns or skins2 if a chairmaker1 a      
chair2 and so on4 ,over the grave a     
sacred tree is planted4 ,the tree is a  
kind of laurel called 'morata4'444 ,a   

man will kill himself on the tomb of his
 chief2 he thinks1 as he passes near by1
 that he hears the dead man call him and
 bid him bring him water4 ,these natives
 believe in transmigration of the soul  
into animals2 thus1 the hippopotamus is 
believed to shelter the spirit of a     
chief4 ,nevertheless1 they do not appear
 very clear that the soul cannot be in  
two places at once2 else1 if a chief has
 become a hippopotamus in the ,zambesi1 
why should one slay one's self to bring 
water to his tomb8  ,perhaps ,decl was  
not aware of a widespread belief in a   
dual soul1 consisting of a spirit1 that1
 as far as known1 lives forever in the  
world of spirits1 and a shadow that for 
an uncertain length of time hovers      
around the mortal remains4 ,some1 as    
already mentioned in a previous chapter1
 also name a third entity1 the          
life1--that which1 being eaten by       
sorcerers1 causes the living being to   
sicken1 and which the sorcerer1 if      
detected1 can be compelled to return to 

its owner4 ,miss ,kingsley thought also 
she had discovered a belief in a fourth 
entity1 the dream-soul4 ,but this1      
though doubtless believed in as that    
which sometimes leaves the sleeping body
 and goes on distant wanderings1 is the 
same as the spirit1 during whose        
temporary absence the body continues its
 breathing and other physical motions1  
in virtue of the presence of its second 
and third soul-entities4  ,the funeral  
practices of all the tribes1 with very  
few exceptions1 over all ,africa1       
however much they may and do vary1      
contain all of them1 as shown by the    
preceding quotations1 a decided belief  
in1 and fear of1 the intelligent and    
probably inimical activity of the       
spirits of their dead4 ,they include    
also the custom of the burial with the  
dead man of more or less of his         
property1 together with the destruction 
of such things as cannot be conveniently
 placed in the grave1--clothing1        
crockery1 utensils1 wives1 slaves1 trees

 of fruitage1 etc4  ,even among the     
civilized and enlightened1 while of     
course there would be no excessive      
destruction of property1 nor murder of  
widow or slave1 an extravagant amount of
 wearing apparel is stuffed into the    
coffin 7which is sometimes made large   
for that purpose7 as a sign of the      
importance of the dead1 and of the      
sacrifice the love and grief of the     
living are willing to make4  ,the       
residence of the transmigrated spirit is
 probably not a permanent one4 ,the     
,wa-nya-mwesi of ,east ,africa believe  
in transmigration both during life and  
after it4 ,thus1 according to them1 a   
sorcerer can transform himself into a   
wild animal to injure his enemies2 but  
in such cases the change is not         
permanent1 and the soul does not remain 
in its new habitation4#gi  ,leaving out 
of view the immense difference1 caused  
by the absence of ,christianity1 in the 
moral life of native ,africa1 as        
compared with that of the ,united       

,states1 there is no one thing that more
 painfully strikes me1 in the low       
civilization of the former1 than their  
customs for the dead4 ,it would occupy  
too much space to recount at length all 
the reasons the natives give for their  
sometimes apparently heartless          
ceremonies4 ,the true explanation lies  
in their belief in witchcraft and their 
fear of spirits4  ,from the testimony of
 travellers1 burial customs are much the
 same all over ,africa4 ,what ,i have   
written is my personal knowledge of what
 prevails on the ,west ,coast1 in the   
equatorial regions1 and especially in   
the portion lying along the course of   
the ,ogowe ,river1--a river that was    
first brought to public notice through  
the writings of ,paul ,du ,chaillu1 the 
journeys of a ,british trader1 ,mr4 ,r4 
,b4 ,n4 ,walker1 and subsequently by the
 thorough explorations of ,count ,p4 ,s4
 ,de ,brazza4  ,there are in ,africa    
social distinctions of rich and poor1   
higher and lower classes1 just as there 

are1 and always will be1 all the world  
over1 the claims of communism to the    
contrary notwithstanding4 ,these        
distinctions follow their subjects to   
the grave1--just as1 in our own         
civilization1 one is laid in the        
sculptured cemetery and another in the  
,potter's ,field4  ,the ,african        
burial-grounds are mostly in the forest1
 in the low-lying lands and tangled     
thickets along the sea-beach1 or the    
banks of rivers4 ,hills and elevated    
building-sites are reserved for villages
 and plantations4 ,if a traveller1 in   
journeying along the main river of the  
country1 observes long reaches of       
uncleared thickets1 he will probably be 
correct in suspecting that these are    
burial-grounds4 ,his native crew will be
 slow to inform him of the fact or to   
converse on the subject1 unless to      
object to an order to go ashore there4  
,some of the interior tribes bury all   
their dead under the clay floors of     
their houses4 ,the living are thus      

actually treading and cooking their food
 over the graves of their relatives4    
,this mode of burial is reserved as a   
distinction1 in the case of some coast  
tribes1 for a very few of their honored 
chiefs1 or for a specially loved        
relative4  ,over or near the graves of  
the rich are built little huts1 where   
are laid the common articles used by    
them in their life1--pieces of crockery1
 knives1 sometimes a table1 mirrors1 and
 other goods obtained in foreign trade4 
,once1 in ascending the ,ogowe1 ,i      
observed1 tied to the branches of a     
large tree extending over the stream    
from the top of the bank1 a wooden      
trade-chest1 five pitchers and mugs1 and
 several fathoms of calico prints4 ,i   
was informed that the grave of a lately 
deceased chief was near1 that these     
articles were signs of his wealth1 and  
were intended as offerings to spirits to
 induce them to draw to the villages of 
his people the trade of passing merchant
 vessels4  ,a noticeable fact about     

these gifts to the spirits is that1     
however great a thief a man may be1 he  
will not steal from a grave4 ,the       
coveted mirror will lie there and waste 
in the rain1 and the valuable garment   
will flap itself to rags in the wind1   
but human hands will not touch them4    
,sometimes the temptation to steal is   
removed by the donor fracturing the     
article before it is laid on the grave4 
,actual interment is generally given to 
all who in life were regarded as at all 
worthy of respect4 ,native implements   
for excavating being few and small1 the 
making of a grave is quite a task2 it is
 often1 therefore1 made no deeper than  
is actually sufficient for covering the 
corpse4 ,this1 according to the         
greatness of the dead or the wealth of  
the family1 is variously encased4       
,sometimes it is placed in a coffin made
 of the ends of an old canoe2 or1 more  
shapely1 of boards cut from the canoe's 
bottom and sides2 or1 even so           
expensively as to use two trade-boxes1  

making one long one by knocking out an  
end from each and telescoping them4     
,sometimes the corpse is cast out on the
 surface of the ground1 and perhaps a   
pile of stones or brushwood gathered    
over it4 ,sometimes it lies uncovered4  
,sometimes they are cast into the river4
  ,many years ago1 ,i was ascending the 
,ogowe ,river in my boat1 painfully     
toiling against the current4 ,i had     
unwisely refused the wish of my crew to 
stop for our mid-day meal at a desirable
 ulako 7camping-ground71 as the hour was
 too early2 and ,i determined to go on1 
and stop at some other place4 ,but ,i   
regretted presently2 for1 instead of    
finding forest and high camping-ground1 
we came to a long stretch of papyrus    
swamp2 and1 after that1 to low jungle4  
,we pulled on for another mile1 the sun 
growing hotter1 along the unsheltered   
bank1 and we growing faint with hunger  
as the hour verged to noon4 ,becoming   
desperate1 ,i directed the crew to stop 
at the very first spot that was solid   

enough for foothold1 intending to eat   
our dry rice without fire4 ,presently we
 came to a clump of oil-palms4 ,their   
existence showed solid ground1 and ,i   
seized the rudder and ran the boat      
ashore4 ,the crew objected1 hungry      
though they were1 that it was not a good
 place2 but they did not mention why4 ,i
 jumped ashore1 however1 and ordered    
them to follow1 and gather sticks for   
fire4 ,as they were rather slow in so   
doing1 and ,i overheard murmuring that  
firewood is not gotten from palm trees  
7which is true71 ,i set them an example 
by starting off on a search myself4  ,i 
had not gone far before ,i found a pile 
of brushwood1 and1 rejoicing at my      
success1 ,i called out to the crew to   
come and carry it4 ,while they were     
coming1 ,i stooped down and laid hold of
 an eligible stick4 ,but an odor        
startled me2 and the other sticks that  
,i had dislocated falling apart1 there  
was revealed a human foot and shin1     
which1 from the ornaments still         

remaining about the ankle1 ,i suppose   
was a woman's4 ,my attendants fled2 and 
,i re-embarked in the boat1 sufficiently
 unconscious of hunger to await a late  
meal that was not cooked until we       
reached a comfortable village a short   
distance beyond4 ,my crew then explained
 their slowness to obey me at that clump
 of palm trees1 by saying that they knew
 it looked like a burying-place4  ,a    
less respectful mode of burial 7if1     
indeed1 the term be not a misnomer7 is  
applied to the poor1 to the friendless  
aged who have wearied out the patience  
of relatives by a long sickness1 and to 
those whose bodies are offensive by a   
leprous or otherwise ulcerous condition4
 ,immediately that life seems extinct   
7and sometimes even before7 the wasted  
frame is tied up in the mat on which it 
is lying1 and1 slung from a pole on the 
shoulders of two men1 is flung out on   
the surface of the ground in the forest1
 to become the prey of wild beasts and  
the scavenger driver 7,termes bellicosa7

 ants4  ,of one tribe in the upper      
course of the ,ogowe1 ,i was told1 who1 
in their intense fear of ghosts1 and    
their dread of the possible evil        
influence of the spirits of their own   
dead relatives1 sometimes adopt a       
horrible plan for preventing their      
return4 ,with a very material idea of a 
spirit1 they seek to disable it by      
beating the corpse until every bone is  
broken4 ,the mangled mass is hung in a  
bag at the foot of a tree in the forest4
 ,thus mutilated1 the spirit is supposed
 to be unable to return to the village1 
to entice into its fellowship of death  
any of the survivors4  ,some dead bodies
 are burned1 particularly those of      
criminals4 ,persons convicted on a      
charge of witchcraft are criminals1 and 
are almost invariably killed4 ,sometimes
 they are beheaded4 ,i have often had in
 my possession the curved knives with   
which this operation is performed4      
,sometimes torture is used3 a common    
mode is to roast the condemned over a   

slow fire1 which is made under a stout  
bed-frame built for the purpose4 ,in    
such a case almost the entire body is   
reduced to ashes4 ,when ,i was clearing 
a piece of ground at ,belambila in the  
,ogowe in #ahge1 for the house which ,i 
afterward occupied1 my workmen came on a
 pile of ashes1 charcoal1 and charred   
bones1 where1 they assured me1 a        
criminal had been put to death4  ,a     
barely mentionable method of disposal of
 the bodies of the dead is to eat them4 
,that is possible only in a cannibal    
country4 ,that it was actual was known  
among the ,gabun ,fang fifty years ago1 
and among my ,ogowe ,fang twenty-five   
years ago4 ,none ate of their own dead2 
adjacent towns exchanged corpses4 ,women
 were not allowed to partake4 ,the      
practice was confined to the old men4   
,one such was pointed out to me at      
,talaguga in #ahhb4 ,he robbed graves   
for that purpose4  ,among the coast     
tribes of the ,gabun region of ,west    
,africa cremation is not known1 nor are 

corpses thrown out on the ground4 ,under
 the influence of foreign example1 the  
dead are coffined1 more or less         
elaborately1 according to the ability of
 the family2 and the interment is made  
in graves of proper depth4 ,in some of  
these tribes a locality of low1 dark1   
tangled forest1 not suitable as site for
 a village or for a plantation1 is used 
as a public cemetery4  ,among the tribes
 of ,batanga in the ,german ,kamerun    
territory1 though the people are        
civilized1 the old unsanitary custom of 
burying in the kitchen-gardens          
immediately in the rear of the village1 
and sometimes actually in the clay floor
 of the dwelling itself1 is still kept  
up1 even by the more enlightened        
natives4 ,the ,christians are not in    
numbers sufficiently large in any family
 to control all the burial ceremonies of
 its dead members4 ,the strange         
spectacle is therefore presented of a   
mixture of ,christian ritual and fetich 
custom4 ,in my own experience at        

funerals of some children of            
church-members at ,batanga1 the singing 
of hymns of faith and hope by the       
,christian relatives alternated with the
 howling of half-naked heathen          
death-dancers in an adjoining house4    
,and when ,i had read the burial service
 to the point of beginning the march of 
the procession to the grave1 perhaps    
only a few rods distant1 the heathen    
remained behind2 and while ,i was       
reading the dust to dust at the         
grave-side1 they would be building a    
quick fire of chips and dried leaves on 
the exact spot where the coffin had last
 stood in the village street4 ,the ashes
 they would gather and incorporate into 
their family fetiches1 to insure        
fertility to the mother and other near  
female relatives of the dead child4     
,also1 in the ,gabun region1 there is   
the remains of a custom1 practised      
especially by the ,orungu tribe of ,cape
 ,lopez1 of a pretended quarrel between 
two parties of mourners on a question   

whether or not the burial shall actually
 be made1 even though there is no doubt 
that it will be1 and the coffin is ready
 to be carried4 ,this contest concluded1
 a second quarrel is raised on a        
question as to which of two sets of     
relatives1 the maternal or the paternal1
 shall have the right to carry it4 ,very
 recently this actually occurred at the 
town of ,libreville1 and on the premises
 of the ,american ,presbyterian         
,mission1 the fight being shamefully    
waged by young men who formerly had been
 professing ,christians4 ,they had been 
given permission to bury a young man in 
our ,protestant cemetery4 ,the          
missionary in charge of the station     
heard a great hubbub on the path        
entering the mission grounds1 as if a   
fight was in progress4 ,going to        
investigate1 he found an angry contest  
was being carried on1 under the old     
heathen idea that the spirit of the dead
 must see and be pleased by a           
demonstration of a professed desire to  

keep him with the living1 and not to    
allow him to be put away from them4 ,the
 contest of words had almost come to    
blows1 and the victors had set up a     
disgraceful shout as they seized the    
coffin to bring it to the grave4        
,another custom remains in ,gabun1--a   
pleasant one2 it may once have had      
fetich significance1 but it has lost it 
now1 so that ,christians may properly   
retain it4 ,just before the close of the
 kwedi1 friends 7other than relatives7  
of the mourners will bring some gift1   
even a small one1 make a few remarks    
appropriate to it and to the            
circumstances of the receiver1 and give 
it to his or her mourning friend4 ,it is
 called the ceremony of lifting up1 i4  
e41 out of the literal ashes1 and from  
the supposed depths of grief4 ,for      
instance1 if the gift be a piece of     
soap1 the speech of donation will be1   
,sit no longer in the dust with begrimed
 face6 ,rise1 and use the soap for your 
body6 ,or if it be a piece of cloth1 ,be

 no longer naked6 ,rise1 and clothe     
yourself with your usual dress6 ,or if  
it be food1 ,fast no longer in your     
grief6 ,rise1 and strengthen your body  
with food6   ,illustration3 ,a          
,,civilized ,,family4--,,gabun4   ,as to
 the status of the departed in the      
spirit-world1 though all those ,african 
tribes from old heathen days knew of the
 name of ,god1 of ,his existence1 and of
 some of ,his attributes1 they did not  
know of the true way of escape from the 
evils of this present life1 of any      
system of reward and punishment in the  
future life1 nor of any of the          
conditions of that life4 ,that they had 
a belief in a future world is evidenced 
by survivors taking to the graves of    
their dead1 as has been described in the
 preceding pages1 boxes of goods1 native
 materials1 foreign cloth1 food1 and    
7formerly7 even wives and servants1 for 
use in that other life to which they had
 gone4 ,whatever may have been supposed 
about the locality or occupations of    

that life1 the dead were confidently    
believed to have carried with them all  
their human passions and feelings1 and  
especially their resentments4 ,fear of  
those possible resentments dominated the
 living in all their attempts at        
spiritual communication with the dead4  
,as to the locality of the latter1 it   
was not believed that all of them always
 remained in that unknown other world4  
,they could wander invisibly and        
intangibly4 ,more than that1 they could 
return bodily and resume this earthly   
life in other forms2 for belief in      
metempsychosis is a common one among all
 these tribes4 ,the dead1 some of them1 
return to be born again1 either into    
their own family or into any other      
family1 or even into a beast4  ,who thus
 return1 or why they return1 is entirely
 uncertain4 ,certainly not all are thus 
born again4 ,those who in this present  
life had been great or good or prominent
 or rich remain in the spirit-world1 and
 constitute the special class of spirits

 called awiri 7singular1 ombwiri74  ,but
 these awiri are at liberty to revisit  
the earth if they choose1 taking a local
 habitation in some prominent natural   
object1 or coming on call to aid in     
ceremonies for curing the sick4 ,other  
spirits1 as explained in a previous     
chapter1 are sinkinda1 the souls of the 
common dead2 and ilg1 unknown spirits of
 other nations1 or beings who have      
become angels1 all of these living in   
,njambi's ,town4  ,as to ,father ,njambi
 ,himself1 the creator and overseer of  
all1 both living and dead1 every kind of
 spirit--ombwiri1 nkinda1 olg1 and all  
sorts of abambo--is under ,his control1 
but ,he does not often exercise it4     
,,chapter ,,xv  ,,fetichism--,,some ,,of
 ,,its ,,practical ,,effects            
,,depopulation4  ,one of the effects of 
witchcraft beliefs in ,africa is the    
depopulation of that continent4 ,over   
enormous areas of the country the death 
rate has exceeded the birth rate4 ,much 
of ,africa is desert--the ,sahara of the

 north1 and the ,kalahari of the        
south--with estimated populations of    
only one to the square mile4 ,another   
large area is a wilderness covered by   
the great sub-equatorial forest1--a belt
 about three hundred miles wide and one 
thousand miles long1 with an estimated  
population of only eighteen to the      
square mile 7among whom are the ,pygmy  
tribes72 and these not scattered        
uniformly1 but gathered chiefly on the  
banks of the watercourses1 the only     
highways 7except narrow footpaths7      
through that dismal forest4  ,the entire
 population of ,africa1 including all   
nationalities1--,copts of ,egypt1 ,moors
 and ,berbers of the north1 ,arabs of   
the east1 ,abyssinians1 ,pygmies1 and   
,cannibals of the centre1 ,negroes1 both
 ,bantu and ,negroid1 of the west1      
south1 centre1 and east1--probably do   
not number two hundred million4 ,of     
these1 the ,negroes probably do not     
amount to one hundred million4 ,german  
authorities variously estimate the      

population of their ,kamerun country at 
from two to five million1 and they have 
been vigorously reducing it by their    
savage punitive expeditions in the      
interior4 ,the ,french authorities of   
the ,kongo-,franais estimate theirs at  
from five to ten million4  ,the         
population of the great ,kongo ,river   
was much overestimated after the opening
 of that river by ,stanley4 ,its people 
were massed on the river banks1 and gave
 an impression of density which         
subsequent interior travel has not      
verified4 ,to walk slowly in an hour    
over a mile of road that constitutes the
 one street of a town2 to count the     
huts1 and allot such or such a number to
 each1 would give a sufficiently        
accurate census of one thousand or      
perhaps two thousand to that town4 ,but 
that place is the centre of travel or   
traffic of that region4 ,a half-day's   
journey on any radius from that town    
through the surrounding forest would    
confront the traveller with scarcely any

 other evidences of human habitation4   
,towns of the thousands are not the     
usual sight2 rather the villages of one 
hundred1 and the hamlets of twenty1     
excepting in the ,sudan1 in the ,yoruba 
and other countries of the ,niger1 and  
in the large capitals of ,dahomey and   
other ,guinea kingdoms4 ,there walled   
cities of from fifty to one hundred     
thousand inhabitants are known4  ,these 
congested districts help to lift the    
average that would be made low by the   
paucity in the wilderness and desert    
portions4 ,probably the population of   
the entire continent was much greater   
two hundred years ago4 ,depopulation was
 hastened by the export slave-trade4    
,livingstone estimated that1 on the     
,east ,coast1 for every slave actually  
exported1 nineteen others died on the   
way4 ,the foreign slave-trade has long  
ceased1 except from the ,upper ,nile    
down through ,egypt and ,arabia1 and    
from the ,sudan across the ,sahara to   
,morocco4 ,but far worse than ,arab     

slave-trade are the diabolical          
atrocities1 committed during the last   
fifteen years and actually at the       
present time1 in the ,kongo1 under white
 officers of the miscalled ,free ,state1
 and with the knowledge and allowance of
 the ,king of ,belgium4  ,but1 aside    
from all these and other civil and      
political causes1 the fetich religion of
 ,africa has been a large part of its   
destruction4 ,it has been a ,moloch1    
whose hunger for victims was never      
satisfied3 as illustrated in the annual 
sacrifice of hundreds and thousands by  
the priests of the kings of ,dahomey and
 ,ashanti2 and the burial victims at the
 funerals of great kings1 as in ,uganda 
and all over the continent4 ,if the     
destruction of such human victims is not
 so great to-day as it was twenty years 
ago1 due to enlightenment by ,christian 
missions and forceful prohibition by    
civilized governments1 the spirit of and
 disposition to destruction is not      
eradicated2 it is only suppressed4 ,it  

is so deep seated and ingrained as a    
part of religion1 that it is among the  
very last of the shadows of heathenism  
to disappear after individuals or tribes
 are apparently civilized and           
enlightened4 ,under transforming        
influences the native has been lifted   
from dishonesty to honesty1 from untruth
 to truth1 from immorality to virtue1   
from heathenism to ,christianity2 and   
yet there still clings to him1 though he
 no longer worships the fetich1 a belief
 in and fear of it4 ,the presence of    
foreign governments can and does prevent
 witchcraft murder for the dead2 but if 
these governments were withdrawn from   
,english ,sierra ,leone1 ,french        
,kongo-,franais1 and other partitions of
 ,africa1 the witchcraft ordeal and     
murder would be at once resumed4 ,and no
 wonder4 ,inbred beliefs1 deepened by   
millenniums of years of practice1 are   
not eliminated by even a century of     
foreign teaching4 ,costume of body and  
fashion of dress are easily and         

voluntarily changed2 not so the essence 
of one's being4  ,under the assurance   
that a consecrated charm can be made for
 the accomplishment of any purpose      
whatever1 it results that almost every  
native ,african heathen1 in hours of    
fear or anger or revenge1 has made1 or  
has had made1 for himself amulets1 or   
has performed rites intended to compass 
an injury to1 and perhaps the death of1 
some other person4 ,should that other   
die1 even as long a time as a year      
afterward1 it will be believed that that
 fetich amulet or act caused the death4 
,it follows1 therefore 7although even   
heathen natives do1 in rare cases1 say  
of a death1 ,yes1 ,anzam took this one1 
i4 e41 that he died a natural death71   
that almost universally at any death    
which we would know as a natural one1   
surviving relatives and friends make the
 charge of witchcraft1 and seek the     
witch or wizard1 by investigation       
involving1 in the trial1 torture1 or    
ordeal by poison1 fire1 or other tests4 

,for every natural death at least one1  
and often ten or more1 have been        
executed under witchcraft accusation4   
,i have pleaded for the lives of accused
 when ,i believed them innocent1 and    
whenever ,i was informed that an        
investigation was in progress1 ,i said  
to the crowd assembled in the street1   
,when you kill these three people       
to-day1 do ,i see three babies born to  
take their place in the number of the   
inhabitants of your village8  ,the      
,balengi on the ,benita ,river1 among   
whom ,i travelled in #ahfe-gj1 were then
 a large tribe4 ,it is now very small1  
exterminated largely by witchcraft      
murders for the dead4 ,the aged1        
defenceless1 and slaves are generally   
selected as victims4 ,but no one is     
secure4 ,relatives of a chief who during
 his life may have seemed envious of his
 power1 are often suspected and put to  
death4  ,for the determination of a     
doubtful cause of decease post-mortems  
are made1 but not on any rational basis 

or with any knowledge of anatomy4 ,in   
the autopsy of an ordinary person the   
object is to find among the bowels or   
other internal organs some sign which   
the doctor-priest may declare to be the 
path of the supposed sorcery-injected   
destroying spirit4 ,in case of a        
magician1 the object is to see whether  
his own familiar had eaten him4         
,cavities in the lungs are considered   
proof positive that one's own power has 
destroyed him4 ,the fimbriated          
extremities of the fallopian tubes of a 
uterus are also declared to be witch4   
,their ciliary motions on dissection are
 regarded as a sign that the woman was a
 witch4 ,in proof1 the native doctor    
said to me1 ,see6 those are the         
spirit-teeth4 ,don't you see how they   
move and extend in desire to catch and  
eat8 ,it was in vain that ,i declared to
 him that if that was true then every   
woman all over the world was a witch1   
and that he was bound to go ahead and   
kill them all2 for that ,god had made no

 woman without those things4 7,was this 
doctor's idea the same reason for which 
the old anatomists called those fimbri  
morsus ,diaboli87  ,in ,garenganze1     
among the ,barotse1#hj the trial for    
witchcraft is short and decisive4 ,if   
one man suspects another of having      
bewitched him1--in fact1 if he has a    
grudge against him1--he brings him      
before the council1 and the ordeal of   
the boiling pot is resorted to4 ,my     
proposal is that if they consider it a  
fair trial of 'whiteness' or 'blackness'
 of heart1 as they call it1 then let    
both the accuser and the accused put    
their hands into the boiling water4 ,the
 king is strongly in favor of this      
proposal1 and would try any means to    
stop this fearful system of murder which
 is thinning out many of his best men2  
but the nation is so strongly in favor  
of the practice that he can do nothing4 
,an old friend of mine1 ,wizini1 who    
took quite a fatherly care and interest 
in me1 for some peculiar reason of his  

own1 was charged with witchcraft4 ,he   
pleaded earnestly to be spared the      
terrible trial1 and was reprieved       
because of his years1 but banished from 
his people and country for life1 for no 
other reason than that a neighbor had an
 ill feeling against him4 ,had he been  
first to the king with his complaint1 he
 might have gotten his neighbor burned  
or banished instead of himself4444      
,their punishments are very cruel4      
,burning alive is1 among the ,barotse1 a
 common occurrence2 also tying the      
victim hand and foot and laying him near
 a nest of large black 7'driver'7 ants1 
which in a few days pick his bones      
clean4  ,but it is well to repeat my own
 qualification of most statements about 
,african customs1 which ,arnot makes in 
connection with the above1 that1 when   
manners and customs are referred to1 the
 particular district must be borne in   
mind4 ,africa is an immense continent1  
and there is as much variety in the     
customs of the different tribes as in   

their languages4 ,certain tribes take   
delight in cruelty and bloodshed2 others
 have a religious fear of shedding human
 blood1 and treat aged people with every
 kindness1 to secure their good-will    
after death4 ,by other tribes the aged  
would be cast out as mere food for wild 
animals4  ,the testimony of ,decl#ha as 
to the tribes of ,south-,central ,africa
 is3 ,you would suppose that the        
,african expected everybody to live     
forever1 since his one explanation of   
death is an immediate recourse to       
witchcraft4 ,it is hardly an            
exaggeration to say that every natural  
death entails a violent one as its      
consequence4 ,along with witchcraft and 
the inevitable accusation of sorcery    
when one dies1 goes the custom of       
'muavi1' the ordeal by poison4444 ,it is
 plain what complete domination this    
practice has got over the native mind4  
,the reason is that he thoroughly       
believes in its efficiency4 ,my own     
porters have constantly offered to      

submit to the ordeal on the most trivial
 charges4 ,of course1 this thorough     
belief in 'muavi' hands the native over 
completely defenceless to the witch     
doctor4 ,the doctor can get rid of      
anybody he likes to4 ,besides this1 he  
is a kind of public prosecutor2 that is 
to say1 that when he accuses any man or 
woman of sorcery1 he is not obliged1    
like any ordinary accuser1 to take the  
poison himself4  ,the ordeal or test of 
the innocence of a person accused of    
practising witchcraft or of having      
caused the death of any one 7except in  
places where ,christianity has attained 
power71 is almost the same now as that  
described by ,rev4 ,dr4 ,j4 ,l4 ,wilson1
 and subsequently by ,du ,chaillu1 as   
existing fifty years ago on the entire  
,west ,coast of ,africa4 ,on the ,upper 
,guinea coasts it is called the red     
water4 ,it is a decoction made from the 
inner bark of a large forest tree of the
 mimosa family4 ,at ,calabar a bean was 
used1 an extract of which since has been

 employed in our pharmacopoeia1 in      
surgical operations of the eye4  ,in the
 ,gabun country the bark and leaves of a
 small tree called akazya are used4     
,farther south1 in the ,nkmi            
7miswritten1 ,camma7 country1 it is     
called mbundu4  ,the decoction itself is
 supposed to have almost sentience1--an 
ability to follow1 in the various organs
 of the body1 like a policeman1 and     
detect and destroy the witch-spirit     
supposed to be lurking about4  ,accused 
persons sometimes even demand that they 
be given the ordeal4 ,this an innocent  
person could fearlessly do1 feeling sure
 of his innocence1 and thinking1 as any 
honest person in a civilized country    
charged with theft would feel1 that it  
was perfectly safe to have his house    
searched1 sure that no stolen article   
was secreted there4 ,so here the        
ignorant native is willing to take this 
poison1 not looking on it as what we    
call poison4  ,people who know that they
 have at times used witchcraft arts will

 naturally be unwilling to undergo the  
test2 but if the charge is made after a 
death1 an accused is compelled to drink4
 ,if it nauseates and causes him to     
vomit freely1 he suffers no injury1 and 
is at once pronounced innocent4 ,if1 on 
the other hand1 it causes vertigo1 and  
he loses his self-control1 it is        
regarded as evidence of guilt2 and then 
all sorts of indignities and cruelties  
are practised on him4444 ,on the other  
hand1 if he escapes without injury his  
character is thoroughly purified1 444   
and he arraigns before the principal men
 of the town his accusers1 who in their 
turn must submit to the same ordeal1 or 
pay a large fine to the man whom they   
attempted to injure4444 ,there is seldom
 any fairness in the administration of  
the ordeal4 ,no particular quantity of  
the 'red water' is prescribed4 ,the     
doctor1 by collusion and family         
favoritism1 may make the decoction very 
weak2 or1 influenced by public feeling  
inimical to the accused1 he may compel  

him to swallow a fatal amount2 or he may
 save his life by a subsequent          
emetic4#hb   ,,cannibalism4  ,african   
cannibalism has been regarded as only a 
barbarism2 but for many years ,i have   
strongly suspected that it had some     
connection with the ,negro's religion4  
,it may be a corollary of witchcraft4   
,decl intimates the same3#hc ,i do not  
mean such cannibalism as that of certain
 ,kongo tribes1 or of the ,solomon      
,islanders1 who kill people to eat them1
 as we eat game4 ,with such tribes ,i   
did not come in contact4 ,but there is  
another form of cannibalism less        
generally known to ,europeans1 and      
perhaps even more grisly1 which consists
 in digging up dead bodies to feast on  
their flesh4 ,this practice exists      
largely among the natives in the region 
of ,lake ,nyasa4#hd ,i know of a case in
 which the natives of a village in this 
region seized the opportunity of a white
 man's presence to break into the hut of
 one of these reputed cannibals1 and    

found there a human leg hanging from the
 rafters4 ,this incident shows that     
cannibalism is practised2 but also that 
it is not universal with the tribes     
among whom it is found1 and is condemned
 by the public opinion of those who do  
not practise it4 ,but public opinion in 
,africa is not a highly developed       
power4444 ,the real public opinion is   
witchcraft4 ,and1 indeed1 in the case of
 cannibalism1 the real public opinion   
tends to shield the perpetrators1       
because they are reputed to be sorcerers
 of high quality4  ,rev4 ,dr4 ,h4 ,c4   
,trumbull1 in his ,blood ,covenant      
7#ahic71 while gathering testimony from 
all nations to illustrate his view of   
the universality of blood as            
representing life1 and the heart as the 
seat of life1 as a part of the religious
 rite of a covenant1 comes incidentally 
on this same idea of cannibalism as     
having a religious significance1 or at  
least1 as ,i have expressed above1 as a 
corollary of witchcraft4 ,this will     

explain why the ,african cannibal1 in   
conquering his enemy1 also eats him2 why
 the heart is especially desired in such
 feasts2 and why the body of any one of 
distinguished characteristics is prized 
for the cannibal feast4 ,his strength or
 skill or bravery or power is to be     
absorbed along with his flesh4          
,trumbull#he quotes from ,rville1 the   
representative comparative religionist  
of ,france3 ,here you will recognize the
 idea so widely spread in the two       
,americas1 and indeed almost everywhere 
amongst uncivilized people 7nor is it   
limited to the uncivilized71 that the   
heart is the epitome1 so to speak1 of   
the individual1--his soul in some       
sense1--so that to appropriate his heart
 is to appropriate his whole being4  ,a 
constant charge against sorcerers in    
,west ,african tribes is that they have 
made a person sick by stealing and      
eating the sick one's heart1 and that   
the invalid cannot recover till the     
heart is returned4  ,also1 see          

,trumbull3#hf ,the widespread popular   
superstition of the ,vampire and of the 
ghoul seems to be an outgrowth of this  
universal belief that transfused blood  
is revivifying4 ,the bloodless shades1  
leaving their graves at night1 seek     
renewed life by drawing out the blood of
 those who sleep1 taking the life of the
 living to supply temporary life to the 
dead4444 ,an added force is given to all
 these illustrations of the universal   
belief that transferred blood has a     
vivifying power1 by the conclusions of  
modern medical science concerning the   
possible benefits of blood-transfusion4 
,the primitive belief seems to have had 
a sound basis in scientific fact4       
,histories of our ,american ,indians are
 full of incidents showing how the heart
 of a captive who in dying had exhibited
 bravery in the endurance of torture1   
was promptly cut in pieces and eaten1 to
 absorb his courage4  ,the ,ashanti     
fetichmen of ,west ,africa1 apparently  
acting on a kindred thought1 make a     

mixture of the hearts of enemies mingled
 with blood and consecrated herbs1 for  
the vivifying of the conquerors4  ,in   
,south ,africa1 among the ,amampondo1   
one of the ,kaffir tribes1 it is        
customary for the chief1 on his         
accession to authority1 to be washed in 
the blood of a near relative1 generally 
a brother1 who is put to death on the   
occasion1 and has his skull used as a   
receptacle for blood4#hg   ,,secret     
,,societies4  ,another outcome of       
witchcraft belief is the formation of   
secret societies1 both male and female1 
of crushing power and far-reaching      
influence1 which1 in one aspect of their
 influence1 the governmental1 were the  
only authority1 before the intrusion of 
foreign powers1 which could settle a    
fierce personal dispute or enforce      
intertribal peace4 ,but their           
possibilities for good were overbalanced
 by their actualities of evil4  ,among  
these societies ,i have1 in a previous  
chapter1 mentioned as governmental      

agencies the ,egbo of the ,niger ,delta1
 ,ukuku of the ,corisco region1 and     
,yasi of the ,ogowe4 ,there is also in  
the ,gabun region of the equator1 among 
the ,shekani1 ,mwetyi2 among the        
,bakele1 ,bweti2 among the              
,mpongwe-speaking tribes1 ,ind and      
,njembe2 and ,ukuku and ,malinda in the 
,batanga regions4  ,a detailed account  
of the ceremonies of an initiation into 
,malinda is contained in ,chapter ,,xvi4
  ,in a previous chapter ,i have        
mentioned my own coming in contact with 
,ukuku and ,yasi4  ,all these societies 
had for their primary object the good   
one of government1 for this purpose     
holding the fetich in terror2 but the   
means used were so arbitrary1 the       
influences employed so oppressive1 and  
the representations so false1 that they 
almost all were evil4 ,most of them are 
now discontinued as a tribal power by   
the presence of foreign governments1 the
 foreign power having actually come in  
conflict with some of them1 as in the   

case of ,england recently with the ,aro 
of ,nigeria2 or1 where they still exist1
 they have degenerated to mere          
amusement1 as ,ukukwe1 in ,gabun2 or are
 kept up as a traditional fashion1 as   
,njembe4  ,but they all exist1 as       
described by ,rev4 ,dr4 ,wilson a       
generation ago1 and are at this very    
present among the tribes of the         
interior1 where foreign government is as
 yet only nominal4  ,mwetyi is a great  
spirit1 who is supposed to dwell in the 
bowels of the earth1 but comes to the   
surface of the ground at stated seasons1
 or when summoned on any special        
business4 ,a large flat house of        
peculiar form is erected in the middle  
of the village for the temporary sojourn
 of this spirit4 ,the house is always   
kept perfectly dark1 and no one is      
permitted to enter it1 except those who 
have been initiated into all the        
mysteries of the order1 which includes1 
however1 almost the whole of the adult  
male population of the village4444 ,when

 ,mwetyi is about to retire from a      
village1 the women1 children1           
uninitiated lads1 and any strangers who 
may be there at the time1 are required  
to leave the village4  ,ind is an       
association whose membership is confined
 to the adult male population4 ,it is   
headed by a spirit of that name1 who    
dwells in the woods1 and appears only   
when summoned by some unusual event1--at
 the death of a person connected with   
the order1 at the birth of twins1 or at 
the inauguration of some one into       
office4444 ,if a distinguished person   
dies1 ,ind affects great rage1 and comes
 the following night with a large posse 
of men to seize the property of the     
villagers without discrimination4 ,he is
 sure to lay hands on as many sheep and 
goats as are necessary to make a grand  
feast1 and no man has any right to      
complain4444 ,the institution of ,ind1  
like that of ,mwetyi1 is intended to    
keep the women1 children1 and slaves in 
subjection4  ,njembe is a pretty fair   

counterpart of ,ind1 but there is no    
special spirit nor any particular person
 representing it4 ,its power resides in 
the society as a body1 and rests on the 
threat of the employment of fetich      
medicines to injure recalcitrant        
persons4 ,only women are admitted to it4
 ,a very considerable fee is demanded   
for admission to membership4 ,formerly  
it was considered an honor to be allowed
 to be initiated2 now1 to perpetuate    
itself1 it compels young women to enter 
it1 especially if they have made        
derogatory remarks about ,njembe4 ,the  
initiation then becomes a kind of       
punishment4 ,strange to say1 young women
 thus compelled to enter accept the     
society1 and become zealous to drag     
others in4 ,the initiation occupies     
about two weeks1 and is accompanied with
 harsh treatment4 ,njembe has no special
 meeting-house4 ,they assemble in a     
cleared place in the centre of a jungle1
 where their doings are unseen by       
outsiders by night or day4 ,nothing is  

known of their rites1 except that they  
dance in a nude state1 and the songs of 
their dances are openly heard1 and are  
often of the vilest character4  ,they   
pretend to detect thieves1 to find out  
the secrets of their enemies1 to direct 
women in pregnancy1 and in other ways   
claim to be useful4  ,the object of the 
institution originally1 no doubt1 was to
 protect the females from harsh         
treatment on the part of their husbands4
  ,as a rule1 the ,mpongwe women say    
that every woman should be in the       
,njembe ,society2 so1 at a certain age  
of a girl1 they decide that she shall go
 in4 ,but she is not always put through 
all the ceremonies at once4 ,she may be 
subjected to only a part of the         
initiation1 the remainder to be         
performed at another time4  ,the special
 occasion for an initiation may be      
perhaps because the spirit of some      
recently dead member wants a new one to 
take her place2 or if any young woman   
has escaped being initiated during her  

youth or if she is charged with having  
spoken derisively of ,njembe1 she may be
 seized by force and compelled to go    
through the rite4  ,the entire process  
so beats down the will of the novices   
and terrorizes them1 that even those who
 have been forced into it against their 
will1 when they emerge at the close of  
the rite1 most inviolably preserve its  
secrets1 and express themselves as      
pleased4  ,just before the novices or   
pupils are to enter1 they have to       
prepare a great deal of food1--as much  
as they can possibly obtain of cassava1 
fish1 and plantains4 ,two days are      
spent1 before the ceremonies begin1 in  
cooking this food4 ,they make big       
bundles of ngnd 7gourd seed7 pudding1   
others of ground-nuts and odika 7oily   
kernel of the wild mango71 pots of odika
 and fish boiled1 boiled hard plantains1
 and ripe plantains beaten into rolls   
called fufu4 ,this food is to be eaten  
by them and the older members of the    
society the first night4  ,those older  

ones1 as a part of the hazing which they
 always practise1 deceive the new ones  
by advising them in advance3 ,eat no    
supper this evening4 ,save up your      
appetite4 ,all this food you have       
prepared is your own1 and you will be   
satiated at the feast to-night4 ,this is
 said in order to play a hard joke on   
them4 ,but sometimes a more             
tender-hearted relative will pity them1 
and will privately warn them to eat     
something1 knowing that they will be up 
all night1 and that the older members   
intend to seize and eat what these      
pupils had prepared for themselves1     
allowing the latter to be faint with    
hunger4  ,that evening the society goes 
into the adjacent jungle1 the spot      
selected including a small stream of    
water4 ,there they clear a small space  
for their ceremonies4 ,they dance all   
night1 part of the time in this camp1   
and part of the time in the street of   
the town1 but always going back to the  
camp at some early morning hour4  ,on   

the second day they come to town1 dance 
there a little while1 and then go back  
to the forest4 ,they beat constantly and
 monotonously1 without time1 a short    
straight stick on a somewhat            
crescent-shaped piece of board 7orega7  
that is slightly concave on one side4   
,it makes a clear but not a musical     
note2 is heard quite far1 and is the    
distinctive sign of the ,njembe         
,society4 ,no other persons own or will 
strike the orega music4  ,in the part of
 the ceremonies that are public in the  
village street1 a man is invited to     
assist by beating on a drum1 a matter in
 which women here are not expert4 ,this 
drum does not exclude the orega1 several
 of which may be beaten at the same     
time2 at least one must be kept sounding
 during the whole two weeks by one or   
another of the candidates1 or if these  
become exhausted1 by some other member  
of the society4  ,one of the first      
public preparations is the bending of a 
limber pole 7ilala7 as an arch1 or two  

branches1 their tops woven together1    
over the path entering the village4     
,they are wreathed with lycopodium      
ferns1 and at their bases are stuck a   
young1 short1 recently half-unfolded    
palm-leaf1 painted with ,njembe dots of 
white1 red1 and black4 ,at the distance 
of a few hundred feet may be another    
ilala2 indeed1 there may be several of  
them on the way to the camp4  ,while    
dancing during the first few days1 the  
society occupies itself with            
preparations1 unknown to the public1 for
 their work in the camp4 ,thither come  
older members from afar1 especially     
those related to the candidates4        
,certain women skilled in the ,njembe   
dances and rules are called teachers4   
,the first step which an already        
initiated member takes to become a      
teacher is to find and introduce a new  
recruit1 with whom she must again go    
through all the rites of initiation more
 severely than at her first experience4 
,she makes herself perfect in the       

lessons impressed on her by impressing  
them on the new pupil4 ,the prospective 
teacher has thus to endure1 in this     
second passage through the rites1 all   
and more than is put on the novice4     
,little as is known of these rites1 it  
is certain they are severe4  ,in the    
singing1 each song is known by its own  
descriptive motions4 ,the motion        
mentioned is to be actually performed1  
however difficult or immodest it may be4
 ,generally the immodest portions are   
reserved for the seclusion of their     
camp2 but the words sung at the camp can
 be heard at the village1 so that all   
hear them1--men1 women1 and little      
children4  ,one common public song has  
for its refrain1 ,look at the sun2 while
 that song is being danced1 the         
candidate must gaze steadily at the hot 
sun1 even if it be blinding4 ,most of   
the rules 7and the teacher may invent as
 many new ones as she chooses7 are      
purposely hard in order to make the     
candidate suffer1 and as part of the    

process of breaking her will1 and       
ensuring secrecy by a reign of terror4  
,also most of the nights the candidate  
7or several of them if there are a      
number7 must spend hours in keeping a   
fire burning in some part of the forest4
 ,that fire1 once started1 must be kept 
burning day and night during the whole  
two weeks4 ,a girl who in ordinary times
 would be afraid to go out into the     
forest alone at night1 will1 under the  
,njembe initiation1 go out in storm and 
rain to see that the fire is not        
extinguished4 ,sometimes the teacher    
will lighten the task for her by        
accompanying her2 or some one1 pitying1 
will help to gather the dead wood with  
which the fire is kept smouldering4     
,there are also rules for the breaking  
of which there are fines1 e4 g41 ,when  
you are dancing in public during the    
initiation1 do not laugh aloud4 ,another
 rule is that no salutation is to be    
given or received1 nor the person or    
even the clothing of a visitor touched  

by a candidate4  ,the teacher must be   
quick to imitate1 in this her second    
degree or passage through the rites1 the
 rapid motions of the skilled older one 
who is teaching her and her new recruit4
  ,in order to increase the severity1   
the pupil1 though she may be already    
wearied1 is required to repeat her dance
 before every newcomer or spectator4    
,the teacher will start the beat of the 
orega and take a few steps of the dance1
 and then stop and rest comfortably1 the
 tired pupil taking the orega and       
continuing the dance4  ,if pupils are   
sulky or shy1 their teacher and other   
older members will scold them3 ,go on6  
dance6 ,you may not stand or rest there6
 ,go on6 ,you6 this girl with your      
awkwardness6 ,do you own the ,njembe8   
,sometimes a pupil is sulky or stubborn1
 or1 disheartened1 begins to cry4 ,no   
mercy is shown her4 ,others1 in         
anxiously trying to follow motions1 will
 make absurd mistakes1 and bring down on
 themselves the derision of the         

spectators4 ,some pupils really like the
 dancing1 and endeavor to learn quickly4
 ,such as these are praised3 ,this one  
knows1 and she will some day be a       
teacher4  ,it is expected that the      
relatives of the pupils will be present 
and encourage them with some little     
gifts4  ,it is remarkable how well the  
secrets of the society are kept4 ,no one
 has ever been induced to reveal them4  
,those who have left the society and    
have become ,christians do not tell4    
,foreigners have again and again tried  
to bribe1 but in vain4 ,traders and     
others have tried to induce their native
 wives to reveal2 but these women1      
obedient to any extent on all other     
matters1 maintain a stubborn silence4   
,nothing is known outside of the society
 of their doings in their camp1 except  
that they are all naked1 lay aside all  
modesty1 make personal examinations of  
each other's bodies1 sing phallic songs1
 and indulge in the hardest1 severest1  
and most violent insults and curses     

heaped up in assumed wrath as jokes on  
each other4 ,it is really a school in   
which to learn the fine art of using    
insults and curses which will be        
utilized outside the society1 upon other
 persons on occasions of real anger4 ,no
 man can equal these women in their     
volubility and bitter tirades when      
really angry4 ,it is ,billingsgate in   
its glory4  ,after keeping up the       
ceremonies for a number of days1 the    
society chooses one for their last4 ,the
 day preceding it1 they go out in       
procession with baskets1 kettles1 and   
basins1 from village to village1 still  
singing1 the song being adapted for     
their errand of begging1 and still      
beating the orega1 to get offerings of  
food1 or gifts of rum1 tobacco1 plates1 
and cloth4 7,in a civilized religious   
worship this would be the taking up of  
the collection47 ,at each village on    
their route any member of the society   
will direct one of the new pupils to    
dance1 as an exhibition of her recently 

acquired ability4 ,she does not         
hesitate1 but asks1 ,which dance8 ,the  
teacher replies1 ,i will show you1 and  
starting a few steps measured1 she      
stops1 and the designated pupil takes it
 up4  ,during the initiation the pupils 
are required to go bare-footed2 and if  
they have been wearing dresses1 the     
dresses are taken off and only a native 
cloth worn4 ,but a slight concession has
 occasionally been made in favor of some
 mission-school girls when forced into  
,njembe1 who1 accustomed to dresses1    
were allowed to wear them when walking  
in this public collecting procession4   
,the night of the day on which they come
 back from this collecting of gifts is  
the last night4 ,dancing is then done by
 all1 both by the teachers and the      
pupils4  ,it is not known who is leader4
 ,one is spoken of as the ,mother1 but  
it is not known who she is4 ,the chief  
teacher is seen whenever they come from 
their camp1 and is known by the colored 
chalk markings different from others4   

,illustration3 ,,njembe4 ,,female       
,,secret ,,society4--,,mpongwe1 ,,gabun4
   ,the next morning1 the morning of the
 last day1 all go out fishing1 young and
 old1 along the river or sea beach4     
,this fishing is done among the muddy   
roots of the mangrove trees4 ,they      
gather shell-fish of different kinds4   
,but whatever they do or do not obtain1 
they do not return till each one has    
caught a small common snake which lives 
in holes at the mangrove roots4 ,the    
sound of the orega 7which is still      
constantly beaten7 seems to act as a    
charm1 and the snake emerges from its   
hole and is readily caught2 or the hand 
is boldly thrust into the hole in search
 of the reptile4 ,in starting out on    
this fishing the new members do not know
 that they are to handle snakes4 ,they  
go as on a happy fishing excursion4     
,really1 it is their final test4 ,they  
are told to put their hands into these  
holes1 and not to let go of the fish    
they shall seize there4 ,the novice     

obeys1 but presently screams in alarm as
 she feels a snake-like form wriggling  
about her hand4 ,her teacher terribly   
threatens her2 she begs to be excused1  
dares not let go1 and is compelled to   
pull out the snake twining about her    
arm4 ,they all then return to the camp1 
each with her snake in her basket4 ,it  
is not known what is done with these    
snakes4  ,the teacher is to be paid for 
her services4 ,as the pupils come from  
different villages1 each one has to ask 
her teacher's permission to go to her   
relatives to collect the fee4 ,this is  
done a few days before the final day4   
,they are allowed to go1 but with an    
escort to watch them that they break no 
rule of the initiation4 ,they do not go 
into the houses1 nor do they speak4     
,they stand in the street4 ,those who   
escort them have to do the talking1     
thus3 ,we have come to collect our      
money1 as the ,njembe will soon be done4
 ,if they get a plenty1 the pupils are  
glad2 otherwise they have to stand in   

the hot sun uncovered1 except by their  
crown-like wreath of lycopodium fern4   
,it is a trying and humiliating position
 for any girl whose people are poor or  
unwilling4 ,she must stand there till   
some one of her people shall contribute 
what the escort deems sufficient4       
,having collected each her fee for the  
teacher1 the pupils go back to her at   
the village1 and seat themselves on the 
ground under the eaves of the houses on 
one side of the street1 each with her   
pile of goods near her4 ,the teacher    
eyes these piles1 and selects the girl  
who apparently has the most1 to be the  
first to begin to pay4 ,just previous to
 this1 stalks of amomum are laid down in
 the street1 parallel to each other1    
about eighteen inches apart1 in number  
according with the teacher's random     
guess of the number of articles in the  
chosen pile4 ,then she lays the articles
 of the pile1 one by one1 on the amomum 
stalk4 ,then another of the teachers    
seizes the hand of the girl who owned   

these goods1 and swinging her from side 
to side1 runs with her rapidly over that
 line of goods1 herself stepping        
carefully on the interspaces1 but       
apparently trying to confuse the girl   
into stepping on and breaking some one  
of the articles1 e4 g41 a mirror or a   
plate4 ,this ordeal safely passed1 the  
goods of that girl are accepted and put 
aside near the teacher4 ,the goods of   
each of the other new girls are treated 
in the same way1 and laid1 one by one1  
on the amomum stalks4  ,the number of   
some girl's articles may not equal the  
standard set by the first1 and there may
 be not enough to cover every stalk4 ,in
 that case the teacher will allow some  
article1 e4 g41 a head of               
tobacco-leaves1 to be opened and its    
separate leaves used to piece out the   
number4 ,nevertheless1 she will demand  
that something be added4 ,it is an      
anxious time for the pupils1 watching to
 see whether their fee is accepted4     
,sometimes the teacher1 seeing that a   

girl's pile of goods is small1 will not 
even attempt to count or divide it1 but1
 looking at it1 sneeringly says1 ,i see 
nothing here6 ,sit you there in the sun 
till some one brings you more6  ,the    
last act of the last day1 before        
adjourning1 is a public dance called    
,njeg 7,leopard74 ,for that1 the members
 of the society1 and most spectators1   
dress up in fine clothes4 ,it is        
performed in the afternoon1 and visitors
 go to see it4 ,the ,leopard is done by 
the teachers1 two at a time4 ,all these 
pairs must have their faces painted1    
each in a different style1 no piece of  
skin left untouched4  ,in beginning the 
,leopard dance1 one of the pair imitates
 a leopard sneaking around the corners  
of the houses2 while the other one1     
waiting1 has collected perhaps a dozen  
of the members as her children1 whom she
 as their mother is to guard from the   
leopard4 ,this teacher-mother begins a  
song1 ,children6 there is the leopard in
 shape of a person1 adding as a refrain 

the word1 ,mbwero6 mbwero6 mbwero6 which
 is repeated rapidly as a warning that  
the leopard is coming1 ending with1 my  
children6 ,they sing1 and step backward 
and forward to a drum accompaniment4    
,while these children are in great      
pretended excitement1 the leopard is    
advancing slowly1 steadily1 and nearer  
from the ogwerina 7rear of the houses7  
into the street1 with extended tongue1  
and growling4 ,when the mother sees     
this1 her dance step grows quicker1 and 
she backs and motions to her children   
behind her1 they imitating all her      
steps4 ,the leopard advances with a     
swaying step in time with the music1 and
 then suddenly dashes forward1 and      
catches one of the children1 and sets   
her aside4 ,this is kept up by the      
leopard till most of the children are   
caught1 only one or two being left4 ,the
 mother then seems very much exhausted1 
with a sad slow step2 but the leopard at
 last catches the others4 ,now that her 
children are all dead1 the mother is    

aroused to fury4 ,the conflict remains  
between her and the leopard4 ,and mother
 must finally kill leopard4 ,the dance  
becomes very much more rapid2 the two   
approach nearer and nearer4 ,mother has 
a stick like a sword1 and finally she   
kills leopard with a light blow4 ,this  
coup is received by a shout from the    
spectators of o-lo-lo6  ,then another   
pair are selected to go through the     
parts of mother and leopard again4      
,sometimes one will refuse to act1 or to
 be mated with the other one4 ,then1    
like a singer in civilized lands1 she is
 met with entreaties from the crowd1 ,do
 act6 ,you know so well how to do it6   
,and then she yields4 ,if at the last   
there is remaining only one teacher who 
has not done the act1 one of those who  
has already performed will mate with    
her4  ,at night1 the last work of the   
society is to put out their fire4 ,if   
the leader has come from a distant      
village1 she wants to go1 and she will  
extinguish the fire that night2 or1 if  

she lives near1 she may choose to wait  
several days longer4 ,but during that   
time the dancing and singing are not    
kept up1 for the society has adjourned4 
,whatever else is unknown of the objects
 of ,njembe1 it is known that it is a   
government4 ,it was formerly much more  
powerful than it is now4 ,at            
,libreville1 ,gabun1 thirty years ago1  
no woman dared to speak against it4     
,mission school-girls1 feeling          
themselves secure on the mission        
premises1 sometimes in their school-girl
 talk foolishly made disparaging remarks
 about it4 ,when this reached the ear of
 ,njembe1 those girls would some day be 
caught when they were visiting their    
villages1 and forced through the rites4 
,parents did not dare interfere1 and    
missionaries had no authority to do so4 
,in one case1 however1 a missionary did 
make a successful interference4 ,the    
girl did not belong to ,mpongwe 7the    
tribe of ,gabun72 she was a slave-waif  
that had been picked up by the mission1 

and therefore1 in a sense1 the mission's
 daughter4 ,the senior missionary1 ,rev4
 ,william ,walker1 was a tall1 powerful1
 utterly fearless man1 and his custom   
was always to carry a heavy cane4 ,that 
day1 the ,njembe lessons that were being
 given to the abducted girl had only    
begun in the village street2 she had not
 yet been taken to their secret camp4   
,mr4 ,walker strode among the women and 
laid hold of the unresisting girl4 ,when
 some women attempted to drag her away1 
he brought down his cane heavily at     
random over any head or shoulder within 
reach of his long arm2 and the girl was 
glad to be led back to the mission4 ,the
 rescue was successful4 ,mr4 ,walker's  
use of force was justifiable as against 
,njembe's forcible abduction of the     
girl2 and his parental position in the  
case would have justified him if the    
women had made any complaint against him
 before the local ,french magistrate on 
charge of assault4  ,in a somewhat      
similar case1 more recently1 ,njembe    

sued a missionary1 he having assaulted  
them when they refused to remove their  
distressingly noisy camp from a too     
great proximity to the mission grounds4 
,the magistrate dismissed the case1     
resenting ,njembe's existence as a      
secret society1 and its assumption of   
exercise of governmental authority4     
,recently also a native man was         
successful in thwarting ,njembe4 ,a     
certain native ,christian woman had     
escaped being forced into ,njembe during
 her youth2 and by her being very much  
in mission employ during her adult      
years1 ,njembe had ceased to threaten   
her4 ,her daughter1 of about eighteen   
years of age1 though not a ,christian1  
had also1 by her mother's care of her1  
escaped1 though often threatened4 ,a    
cousin of this daughter had been put    
through the rite while her father was   
away on a journey4 ,and now this cousin 
was trying to induce the daughter to    
enter4 ,the daughter refused1 and       
perhaps may have made some slighting    

remark4 ,this remark her cousin reported
 to ,njembe2 and some intimations were  
made that the young woman would be      
seized4 ,the father of the cousin had   
formerly been a church-member1 is       
educated and gentlemanly4 ,though he had
 fallen away from the church1 he had no 
desire to see his niece dragged down4   
,he spoke severely to his daughter about
 the excitement she was trying to raise1
 and threatened to call in the aid of   
the ,french ,chief of ,police4 ,the firm
 stand taken by him and also by the     
young woman's mother was efficient in   
preventing her seizure by ,njembe4 ,both
 these parents are of unusual strength  
of character and advance in             
civilization4 ,without their efficient  
backing1 this young woman would have    
been forced into ,njembe4  ,rev4 ,j4 ,l4
 ,wilson1#hh wrote of ,njembe almost    
fifty years ago3 ,there is no spirit1 so
 far as is known1 connected with this   
association1 but all its proceedings are
 kept profoundly secret4 ,the ,njembe   

make great pretensions1 and as a body   
are really feared by the men4 ,they     
pretend to detect thieves1 to find out  
the secrets of their enemies2 and in    
various ways they are useful to the     
community in which they live1 or1 at    
least1 are so regarded by the people4   
,the object of the institution          
originally1 no doubt1 was to protect the
 females from harsh treatment on the    
part of their husbands2 and as their    
performances are always veiled in       
mystery1 and they have acquired the     
reputation of performing wonders1 the   
men are1 no doubt1 very much restrained 
by the fear and respect which they have 
for them as a body4  ,most of the above 
description is1 after so many years1    
true now1 except that the power of and  
respect for the society is lessened by  
the permeating leaven of a ,christian   
mission and by the dominance of a       
foreign government2 but even in that    
same region1 in portions where these two
 forces are not in immediate contact    

with the community1 ,njembe still is    
feared4  ,it is true1 also1 that there  
is no special spirit belonging to       
,njembe1 but when the society has       
occasion to investigate a theft or other
 crime1 it invokes the usual ilg and    
other spirits4  ,it is also still true  
that in the tribes where ,njembe exists 
women have much more freedom from       
control by men than in tribes where it  
does not exist4 ,but even if it has been
 thus a defence to women against man's  
severity1 it undeniably has been an     
injury to them by its indecent          
ceremonies and phallic songs4 ,such     
things may make men fear them1 but also 
make it impossible for men to respect   
them4  ,those songs ,i myself have heard
 when the ,njembe camp was in a jungle  
near to a village4 ,the male generative 
organ was personified1 and1 in the song 
addressed to it1 the name of a certain  
man1 who was known by the singers to be 
at that very time in the adjacent       
village1 was tauntingly referred to4    

,even immoral men were overwhelmed with 
shame at the shamelessness of the women4
 ,and yet those same women1 when their  
,njembe adjourned1 resumed in their     
individual capacities their usual       
apparent modesty which1 as a collective 
body1 they had cast aside4 ,little has  
been printed of ,njembe's secret        
proceedings more than ,dr4 ,wilson wrote
 fifty years ago4  ,paul ,du ,chaillu   
makes a short statement that he was     
allowed to witness a part2 and he       
describes a hut containing a few almost 
nude old women sitting around some      
skulls and other fetiches4 ,doubtless he
 saw what he asserts4 ,but1 unusual as  
were his opportunities1 and large as was
 his personal influence with his ,camma 
7,nkmi7 native chiefs1 it is positive   
that what was shown him was only a      
little of ,njembe1 if indeed it was     
,njembe at all4  ,other white men1 with1
 indeed1 perhaps less tact than he1 but 
of greater money power and larger trade 
opportunities1 failed to see anything4  

,some twenty-five years ago two ,germans
 7now dead7 trading in the ,gabun       
determined secretly to spy out ,njembe4 
,the merchant1 the head of the          
trading-house1 was a well-educated      
gentleman1 and his clerk was an active1 
intelligent young man4 ,both knew native
 customs well1 and both spoke the       
,mpongwe language fluently4 ,each had a 
native wife1 and being generous and     
liberal-handed1 had many native friends2
 but they had been unable to bribe any  
,njembe women1 even their own wives1 to 
reveal anything4  ,one dark night when  
the society was in session in a small   
jungle not far from their trading-house1
 they went secretly and cautiously      
through the bushes4 ,they had not       
approached near enough to the circle of 
women around the camp-fire to actually  
recognize any of them 7it would have    
been difficult to recognize their       
painted faces even by daylight72 and    
they really did not see anything of what
 was being done4 ,somehow their approach

 was discovered1 either by information  
treacherously carried from some one in  
their retinue of household servants1 or 
by being seen by one of the pickets of  
the camp1 or by the breaking of a branch
 as they crept through the trees1 or1   
possibly1 by their white odor carried on
 the wind1--odor which to ,africans is  
almost as distinct as is ,negro odor to 
the white race4  ,njembe raised a       
frenzied cry1 and started to seize them4
 ,the two men fled desperately through  
the thick bushes4 ,the clerk was        
recognized1 and his name was called out1
 and the other was assumed to be his    
employer4 ,they escaped to the safety of
 their house4 ,njembe did not dare      
assault it1 ,french policemen being     
within call2 but next day word was sent 
by the society denouncing them both1    
laying a curse on them1 and plainly     
saying that they should die4 ,if the    
threat had been that the means of death 
would be magic1 these gentlemen would   
have laughed2 but the women did not     

hesitate to say that they would poison  
them in their food4 ,this would be      
entirely possible1 even without         
collusion among the several men and boys
 that ranged from steward to cook and   
waiters as their household servants2    
though1 if need were1 some of these     
servants would sooner be treasonable to 
the white master than dare to refuse    
,njembe4 ,the case was serious4 ,the    
older man1 as a dispenser of wealth to  
the entire community1 was1 even in      
,njembe's eye1 too valuable to be       
killed2 his wife1 herself a ,njembe     
woman1 interceded for him1 and the curse
 was removed from him on the payment of 
a large fine4 ,but the curse was doubled
 over the poor clerk4 ,njembe would     
listen to no appeal1 nor accept any     
bribe for him1 as they had actually seen
 him at their camp4  ,it is a fact that 
shortly after this this clerk did fall  
into a decline1 with strange symptoms   
which no doctor understood nor any      
medicines seemed to touch4 ,he became   

weaker and weaker1 and his life was     
despaired of4 ,njembe openly boasted    
that it was killing him4  ,i do not know
 why an appeal was not made to the local
 ,french authorities4 ,perhaps because  
the merchant did not wish to give more  
publicity to his escapade2 perhaps      
because it would be difficult to        
prosecute a society1 no individual      
,njembe woman appearing to be           
responsible4  ,to save his clerk1 the   
merchant offered to pay a very large    
sum4 ,njembe having had a partial       
revenge1 having demonstrated its power1 
and standing victorious before the      
community1 was induced to accept4 ,it   
was never known publicly how much was   
paid4 ,the curse was withdrawn1 and the 
clerk immediately began to recover2 but 
it was some months before the evil was  
entirely eradicated from his system4    
,beyond ,dr4 ,wilson's and ,du          
,chaillu's short statements about       
,njembe1 ,i have seen nothing else in   
print1 except the mere mention of the   

existence of the society by several     
,african travellers4 ,what ,i have      
written in the above ,i have obtained   
piecemeal at various times from         
different men and women1 ,christian and 
heathen2 but all of them spoke with     
hesitation1 and under promise that ,i   
should mention no names4   ,,poisoning  
,,for ,,revenge4  ,there are native     
poisons4 ,it is known that sometimes    
they are secretly used in revenge1 or to
 put out of the way a relative whose    
wealth is desired to be inherited4 ,this
 much ,i have to admit1 as to charges of
 bewitching and so-called judicial      
executions1 therefore1 that in the case 
of some deaths they are actual murders1 
and that the perpetrator deserves to be 
executed4 ,but it is rare that the proof
 of guilt is clear4 ,i have to be       
guarded in my admission of an accused   
person's guilt1 lest ,i give countenance
 to the universal belief in death as the
 result of fetich agencies4 ,i explain  
to my native questioner3 ,if what the   

accused has done in fetich rite with    
intent to kill had any efficiency for   
taking away life1 ,i allow that he shall
 be put to death2 if he made only       
fetiches1 even if they were intended to 
kill1 he is not guilty of this death1   
for a mere fetich cannot kill4 ,but if  
he used poison1 with or without fetich1 
then he is guilty4  ,but even so1 the   
distinction between a fetich and a      
poison is vague in the thought of many  
natives4 ,what ,i call a poison is to   
them only another material form of a    
fetich power1 both poison and fetich    
being supposed to be made efficient by  
the presence of an adjuvant spirit4     
,not all the deaths of foreigners in    
,africa are due to malaria4 ,some of    
them have been doubtless due to poison1 
administered by a revengeful employee4  
,very many white residents in ,africa   
treat their servants in oppressive and  
cruel ways4 ,even those who are not     
cruel are often autocratic and          
arbitrary4 ,in a country that has little

 law to hinder1 and no public opinion to
 shame them1 some white men treat the   
natives almost as slaves1 cheating them 
of their wages1 cursing1 kicking1       
striking1 beating1 and otherwise        
maltreating and even mutilating them4   
,some are kind and just2 but even they  
are at times severe in enforcing their  
authority4 ,so it could occur that even 
a kindly-disposed foreigner might have  
his life attempted by an evil-disposed  
employee whose anger he had aroused4    
,in general1 the ,bantu natives of      
,africa are patient1 long-suffering1 and
 not easily aroused to violence1 but    
taking their revenge1 if finally their  
endurance is exhausted1 by robbing their
 master of his goods or otherwise       
wasting his trade2 abandoning him in    
sickness1 so that he dies really of     
neglect1 or1 when his boat upsets in the
 surf of the sea1 making no effort to   
rescue him4  ,the ,bantu tribes are less
 revengeful and more amiable than the   
,negroes of ,upper ,guinea1 or the      

tribes of ,senegal and of the ,sudan1   
with their mixture of ,arab blood and   
,mahometan beliefs4  ,an ,english       
traveller recently1 in the ,igbo country
 of ,nigeria1 in discussing the native  
belief in occult forces1 says3 ,it is   
impossible for a white man to be present
 at their gatherings of 'medicine men1' 
and it is hard to get a native to talk  
of such things2 but it seems evident to 
me that there is some reality in the    
phenomena one hears of1 as they are     
believed everywhere in some degree by   
white men as well as black4 ,however    
that may be1 the native doctors have a  
wide knowledge of poisons2 and if one is
 to believe reports1 deaths from poison1
 both among white and black men1 are of 
common occurrence on the ,niger4 ,one of
 the white man's often quoted proverbs  
is1 ',never quarrel with your cook'2 the
 meaning of which is that the cook can  
put something in your food in           
retaliation if you maltreat him4  ,there
 is everywhere a belief that it is      

possible to put medicine on a path for  
your enemy which1 when he steps over it1
 will cause him to fall sick and die4   
,other people can walk uninjured over   
the spot1 but the moment the man for    
whom the medicine is laid reaches the   
place1 he succumbs1 often dying within  
an hour or two4 ,i have never seen such 
a case myself2 but the ,rev4 ,a4 ,e4    
,richardson says he saw one when on the 
journey with ,bishop ,tugwell's         
house-party4 ,he could offer no         
explanation of how the thing is done1   
but does not doubt that it is done4     
,some of the best educated of our native
 ,christians have told me that they     
firmly believe in this                  
'medicine-laying4'  ,the most distinct  
instance of attempt at poisoning which  
,i have met was related to me in ,march1
 #aijb1 by ,mr4 ,h4 ,l4 ,stacey1 of the 
,english trading-house of ,j4 ,holt     
,co4 ,ltd4 ,i took the following        
statement from his own lips1 and he gave
 me liberty to use it publicly4 ,he has 

since died1 and his death was sudden4   
,mr4 ,stacey was a gentleman of         
courteous manner and of good education2 
fearless1 universally kind1 and         
generally just in his treatment of the  
natives4 ,he was a ,christian in his    
belief1 and endeavored to be one in his 
life4 ,his truthfulness is beyond doubt1
 thus making his statement entirely     
reliable4  ,he had his headquarters at  
,bata1 with native sub-traders scattered
 north and south and up the ,benita     
,river1 some twenty-three miles south of
 ,bata4 ,there came to him for          
employment a ,lagos man1 by name ,croly 
or ,crowley4 ,he spoke ,english well1   
could read and write1 had quite a       
display of manner1 and made himself very
 useful by his apparent devotion1       
faithfulness1 and honesty4 ,all this    
deceived ,mr4 ,stacey1 who thought he   
had obtained a valuable servant2 and    
rewarded him by giving him a sub-factory
 at ,lobisa1 a few miles up the ,benita 
,river4 ,to have a factory of one's own 

is the goal of the ambition of every    
white trader's employees4  ,mr4 ,stacey 
had also a ,benga sub-trader on the     
river at ,senje1 some ten miles above   
,lobisa4 ,this ,benga went to ,bata and 
reported to ,mr4 ,stacey that ,crowley  
was wasting his goods in riotous living 
and extravagant giving4 ,while the      
,benga was away1 ,crowley falsely told  
the native ,fang1 who had been paid in  
advance by the former to collect        
india-rubber for him1 that the ,benga   
had been dismissed1 was in jail1 and    
would never come back1 and induced them 
to sell to himself the rubber they had  
collected for the ,benga4 ,when the     
,benga returned to his post1 and asked  
his ,fang to pay their debt1 they told  
him of the deception ,crowley had       
practised on them4 ,there was1          
therefore1 a triangular quarrel1 the    
,benga suing the ,fang for their debt to
 him1 the ,fang denouncing ,crowley for 
his cheat1 and ,crowley angry at the    
,benga for informing ,mr4 ,s4 on him4   

,just at this stage of affairs ,mr4 ,s4 
came on one of his usual visits of      
inspection to ,senje4 ,the ,fang        
immediately sent secretly a deceptive   
message down to ,crowley1 saying that   
,mr4 ,s4 wished to see him4 ,as soon as 
he came1 the ,fang began to fight him4  
,notwithstanding ,crowley's dishonesty  
to him1 ,mr4 ,s4 magnanimously defended 
his life1 locked him for safety in the  
,benga's bedroom1 and then made the     
quarrel a quadrilateral by protesting to
 the ,fang against their assaulting his 
premises4 ,his contention with them was 
talked in public palaver1 and finally   
was amicably settled4 ,during the talk a
 lad came to ,mr4 ,s4 excitedly1 saying 
that ,crowley was spreading medicine in 
the bed of the ,benga1 with intent to   
kill the latter4 ,this aroused again the
 indignation of the ,fang4 ,but ,mr4 ,s4
 laughed down their anxiety1 telling    
them that he was not afraid of medicine 
7he thought it was only fetich72 that   
fetich could not kill a white man2 and  

that1 to prove it1 he would that night  
sleep in that bed1 and the ,benga should
 sleep elsewhere4 ,when all was settled1
 he got ,crowley quietly away1 and sent 
him down river to his ,lobisa house1    
with expectation of dismissal4 ,at night
 ,mr4 ,s4 awoke with a great pain in his
 abdomen1 a great sense of constriction 
in his chest1 skin hot1 and body        
tortured with shooting pains4 ,only his 
head was clear and free from any        
distress4 ,the symptoms were not those  
of malarial fever4 ,the next day his    
limbs were paralyzed4 ,the natives said 
that ,crowley had scattered in the      
bedding and through the mosquito net a  
poisonous powder4  ,mr4 ,s4 was taken   
helpless in his canoe down river1 on the
 way passing very near ,lobisa1 to a    
house on the sea-beach near the river's 
mouth4 ,believing that ,crowley had     
attempted the life of the ,benga1 ,mr4  
,s41 while lying sick1 sent word to the 
adjacent ,spanish ,government ,post for 
two soldiers to come and arrest         

,crowley4 7,mr4 ,s4 had been informed   
that ,c4 was on his way to him47 ,for   
,c41 when he saw ,mr4 ,s4 lying sick in 
his passing canoe1 surmised what had    
happened1 and was afraid the ,fang would
 follow him to ,lobisa and assault him  
there4 ,so he had closed his house and  
fled1 following ,mr4 ,s4 ,he was coming 
with a double purpose3 first1 to plead  
with ,mr4 ,s4 against dismissal2 second1
 as he promptly had heard of ,mr4       
,stacey's sleeping in the poisoned bed  
and being sick1 he feared arrest and was
 ready also to make the murder plan     
complete1 if his plea for mercy was     
denied4 ,to this end he came prepared   
with a handful of the powder4  ,before  
he had reached the house where ,mr4 ,s4 
was1 the two soldiers had met and       
arrested him1 and were taking him to    
jail4 ,he asked permission first to be  
allowed to see his master4 ,so they     
brought him to the sick-room1 where he  
made many protestations of friendship   
and devotion1 and plead for mercy4 ,mr4 

,s4 rebuked the soldiers for hesitating 
in their duty1 and for having brought   
their prisoner there1 and bade them take
 him away to the magistrate2 then he    
fell back on his pillow exhausted1 and  
lay with closed eyes1 only              
semi-conscious4 ,the soldiers went out  
of the room1 leaving ,c4 clinging to the
 bed4 ,he fell on his knees by ,mr4     
,s4's head1 as if still to beg for      
pardon4 ,mr4 ,s4 felt ,c4's hand        
insinuated under the bed cover near his 
pillow1 and suddenly opened his eyes1 to
 find ,c4's closed hand near his face4  
,he struck away the hand4 ,a quantity of
 dark powder fell on the pillow near his
 nose4 ,half suffocated1 by an effort he
 shouted to the soldiers1 who came and  
took ,c4 away4 ,mr4 ,stacey's little    
waiter-boy1 who had also come in at the 
shout1 was horrified to see the         
poison-powder on the pillow4 ,he        
snatched away the pillow1 threw the     
powder out of doors1 and told the       
soldiers4 ,they1 without waiting for    

official judgment at the ,post1 gave ,c4
 twenty-five lashes at once4 ,farther   
blows1 twenty-five at a time1 were given
 him while waiting in jail for ,mr4 ,s4 
to get well enough to appear against    
him4 ,subsequently the ,chef de ,poste  
appointed a day for the hearing2 but    
,mr4 ,s41 in his devotion to the trade  
interests of his employers1 asked that  
the day be postponed1 as his sub-traders
 needed just then much supervision4 ,so 
the ,chef dismissed the matter1 seeming 
to think that if ,mr4 ,s4 regarded his  
trade as of more importance than the    
defence of his life1 it was no business 
of the government to hold the prisoner2 
and took no farther interest in it4     
,having been given1 in instalments1 an  
aggregate of two hundred lashes1 ,c4 was
 discharged4 ,he wandered about that    
region gathering a little food1 without 
friends1 feared and hated1 and not      
allowed by some even to enter their     
villages4  ,the reputation of the ,lagos
 powder as a powerful agent in          

destroying life has been known for years
 among the equatorial coast tribes4     
,reports of it are well known among     
white men on the steamers4 ,it is       
believed in1 not as a superstition1 nor 
as a fetich1 but as a powerful poison4  
,clerks and other workmen from ,lagos   
are not welcomed in the ,gabun region1  
as are clerks from other parts of ,upper
 ,guinea1 for fear of their carrying    
that poison with them4   ,,distrust4    
,as a result of the universal employment
 of fetiches in ,african tribes1 there  
is no confidence between man and man4   
,every one is in distrust of his        
neighbor2 every man's hand against his  
fellow4  ,the natives of ,africa1 though
 so thoroughly devoted to the use of    
fetiches1 acquire no feeling of security
 in consequence of using them4 ,perhaps 
their only real influence is to make    
them more insecure than they would have 
been without them4 ,there is no place in
 the world where men feel more          
insecurity4 ,a man must be careful whose

 company he keeps1 what path he walks1  
whose house he enters1 on what stool he 
seats himself1 where he sleeps4 ,he     
knows not what moment he may place his  
foot or lay his hand upon some invisible
 engine of mischief1 or by what means   
the seeds of death may be implanted in  
his constitution4#hi  ,because of this  
lack of confidence1 the natural         
affections and the duties of the dearest
 relations are perverted4 ,wives afraid 
of husbands1 and husbands afraid of     
wives2 children afraid of parents1 and  
parents afraid of children2 the chief of
 the village uncertain of his people2   
and the entire community that must live 
and eat and associate together1 living  
and eating and associating with a       
constant secretly entertained suspicion 
of each other4   ,,jugglery4  ,while in 
some of the rites performed by the      
native doctor-priest there is real      
diabolism1 i4 e41 communication with    
,satan1 and certain wonders are         
performed through the ,prince of the    

,power of ,darkness1 ,i am disposed to  
believe that in most cases the doctor is
 self-deceived1 certainly in many cases 
,i believe him to be a deliberate       
deceiver4 ,the native so-called prophet 
is probably an artful mind-reader2 and  
the fortune-teller1 like our own        
fortune-tellers1 a skilful observer of  
the subject's tones1 manner1 and        
unguarded admissions in conversation    
which give ground for shrewd guessing4  
,arnot#ij says3 ,these professional     
diviners are no doubt smart fellows1    
arch-rogues though they be4 ,the secret 
of their art lies in their constant     
repetition of every possibility in      
connection with the disaster they are   
called upon to explain until they       
finally hit upon that which is in the   
minds of their clients4 ,as the people  
sit around and repeat the words of the  
diviner1 it is easy for him to detect in
 their tone of voice or to read in their
 faces the suspected source of the      
calamity4  ,a man had a favorite dog    

which was attacked by a leopard1 but    
succeeded in escaping with one of its   
eyes torn out4 ,to ascertain the reason 
of this calamity1 the owner sent to call
 one of these diviners4 ,when he        
arrived1 to test him1 he was told that a
 disaster had befallen my acquaintance1 
and was asked to find out by divination 
what it was4 ,the diviner with his      
rattles and other paraphernalia1 and    
dances1 and other movements to occupy   
attention1 after the manner of jugglers1
 asked leading questions of the spirit  
he was professing to consult1 but really
 he was watching the faces of his       
audience for their unconsciously given  
assent or dissent4 ,thus1 in succession1
 he found that the misfortune1 whatever 
it was1 was not to a human being2 then  
not to certain families2 then to some   
object possessed by a certain man2 then 
that it was not about an ox nor about a 
goat2 then that it was about a dog2     
then1 after certain other possibilities1
 was it connected with a leopard8 ,so   

excited were the audience that they     
forgot that they had been 'giving       
themselves away1' and when the diviner  
asked the spirit1 ',was it a leopard8'  
they shouted with admiration at his     
supposed skill4 ,after a whole day of   
such proceedings the diviner triumphed  
by announcing 'that the spirit of the   
father of one of the man's wives had    
been grieved at the man's long absence  
from his town and family1 and had       
employed the leopard to tear the dog's  
eye as a gentle reminder that it was    
time he should go back to his own       
village4'  ,in connection with the      
,yoruba custom of parents of twins      
having images carved of their dead      
twins1 the carving of those images is a 
flourishing and money-making trade4 ,if 
the parents of the dead child are in    
comfortable circumstances1 the carvers  
tell them that they have seen in their  
dreams the dead twin1 and that he or she
 has asked them to send such and such   
clothes1 articles of food1 money1 etc4  

,sometimes they say the twins appeared  
to them in the forest when they went to 
cut the ,ire-wood to be carved1 and bade
 them not to venture it4 ,in such cases 
special sacrifices must be offered      
before taking any steps4 ,in this way   
months pass before the carving is       
complete2 during which time the carvers 
demand of the parents whatever they feel
 they are capable of supplying them     
with4#ia  ,in the ,corisco region1 some 
thirty years ago1 ,i knew a native      
sorcerer who achieved quite a reputation
 because he could perform the           
thimble-rig juggler-trick of making a   
leaf appear and disappear between two   
plates4  ,one of my associates in the   
,ogowe1 the late ,h4 ,m4 ,bachelor1     
,m4,d41 had brought with him from the   
,united ,states a few tricks of parlor  
magic4 ,he quite astonished my          
school-children by swallowing and       
subsequently vomiting up a penknife1 and
 by passing a threaded needle through   
the thigh of one of the boys4 ,dr4 ,b4  

did the tricks so artistically that even
 ,i did not detect the deception about  
the penknife2 and the boy solemnly      
asserted that he felt the needle        
travelling through his leg4 ,the        
exhibition was a happy one in revealing 
to the natives how an evil-disposed     
sorcerer would be able to deceive them4 
,a lady of the ,west ,african ,mission  
of the ,american ,board says3 ,i once   
witnessed the performance of a          
witch-doctor on one of my visits among  
the villages4 ,the chief of the country 
was sick1 and the doctor was giving him 
a massage treatment4 ,by sleight of hand
 he seemed to draw from the patient's   
side chicken's claws1 feathers1 bones1  
sticks1 pebbles1 etc4 ,some witch1 it   
was supposed1 had caused these things to
 grow in the man's body with intent to  
kill4 ,it was evident to the astonished 
crowd which had gathered around1 that   
their king would probably get well1 now 
these things were removed4 ,the doctor's
 bill was promptly paid1--a thousand    

balls of rubber1 ten pieces of cloth1   
and a large pig4 ,an ox was slaughtered1
 and a beer drink indulged in to        
celebrate the occasion and to appease   
any offended spirit4   ,,treatment ,,of 
,,lunatics4  ,the insane being supposed 
to be physically and mentally possessed 
by an intruding spirit1 their actions   
are necessarily not considered to be the
 outcome of their own volitions4 ,this  
view does not always1 in the native     
mind1 relieve a lunatic of the burden of
 the consequences of his acts4  ,there  
is great diversity1 therefore1 in the   
treatment of the insane in different    
districts and in different tribes4 ,in  
some regions a tribe holds to the       
following reasoning3 ,this person is    
possessed by a spirit4 ,that spirit is  
occupying his body and using his voice  
and limbs for some reason4 ,if we       
interfere with this person's doings1    
then we will be interfering with the    
spirit and may bring evil on ourselves4 
,therefore it is considered proper to   

make offerings and some degree of       
worship to the incarnated spirit4 ,but  
it is not true that the lunatic himself 
is an object of worship4 ,the gifts and 
sacrifices are made solely to and for   
the spirit2 the prayer of the           
petitioners being that it may refrain   
from inciting the possessed person to do
 them evil1 and in the hope that it may 
conclude to depart and leave the patient
 and them alone4  ,in other places this 
same belief of possession leads to a    
very different logical conclusion4 ,the 
thought is3 ,this person is possessed by
 an evil spirit2 if we allow him to     
remain1 that evil spirit will do us only
 evil2 let us put this man1 who is thus 
being utilized for evil1 out of the way1
 and perhaps in so doing we may get rid 
of the possessing spirit also4 ,so the  
lunatic is put to death4 ,the manner of 
death sometimes chosen is a cruel one1  
as if thereby the spirit itself might   
also be injured or incapacitated to do  
further evil4 ,observe that this cruelty

 is not directed against the demented   
human being1 but against the indwelling 
spirit4 ,the maniac in being put to     
death is sometimes beaten with clubs1   
sometimes burned1 sometimes drowned1 as 
if the evil possessing spirit might     
itself be fractured or charred or sunk4 
,the forms of lunacy ,i have seen are   
mild1 rarely maniacal4 ,the lunatics ,i 
have met in the ,gabun region were both 
men and women4 ,among women ,i have     
thought a cause was uterine             
complications2 among both men and women1
 excessive use of tobacco2 in two cases 
of men the cause was hashish-smoking4   
,these last were characterized by a deep
 melancholy2 all the others were marked 
by absurd hallucinations4 ,undeniably1  
in two cases in ,gabun1 the paroxysms   
were influenced by the stage of the     
moon4  ,the only medication of which the
 natives know is exorcism by fetich with
 drum and dance1 baths and purgatives4  
,when a person is discovered to be      
crazy1 he is taken to the doctor1 who   

gathers medicinal barks and leaves1     
makes a very hot decoction1 and puts it 
under a seat on which is placed the     
patient4 ,both seat and patient are     
covered by a cloth1 and he is subjected 
to a severe sweating process4 ,during   
this time the doctor calls out to the   
supposed possessing spirit1 ,who are    
you8 who are you8 ,perhaps the sick man 
will say 7his voice supposed to be under
 control of nkinda71 ,i am ,so-and-so4  
,the doctor replies1 ,eh6 you           
,so-and-so6 leave him1 or ,i will catch 
you and put you in prison4 ,the prison  
is a section of sugar-cane stalk with   
its leaves twined together2 and the     
doctor is believed to be able to confine
 the nkinda there4 ,and it remains there
 indefinitely2 but it may be released by
 the will of the doctor1 who will choose
 to free it some day unless he is paid  
not to do so4 ,sometimes the crazy      
person has so many sinkinda that he     
becomes a maniac1 losing all sense of   
shame or even of hunger4 ,in such a case

 he is tied till he becomes quiet and   
the doctor announces that the sinkinda  
have all gone out4 ,the patient is then 
washed1 and the doctor with song and    
drum calls on good sinkinda to come and 
enter1 and directs them to take care of 
the man's body4   ,,the ,,american      
,,negro ,,voodoo4  ,when the ,negro was 
brought to ,america as a slave1 he      
brought with him a variety of ,african  
things1 some good1 some bad4  ,when     
hurried upon the slave-ships in the     
,kongo or at ,lagos1 the slave tied into
 a little package1 hung among his other 
fetich treasures1 seeds of his favorite 
foods4 ,at least one of these seeds     
survived1 in the ,west ,indies and      
thence to the ,united ,states1 with a   
native name gumbo4 ,it is the okra      
7,abelmoschus esculentus71 that exists  
all over ,africa1 and has spread over   
the ,united ,states4                    
,ground-nuts--pea-nuts 7,arachis        
hypogea71 which botanists claim to be a 
native of ,south ,america--have been    

grown from time immemorial all over     
,africa1 and1 in the ,loango country    
bordering on the ,kongo ,river1 by the  
,ashira and some other tribes are used  
as their staple article of food1 rather 
than the plantain 7,musa sapientum71 or 
manioc1 cassava 7,jatropha manihot74 ,it
 is an important export from those      
regions and from the ,gambia to-day4 ,if
 the nut itself was not carried from    
,africa to ,america1 its native name    
was2 that name is mbenda1 and it was    
corrupted to pindar in parts of the     
,southern ,states4  ,the evil thing that
 the slave brought with him was his     
religion4 ,you do not need to go to     
,africa to find the fetich4 ,during the 
hundred years that slavery in our       
,america held the ,negro crushed1       
degraded1 and apart1 his master could   
deprive him of his manhood1 his wife1   
his child1 the fruits of his toil1 of   
his life2 but there was one thing of    
which he could not deprive him1--his    
faith in fetich charms4 ,not only did   

this religion of the fetich endure under
 slavery2 it grew4 ,none but ,christian 
masters offered the ,negro any other    
religion2 and1 by law1 even they were   
debarred from giving him any education4 
,so fetichism flourished4 ,the master's 
children were infected by the contagion 
of superstition2 they imbibed some of it
 at their ,negro foster-mother's breast4
 ,it was a secret religion that lurked  
thinly covered in slavery days1 and that
 lurks to-day beneath the ,negro's      
,christian profession as a white art1   
and among non-professors as a black art2
 a memory of the revenges of his        
,african ancestors2 a secret fraternity 
among slaves of far-distant plantations1
 with words and signs1--the lifting of a
 finger1 the twitch of an eyelid1--that 
telegraphed from house to house with    
amazing rapidity 7as to-day in ,africa7 
current news in old slave days and      
during the late ,civil ,war2 suspected1 
but never understood by the white       
master2 which1 as a superstition1 has   

spread itself among our ignorant white  
masses as the ,hoodoo4 ,vudu1 or        
,odoism1 is simply ,african fetichism   
transplanted to ,american soil4  ,it is 
almost impossible for persons who have  
been brought up under this system ever  
to divest themselves fully of its       
influence4 ,it has been retained among  
the blacks of this country1 and         
especially at the ,south1 though in a   
less open form1 even to the present day1
 and probably will never be fully       
abandoned until they have made much     
higher attainments in ,christian        
education and civilization4 ,in some of 
the plantations of the ,south1 as well  
as in the ,west ,indies1 where there has
 been less ,christian culture1          
egg-shells are hung up in the corners of
 their chimneys to cause the chickens to
 flourish2 an extracted tooth is thrown 
over the house or worn around the neck  
to prevent other teeth from aching2 and 
real fetiches1 though not known by this 
name perhaps mascots81 are used about   

their persons to shield them from       
sickness or from the effects of         
witchcraft4#ib  ,while on a furlough in 
the ,united ,states in #ahia1 ,i visited
 a town in ,southern ,virginia1 and by  
invitation of the ,negro pastor of the  
,african church addressed them on       
foreign missions4 ,somewhat at a loss   
what attitude to take toward a ,negro   
audience in speaking to them of ,africa1
 ,i candidly asked the pastor what ,i   
should say4 ,he bade me speak exactly as
 if ,i was addressing an educated white 
assembly4 ,i did so4 ,in describing     
native ,african virtues and vices1 ,i   
mentioned their fetichism1 and remarked 
that it was the same that obtained in   
the ,united ,states2 and lest my hearers
 might think ,i was personally attacking
 them1 ,i added1 down ,south in ,georgia
 and ,louisiana4 ,the bench of elders   
sitting just in front of me broke out1  
,and jist around hyar1 too4  ,i had read
 ,cable's ,creole ,tales4 ,one of his   
characters is sick with a strange vague 

affection whose symptoms medicine had   
failed to reach4 ,he is superstitious1  
and one morning he wakes in horror at   
finding a dead frog secreted under his  
pillow4 ,that fetich was no novelist's  
conjecture2 it was true to life4 ,about 
#ahid or #ahie1 while ,i was alone in   
charge of ,gabun ,station1 for three    
successive mornings when ,i opened the  
front door1 ,i found a dried frog       
leaning against the threshold4 ,i did   
not care enough about it to inquire its 
significance or to ascertain who put it 
there4 ,since then ,i have found that it
 is not used as a fetich by people of   
the ,gabun region1 but probably by      
,upper ,coast people4 ,i remember that  
at that time ,i had three ,bassa workmen
 from ,liberia whom ,i suspected of     
stealing and who then suddenly deserted 
my service4 ,i think they placed the    
frog there1 either to injure me or to   
prevent my following up their theft4    
,,folk-,,lore4  ,an attractive survival 
of ,african life in ,america are ,uncle 

,remus's mystic tales of ,br'er ,rabbit4
 ,they are the folk-lore that the slave 
brought with him from his ,african home1
 where in village hut and forest camp   
often have been told to my own ears     
similar weird personifications before   
,harris had actually written them4      
,there being no rabbits in ,west        
,africa1 ,br'er ,rabbit is an ,american 
substitution for ,brother ,nj           
7,leopard71 or ,brother ,iheli          
7,gazelle71 in ,paia ,njambi's 7the     
,creator's7 council of speaking animals4
     ,,chapter ,,xvi  ,,tales ,,of      
,,fetich ,,based ,,on ,,fact   ,the     
view-point of the native ,african mind1 
in all unusual occurrences1 is that of  
witchcraft4 ,without looking for an     
explanation in what civilization would  
call natural causes1 his thought turns  
at once to the supernatural4 ,indeed1   
the supernatural is so constant a factor
 in his life1 that to him it furnishes  
explanation of events as prompt and     
reasonable as our reference to the      

recognized forces of nature4 ,mere      
coincidences are often to him miracles4 
,in the large mass of materials which ,i
 gathered from all native sources of    
information for the formulation of the  
philosophy of fetichism1 as presented in
 the former part of this work1 ,i found 
many remarkable tales some of whose     
incidents were probable1 and which to me
 were explicable on natural grounds1 but
 which my native friends believed were  
the effect of witchcraft power4 ,i did  
not dispute them4 ,to do so would either
 have closed their lips or made them    
omit the witchcraft element from any    
subsequent stories they might narrate to
 me4 ,i thus secured these tales as a   
purely native product4  ,i did not use a
 note-book1 fearing that its presence   
would hamper the freedom of the         
story-teller1 but listened carefully and
 wrote down the interview immediately at
 its close4 ,not all knew that ,i was   
writing for publication4 ,that knowledge
 would have interfered with the         

simplicity of their utterances4 ,of my  
several informants1 some were ignorant1 
some heathen1 some ,christian1 only a   
few well educated4 ,of the most         
intelligent of my informants1 two       
allowed me to take notes as they were   
speaking1 and ,i really wrote from      
dictation2 they considerately spoke     
slowly1 so that ,i should miss nothing1 
while ,i wrote rapidly and at the same  
time had to translate their language    
into ,english4 ,of those two1 one was   
able to give part of the interview in   
,english4 ,the thoughts in these stories
 are entirely native4 ,so are most of   
the words4 ,i tried to retain the       
narrators' own structure of sentences1  
sacrificing a little of ,english for the
 sake of native idioms4 ,the prevalence 
of short words is due to my effort at   
exact translation of their own words4   
,occasionally ,i have used longer words 
of ,latin origin because ,i had         
forgotten their word1 and in an effort  
to repeat their idea4 ,the shortness of 

the sentences is due to the natives'    
graphic and animated style of speaking4 
,long sentences are foreign to their    
mode of speech4  ,the following two     
stories are illustrative of the native  
belief1 mentioned in ,chapter ,,iv1 that
 we possess not only our physical body1 
but also an essential or astral form1 in
 shape and feature like the body4 ,this 
form1 or life1 with its heart1 can be   
stolen by magic power while one is      
asleep1 and the individual sleeps on    
unconscious of his loss4 ,if the        
life-form is returned to him before he  
awakes1 he will be unaware that anything
 unusual has happened4 ,if he awakes    
before that portion of him has been     
returned1 though he may live for a      
while1 he will sicken and eventually    
die4 ,if the magicians who stole the    
life have eaten the heart1 he sickens at
 once1 and will soon die4   ,i4 ,a      
,,witch ,,sweetheart4  ,a certain man   
loved a woman whom he expected to marry4
 ,he visited her regularly4 ,whenever he

 intended to visit her1 he always       
notified her thus3 ,i will be coming    
such a day or such an hour4 ,then she   
would say1 ,yes4 ,but it happened on a  
particular day when he told her1 ,i'll  
be coming to-night1 she said1 ,no1 not  
to-night1 wait till next night4 ,he     
replied1 ,no1 for ,i will come to-night4
 ,but she refused1 ,no1 ,i do not want  
you to come to-night4 ,then he asked1   
,what is your objection8 ,hitherto you  
have let me come when ,i pleased4 ,what 
is the matter to-night8 ,so she said1 ,i
 do not want you to come1 because ,i    
will be absent to-night4 ,where are you 
going8 he asked4 ,to this she gave as   
answer only1 ,don't come6 ,i don't want 
you to come6 ,so the man said1 ,all     
right6 ,i will not come4 ,if you don't  
want me1 then ,i'm not coming4 ,so he   
left her1 very much surprised at what   
she had said1 and began to think        
something was going wrong2 he thought he
 would like to know for himself what it 
was4  ,this woman was one of those who  

belonged to the ,witch ,society1 and    
engaged in its plays4 ,but the man had  
not suspected this1 and did not know    
that she was one of those who played4   
,the native belief is that when a witch 
or wizard has seized some one to eat his
 life or do him other harm1 if there be 
a non-society witness hidden or in the  
open1 the odor of that witness weakens  
the witch power1 and the attempt at     
witchcraft fails4  ,this man1 not       
suspecting the real state of the case1  
but in order to know what was going on  
with the woman1 came softly and hid near
 her house1 where he might be able to   
see whether any one went in or came out4
 ,soon he heard the door of her house   
open4 ,he saw her come out of the house 
without any clothing1 and she quietly   
pulled the door to after her and closed 
it1 and then walked away from the place4
 ,all this the man saw1 but he said     
nothing4 ,he stood outside waiting1     
waiting until she should return4 ,after 
a long while1 as he was tired standing1 

he thought he would go into the house   
and hide himself somewhere4 ,it was not 
long after this that he heard a little  
noise outside1 and looking through the  
apertures of the bamboo wall saw her and
 others with her1 men and women4 ,some  
of them were carrying the form of a man 
on their shoulders4 ,others spread out  
on the ground green plantain leaves1 and
 stretched the form on the leaves4 ,each
 of the party had a knife1 and they     
began their work of cutting the form    
into pieces4 ,while thus occupied1 they 
saw that their knives would not         
penetrate4 ,some of them began to step  
around1 peeping into recesses as if they
 were looking for something4 ,still     
trying to cut1 their knives seemed      
dulled2 no one of them could succeed in 
cutting out a single piece4 ,so they    
stopped1 and began to sharpen their     
knives1 and again tried to cut1 using   
more force in their efforts4 ,they      
worked rapidly1 for they had to hasten1 
as there were signs of approaching day4 

,as they still were unable to make any  
incisions after the sharpening of the   
knives1 they thought it very strange1   
and began to suspect that some one was  
near witnessing what they were doing4   
,so some of them began to search in     
different directions2 they sniffed to   
detect the odor of a person4 ,this they 
did over and over again1 and came back1 
and again sharpened their knives1 and   
again they failed4 ,and then they would 
again go around1 sniffing for a human   
being4  ,at last1 as it was near        
morning1 they had to give up their      
intention of cutting into this form4 ,so
 they had to take it up again on their  
shoulders and carry it back to where    
they had brought it from1 and lost their
 feast4  ,then the woman came back to   
her house1 very much disappointed and   
excited4 ,though it was still dark1 it  
was so near daybreak that she did not go
 to bed1 but took a light1 and began to 
hunt all through her house1 having at   
last begun to suspect that perhaps her  

lover was there4 ,finally she found him 
where he was hiding4 ,she was very      
angry1 saying1 ,who told you to come    
here8 ,what brought you8 ,and when did  
you come8 ,did ,i not tell you not to   
come to-night8 ,but he turned on her1   
saying1 ,but where have you yourself    
been8 ,and what have you yourself been  
doing8 ,i came here expecting to find   
another man here4 ,but that is not what 
,i saw6  ,she trembled1 saying1 ,have   
you been here a long time8 ,and he      
significantly said1 ,yes1 ,i have6      
,then1 furious1 she said1 ,now you have 
seen all that we were doing1 and you    
have found me out6 ,and as you have     
discovered that ,i am engaged in        
witchcraft1 and lest you tell others    
about it1 you shall see that ,i will put
 an end to your life6 ,you shall not go 
out of this house alive6 ,so she pulled 
out her knife4 ,but the man was quite   
strong1 and though he had no weapon1    
made a hard fight4 ,he was stronger than
 the woman1 was able to get away from   

her1 and left the house just before     
daylight4  ,from that day their         
friendship was broken2 neither cared    
again to see the face of the other4 ,the
 man informed on the woman4 ,but she was
 not prosecuted2 for no one was able to 
make specific complaint that they had   
lost their heart-life4 ,that form had   
been restored to its person unrecognized
 and uninjured4 ,no one out of the      
society1 not even the victim himself1   
knew of the attempt that had been made  
on him4   ,,ii4 ,a ,,jealous ,,wife4  ,a
 man of the ,orungu tribe in the ,ogowe 
region had several wives1 of whom the   
chief1 commonly called the queen or     
head-wife1 had no children4 ,this was a 
grief to her and a disappointment to the
 husband4 ,but one of his younger women1
 who had now become his favorite1 had a 
baby1 and the head-wife was jealous of  
her4  ,the husband still retained the   
older one as the bearer of the keys and 
in direction of the other women1 though 
he was beginning to doubt her1 as he    

suspected her of witchcraft4 ,but he    
said nothing about it1 not being sure4  
,it is believed that witches can enter  
houses without opening doors or breaking
 walls1 and can do what they please     
without other people knowing of it at   
the time4 ,so one night this man and his
 young wife were sleeping in the same   
bed with their little babe4 ,suddenly1  
after midnight1 the mother happened to  
wake up startled4 ,she missed her baby  
from the bed4 ,she looked and looked all
 over the bed from head to foot1 and did
 not find it4 ,then she was frightened1 
woke up her husband gently1 and told him
 in a whisper1 ,the child is missing6 ,i
 don't see the child6  ,the husband told
 her to get up and light a gum-torch    
7for there were coals smouldering on the
 clay hearth used as a fireplace71 that 
they might look for the child4 ,she did 
so1 and both hunted1 looking under the  
bedstead and elsewhere1 but did not find
 the child4 ,then they examined the     
windows and door2 for perhaps the child 

had been taken out by some one4 ,the    
door and windows were all properly      
fastened4 ,the mother was very much     
troubled2 but her husband1 keeping his  
own counsel1 advised her not to scream  
or make a noise1 but said1 ,let us go   
back to bed1 but not to go to sleep2 and
 let the room be dark again4 ,so the    
wife put out the torch1 leaving the room
 in darkness2 and they returned to bed4 
,then the husband said1 ,maybe we can   
prove or see something before morning   
7for he suspected72 and he added1       
,whoever or whatever has taken the child
 out so secretly1 will secretly bring it
 back4 ,so we must not sleep1 but watch4
  ,so both lay awake in bed for a few   
hours4 ,then1 just before morning1 while
 it was still dark1 they heard a little 
noise outside near the house1 like the  
rustling of wings and the panting of    
breath4 ,they were both anxious1 and had
 their eyes wide open4 ,soon they saw   
the room flashed full of a bright light 
from the roof4 ,witchcraft people are   

noted for having a light which they can 
thus flash4 ,then the wife1 as soon as  
she saw the light1 quietly nudged her   
husband2 and he returned the pressure1  
to let her know that he was aware1 and  
also to intimate that she should        
continue silent as himself2 and they    
pretended to be sleeping soundly4  ,soon
 they saw the figure of a woman descend 
from the low roof1 but with no hole in  
the roof4 ,the figure came to the       
bedside and lifted up the edge of the   
mosquito-net with one hand1 in the other
 holding a child4 ,as soon as she       
attempted to put the baby back in its   
place1 between the father and mother1   
the father1 as he was the stronger1 and 
nearer to the figure on the outside of  
the bed1 got up quickly1 and seized both
 hands of the woman before she had time 
to let go of the child and escape from  
the room4 ,he said aloud to the mother1 
,get up6 ,your baby has been missing4   
,now light the light1 and we will see   
the person face to face who has taken   

the child out6  ,the young mother did   
so1 and they discovered that it was the 
head-wife who had brought in the child4 
,then1 when the father felt the body of 
the babe1 it was limp and burning with  
fever4  ,as it was so near daylight the 
father did not delay1 but began at once 
to make a fuss1 and shouted for the     
people of the village to gather         
together4 ,and he began a palaver       
7investigation7 immediately4 ,when all  
the people had assembled to hear the    
palaver1 both the father and the mother 
related what had passed during the      
night1 about their missing the child1   
and its return4  ,the head-wife1 being  
accused1 was silent1 having nothing to  
say for herself2 for she was both       
ashamed and afraid to confess that she  
had been eating the life of the baby4   
,but all the people knew that such      
things were done1 and they believed that
 this woman had done with the baby      
whatever she wanted to do while she had 
it outside that night4  ,then the father

 of the child tied up the head-woman1   
and said to her1 ,now ,i have you in my 
hands1 ,i will not let you go until you 
give back the baby's life1 and make it  
well again4 ,the belief is that if the  
heart-life has not been eaten the victim
 can recover4 ,this she was not able to 
do1 for she had eaten its heart4 ,so the
 next day the baby died4 ,and the       
husband executed that head-woman by     
cutting her throat4         99       99 
99       99       99  ,the above        
incident was told me at ,libreville by a
 very intelligent ,mpongwe as having    
actually occurred in the ,gabun region4 
,it is fully believed that walls are no 
obstacle to the passage of the bodies of
 those possessing the power of sorcery4 
,the light spoken of ,i have seen4 ,i do
 not know what it was4 ,from a small    
point it would flash with starlike rays4
 ,it was carried by a man1 who          
disappeared when pursued4 ,a ,christian 
native told me that he once pursued it1 
and caught the bearer with a torch      

concealed in a hollow cylinder2 the     
flashing was caused by his thrusting it 
in and out of the cylinder4   ,,iii4    
,,witchcraft ,,mothers4  7,on an        
itineration in my boat on the ,ogowe    
interior1 in #ahij1 ,i came to a village
 of the ,akele tribe1 whose inhabitants 
were in an intense state of excitement4 
,all the men were brandishing guns and  
spears or daggers2 women were           
gesticulating and screaming2 the loins  
of all were girded for fight2 and a few 
only of the older men and some strangers
 were appealing for quiet4  ,among the  
latter was a native trader of the       
,mpongwe coast tribe4 ,his trade        
interests made for peace4 ,i knew him1  
as he had received some education in our
 ,gabun school4  ,i saw that in such    
confusion it would be useless to attempt
 to ask a hearing for my gospel message4
 ,i did not wait to inquire the cause of
 the day's commotion1 and passed on to  
another village4  ,subsequently the     
,mpongwe man told me the story4 ,though 

slightly educated and enlightened1 he   
was not a ,christian and believed in    
fetiches4 ,his account1 therefore1 was  
from the heathen standpoint4 ,i cannot  
repeat his own wording1 but the outline 
of the story is exactly his47  ,in that 
village were two slave women1 each      
married to a free husband4 ,each was    
expecting to become a mother1--,no4 #a  
in three months1 and ,no4 #b in six     
months4 ,they were friends2 and1 unknown
 to their husbands1 were members of the 
,witchcraft ,society1 and were          
accustomed secretly to attend and take  
part in the society's midnight meetings 
and plays4 ,just what is the nature of  
those plays is not quite certain1 but it
 is known that wild orgies of dancing   
constitute a part of them4  ,these two  
women1 that they might be freer for     
their dancing and other movements1 were 
accustomed1 in going to the meetings1 to
 divest themselves temporarily of their 
unborn babes4 ,this they were able to do
 by witchcraft power1 in virtue of which

 the possessor can pass1 or cause any   
one else to pass1 uninjured through any 
material object1 as a ray of light      
passes through glass4  ,this they did on
 their way to the meeting-place on the  
edge of the forest4 ,they laid their    
babes on the grass in a secluded spot1  
and resumed them on their return4 ,as   
they did so1 ,no4 #a observed that hers 
was a male1 and ,no4 #b that hers was a 
female4 ,they did this many nights in   
succession4  ,subsequently ,no4 #b began
 to be envious of ,no4 #a in the        
possession by the latter of a male      
child4 ,the husband of ,no4 #b had been 
very anxious for a son4 ,she knew that  
if she could present him with a son he  
would be very proud1 and would enlarge  
her position and privileges in the      
family4 ,so1 one night1 she did not wait
 for her friend ,no4 #a to return with  
her1 but1 excusing herself from the     
play1 came back on the path alone4      
,coming to where the two babes were     
lying1 she deliberately exchanged her   

own girl for the boy of ,no4 #a4  ,the  
latter stayed very late at the play1--so
 late that1 as she hasted home1 fearful 
lest the morning light should find her  
on the path 7a dangerous thing to a     
witch-player71 on coming to where the   
babes had been deposited1 she snatched  
up the remaining one without examining  
it1 and1 supposing it to be hers1       
resumed the natural possession of it4   
,shortly after this1 the nine months of 
,no4 #a were fulfilled1 and she bore a  
child which1 to her surprise1 she saw   
was a female4 ,she made no remark1 as   
she immediately suspected what had been 
done4 ,she waited three months1 until   
the days of ,no4 #b also were fulfilled4
 ,at the birth of the child of ,no4 #b  
there was great rejoicing by the husband
 in the possession of a son4 ,he made a 
great feast1 and called together a large
 gathering of people4 ,among them was   
not invited the woman ,no4 #a2 for she  
and ,no4 #b were no longer friendly1    
though neither of them had said         

anything4  ,in the midst of the         
rejoicings ,no4 #a made her appearance1 
though uninvited1 and striding among the
 guests1 went silently into the bedroom1
 carrying a three-months-old female     
babe4 ,she went to the side of the bed  
of ,no4 #b1 laid down the female child1 
saying1 ,there's your baby6 snatched up 
the male infant1 saying1 ,this is mine6 
and strode out of the room into the     
street and on the way to her house4  ,a 
scream from ,no4 #b startled the crowd  
of guests2 word was passed that the boy 
was being stolen1 and ,no4 #a was       
pursued and brought back2 but she       
desperately refused to give up the boy4 
,the whole village was at once thrown   
into confusion4  ,that was the state of 
affairs on the day that ,i arrived      
there4 ,my informant told me that he and
 others induced the crowd to quiet1 by  
saying that the matter could better be  
settled by a talk than by guns1 by      
sitting down in council than by standing
 up in fight4  ,on being brought before 

the council or palaver1 ,no4 #a was calm
 and firm4 ,she still held to the       
boy-baby4 ,she said she was willing to  
be judged1 but demanded that ,no4 #b    
should also be made to confront the     
council4 ,the sense of guilt of the     
latter made her weak and unable to face 
the friend she had wronged4  ,charged   
with stealing1 ,no4 #a made a bold      
speech4 ,she said1 ,yes2 ,i have taken  
my own6 ,if that be stealing1 ,i have   
stolen6 ,and then she told the whole    
truth of the witchcraft plays of herself
 and ,no4 #b4 ,the latter1 overcome with
 shame for her crime1 did not deny2 she 
admitted all4 ,and ,no4 #a closed her   
defence by saying1 ,so this other woman 
has nothing about which to make         
complaint4 ,she has her child1 and ,i   
have mine1 and that settles the matter4 
,the crowd was amazed1 and the husbands 
were ashamed at finding that their wives
 were witches4 ,the husband of ,no4 #b  
was no longer disposed to fight after   
his wife had admitted that the boy-baby 

was not her own4 ,the matter was        
dropped1 as no one was really harmed4   
,neither husband was disposed to fine   
the wife of the other for her           
witchcraft1 as both were guilty4  ,the  
guests ate the feast1 but the host had  
no satisfaction in its now useless      
expenditure except that it was          
considered sufficient reparation to the 
husband of ,no4 #a for his own wife's   
original theft4   ,,iv4 ,,the ,,wizard  
,,house-,,breaker4  7,the incidents     
narrated in the following three stories1
 ,the ,wizard ,house-,breaker1 ,the     
,wizard ,murderer1 ,the ,wizard and his 
,invisible ,dog1 my informant asserted  
were actual occurrences2 ,nos4 ,,iv4 and
 ,,vi4 occurring in the ,gabun region1  
and the parties known4 ,the witchcraft  
part of the stories consists in the     
strange light which wizards and witches 
are said to possess2 it is under their  
control to display or hide1 and it gives
 them power to overcome time and space4 
,the scene of ,no4 ,v4 is on the ,ogowe 

,river47  ,there were a husband and wife
 who had been married a number of years4
 ,she had a child1 a little boy4 ,the   
husband had a brother2 and this brother 
had taken a strong fancy to the woman1  
and wanted to possess her4 ,secretly he 
was asking her to live with him4 ,but   
the woman always refused1 saying1 ,no1  
,i do not want it6 ,then this brother's 
love began to change to anger4 ,he      
cherished vexation in his heart toward  
the woman1 and asked her1 ,why do you   
always refuse me8 ,you are the wife1 not
 of a stranger1 but of my brother4 ,he  
and ,i are one1 and you ought to accept 
me4 ,but she persisted1 ,no1 ,i don't   
want it6  ,the brother's anger deepened 
into revenge4 ,he possessed nyemba      
7witchcraft power71 and determined to   
use it4  ,one day this woman had to go  
to her plantation2 and she arranged for 
the journey1 taking her little boy with 
her4 ,before she left the village to go 
to the plantation1 she told the         
townspeople1 ,i will remain at the      

plantation for some days1 to take care  
of my gardens2 for ,i am tired of losses
 by the wild beasts spoiling my crops4  
,but the other women said1 ,ah6 your    
plantation is too far2 it is not safe   
for you to be by yourself4 ,but she     
said1 ,i cannot help it2 ,i have to go4 
,she was brave1 and persisted in her    
plan1 and made all preparations4 ,on a  
set day1 with her basket on her back1   
her child on her left hip1 and her      
machete in her right hand1 she started4 
,she went on1 on1 steadily2 reached the 
plantation1 and rested there the        
remainder of that day with her child4   
,after her evening meal she shut the    
door of the hut and went to bed4 ,the   
door was fastened with strings and a    
bar1 for the plantation hamlets had no  
locks4  ,she awoke suddenly about       
midnight1 and thought she heard a noise 
outside4 ,she listened quietly4 ,then   
she heard the sound again4 ,presently   
she discovered by the noise that some   
one was trying to climb upon the top of 

the hut1 for the roof was low4 ,soon1   
then1 she observed that this person was 
trying to break open the palm-thatch of 
the low roof4 ,she still lay quietly4   
,but she remembered a big spear which   
the husband always kept in one of the   
rooms of that hut2 so she slowly got out
 of bed1 and very softly went to the    
corner of the room where the spear was  
standing1 and returned to bed with it4  
,the breaking of the thatch continued4  
,soon she saw the room filled with a    
strange light1 and then she saw a man   
trying to enter the roof head foremost4 
,she bravely kept still1 and watched his
 head and shoulders enter4 ,she could   
not see his face1 and did not know who  
he was4 ,but she did not wait for       
certainty2 she thrust the spear upward  
at the man's head4 ,immediately the     
figure disappeared1 and she heard a     
heavy thud as he fell to the ground into
 the street outside4  ,she now began to 
be frightened2 she no longer felt safe1 
and dreaded what might happen before    

morning4 ,so she began to get ready to  
return to town that very night4 ,she    
girded her loin garment1 fastened the   
cloth for carrying her child1 took her  
machete1 hasted out of the hut1 and     
started for her village4 ,in her fear   
she ran1 and rested by walking4 ,thus1  
alternately running and walking1 she    
reached the village so exhausted and    
weak with loss of sleep that when her   
husband's door was opened she fell      
fainting on the floor4 ,he and others   
were alarmed1 and asked1 ,what8 ,what's 
the matter8 ,as soon as she was able to 
speak1 she told the whole story4 ,they  
asked her1 ,did you see the person8 ,do 
you know him8 ,she said1 ,no2 only one  
thing ,i know3 it was a man1 and he fell
 into the street4  ,so1 when daylight   
came1 the husband and others went to the
 plantation to see whether they could   
find the man4 ,when they reached the    
plantation1 they were very much         
surprised to see that the man was this  
brother4 ,he was lying dead1 with the   

spear in his neck4  ,the husband was not
 vexed at his wife for the death of his 
brother2 he was pleased that she had so 
well defended herself4   ,v4 ,,the      
,,wizard ,,murderer4  7,my informant    
asserted that this really happened in   
the ,ogowe47  ,the parties are a husband
 and wife1 their two little children1   
and a younger brother of the husband4   
,one of the children1 a boy1 was a lad  
old enough to understand affairs4  ,the 
brother-in-law loved the woman1 and     
secretly tried to draw her affections to
 himself2 but to all his solicitation   
she gave only persistent refusal4 ,thus 
matters went on1 he asking and she      
refusing2 and then his love turned to   
hatred4  ,it happened one day that the  
husband and wife had a big quarrel of   
their own4 ,the wife was so angry that  
she said she would leave him1 take the  
children1 and go to her father's house4 
,but that home was far away1 and could  
not be reached in one day4 ,other women 
tried to prevent her going1 as she would

 have to spend the night in the forest  
on the way2 but she insisted4  ,leaving 
her clothing and other goods1 she       
started off with the two children1 a    
little food1 and her machete4 ,trying to
 make the journey in one day1 she walked
 very fast4 ,but when the sun had set1  
and soon darkness would fall1 the lad   
said1 ,mother1 as we cannot reach there 
to-night1 don't you think we'd better   
stop and arrange a sleeping-place before
 dark1 and let the spot be a little     
aside from the public path8 ,the mother 
said1 ,yes2 that is good6 ,then she gave
 the babe to the lad to hold1 while she 
with her machete began to cut away      
bushes and clear the ground for a       
convenient sleeping-spot4 ,after she had
 cut away some bushes1 the lad watching 
her1 saw that she was clearing a space  
larger than was needed for herself4 ,he 
asked her1 ,do you intend that we all   
shall sleep in that one place1--you and 
baby and ,i8 ,the mother said1 ,yes4    
,but he said1 ,why1 no6 ,fix two        

places1--,i by myself1 and you and baby 
in another place4 ,the mother replied1  
,no1 ,i cannot let you sleep alone in   
this forest2 ,i want you near me4       
,however1 the lad insisted3 ,but if     
anything happens to us in the night1    
then we will be lost all together4 ,i am
 not willing that we should be all in   
the same place4  ,so the lad began to   
search for a place for himself1 and came
 to a big tree which was not very far   
from his mother's chosen spot4 ,he      
called her to him1 and said1 ,i have    
found a good place4 ,just you clear for 
me behind this big tree1 and dig a      
trench for me to lie in1 just below the 
level of the ground4 ,the mother did so4
  ,after the two spots were cleared1    
they ate their little evening meal1 and 
night came4 ,then the lad said1 ,now ,i 
go to lie in the trench1 and you        
sprinkle leaves over me to hide me1 and 
then you go to your sleeping-place4 ,and
 if anything happens to me at night1 ,i 
promise ,i will not cry out2 ,i will    

remain silent4 ,and you promise that if 
anything happens to you1 you also will  
not cry out1 nor call to me4 ,the mother
 agreed1 and both went to sleep4  ,not  
long after this1 both were awakened by a
 strange flashing light1 and the mother 
saw some one coming to the place where  
she was lying4 ,then the light was      
suddenly extinguished2 and she saw a man
 near her1 and recognized that he was   
her brother-in-law4 ,she was exceedingly
 alarmed1 knowing that he did not come  
with good intent4 ,in her fright she    
hoped to gain time by pretending to be  
friendly with him4 ,so she exclaimed1   
,oh6 ,my young husband6 ,now you have   
come after me1 so that your brother's   
wife will not have to sleep in the      
forest alone4 ,now we will make         
friendship and be good friends4 ,but he 
replied in anger3 ,friends1 you say8    
,you shall see what kind of friends ,i  
will make with you to-night6 ,you1 the  
woman who hates me6 ,where is the lad8  
,she1 determined to shield the child1   

said1 ,the lad did not come with me2 he 
preferred to stay in town with his      
father4 ,the man replied1 ,you are not  
telling me the truth4 ,tell me where the
 lad is6 ,but she persisted in her      
statement1 ,he is left in town with his 
father4  ,then the man walked about in  
search of the lad1 going even very near 
to where he was lying awake in the      
trench4 ,but the leaves hid him1 and his
 uncle did not discern that the ground  
had been disturbed4 ,returning to the   
woman1 he said1 ,good6 you are telling  
the truth4 ,i don't see the lad4 ,but   
now ,i am ready to attend to you4 ,you  
shall see4 ,so he approached the woman  
to seize her4 ,she was so paralyzed with
 fear that she neither attempted to run 
away1 nor1 though her machete was lying 
near1 did she lay hold of it4 ,even had 
she done so1 she was too weak with her  
journey to defend herself4 ,the man     
snatched up the babe that still was     
sleeping1 and looking around for a      
rough1 projecting root1 violently flung 

the babe against it4 ,it made no cry2   
and both he and the mother supposed it  
was instantly killed4 ,then he drew his 
machete1 which he had made very sharp1  
and began to cut and slash the woman4   
,she pleaded and cried for help2 but    
there was no help near4 ,she fell1      
covered with wounds1 and died on the    
spot4 ,all this the lad saw and heard4  
,after killing the mother1 the man began
 again to search for the lad1 but did   
not find him2 and1 as it was now after  
midnight1 he left the place to go back  
to town4  ,soon after he was gone1 the  
lad1 exhausted with terror and fatigue1 
fell asleep4 ,but he awoke again in the 
early daylight4 ,arising from his       
trench1 he went with grief and distress 
to see the two corpses4 ,looking at his 
mother's blood-covered form1 he saw that
 she was dead4 ,looking at his baby     
brother lying on the root1 he took up   
the little form1 sobbing1 ,only ,i am   
alive4 ,even this little child was not  
spared4 ,am ,i to go on my journey all  

alone8 ,examining the limp body still   
further1 it seemed still to show signs  
of life2 and he said to himself1 ,i     
think ,i will try to save it4 ,i am     
strong enough to carry it to my mother's
 people1 to whom ,i shall tell this     
whole story4  ,so he took up the cloth  
in which his mother had carried the     
child1 adjusted it for himself1 placed  
the unconscious form in it1 and started 
on his journey4 ,a short distance beyond
 brought him to a brook4 ,before he     
crossed it1 he stooped to take a drink  
of water4 ,then examining the little    
body again1 he felt that it was not     
stiff and was still warm4 ,said he1 ,ah6
 perhaps it has a little life6 ,i better
 give it a drink4 ,so he tried2 and the 
baby drank4 ,he rejoiced4 ,so perhaps it
 will be alive4 ,i better bathe it4 ,and
 he did so4 ,then he crossed the brook1 
and journeyed on4 ,before he reached his
 grandfather's village1 he crossed      
another brook1 and bathed the babe1 and 
gave it a drink as at the first brook4  

,on his arrival at the village the      
people were surprised to see him without
 his mother4 ,his grandfather at once   
wanted to know his story and why he had 
come there alone4 ,said he1 ,please1    
before ,i tell my story1 try to save    
this baby4  ,after the people had looked
 to the baby's needs and saw that it    
might live1 they gathered together to   
listen to what the lad had to say4 ,when
 they had heard his account1 they       
started back with him to find his       
mother's corpse4 ,they took it up and   
carried it to her husband's village1    
there to hold palaver over the death4   
,as soon as they reached the village1   
instead of announcing themselves as     
visitors to the husband1 they went      
straight to the brother-in-law's house4 
,they found him sitting in the veranda4 
,they laid the corpse at his feet4 ,this
 so startled him that a look of guilt   
showed on his face4 ,looking at the     
party who had brought the corpse1 he saw
 among them the lad2 and at once he felt

 sure that this lad had been a witness  
of his crime4 ,he lost his self-control1
 and began to scold1 ,what do you put   
this thing at my feet for8 ,take it     
away6  ,then all the townspeople        
gathered around him1 being horrified at 
the news of the woman's death4 ,the     
husband called them all to a council1   
and the palaver was held at his house4  
,there the grandfather and the lad told 
the whole story4  ,the brother-in-law   
began to enter a denial2 but the husband
 said1 ,no1 you are guilty6 and because 
we are brothers1 and we are one1 the    
guilt is also mine2 and ,i will confess 
for you4 ,you are guilty4 ,your actions 
show it4 ,why did you become so angry as
 soon as you saw the corpse at your     
feet8  ,but the wife's family said to   
the husband1 ,we have no quarrel with   
you4 ,we want only the person who killed
 our sister1 and a fine of money for our
 loss4  ,then the husband said1 ,you are
 right2 this man killed her4 ,take him1 
and for a fine take his slaves and other

 property4 ,he has deliberately deprived
 me of a wife1 and my children of a     
mother4 ,take all he owns4 ,it was so   
done2 and the assemblage dispersed4     
,,vi4 ,,the ,,wizard ,,and ,,his        
,,invisible ,,dog4  7,this1 my informant
 asserted1 actually happened at the town
 of ,libreville1 ,gabun47  ,one night a 
young woman was alone in her house4 ,she
 was married2 but1 that particular      
night1 the husband was absent4  ,after  
she had gone to her bed for the night1  
she slept1 but not very soundly4 ,half  
awake1 she thought she heard something  
moving in the front reception-room      
7ikenga74 ,she had lowered the lamp in  
her bedroom1 but it still gave enough   
light for her to see4 ,she slightly     
opened the mosquito-net on one side and 
began to look and listen4 ,but she saw  
no one nor anything unusual in her room4
 ,but as the door between her bedroom   
and the reception-room was slightly     
ajar1 she looked toward its opening1 and
 thought she saw a figure moving in that

 room4 ,she felt sure there was some one
 there4 ,so she stepped softly out of   
the bed1 and peeped through the narrow  
opening of the door4 ,sure enough1 there
 was a man4  ,she was frightened1 but   
controlled herself4 ,she was puzzled to 
know how he had got into that room1     
whose outer door she knew she had       
fastened before she went to bed4 ,she   
crept quietly back to her bed1 and then 
began to shout1 ,who is that8 ,how did  
you get in8 ,i see you6 ,there was no   
answer4 ,the figure ceased moving1 and  
stood still4 ,the woman again cried out1
 ,who are you8 ,when did you come in8   
,what do you want8 ,the man replied in a
 low voice1 ,it is ,i6 ,she rejoined1   
,who is ',i'8 ,are you only 'me'8 ,who  
are you8 ,how did you succeed in        
entering8 ,go out6 ,so he apparently    
opened the door and went out4 ,she was  
so frightened that she did not          
immediately follow him1 nor did she make
 a public outcry4  ,awhile afterward she
 recovered self-control1 and arose and  

went into the outer room1 and assured   
herself that the outside door was fast1 
as she had left it4 ,she believed he had
 entered the closed door by witchcraft  
art4  ,the next morning she told her    
village people the story2 but she was   
afraid to mention the man's name 7for   
she knew who he was71 because many      
people thought he possessed power as a  
wizard1 and she feared he would revenge 
himself on her4 ,she told his name only 
to her mother4  ,not long afterward he  
came again to her house when she was    
alone at night1 but did not enter4 ,he  
came to the outside wall against which  
he knew her bedstead stood4 ,lying      
there1 she could see his form through   
the cracks in the bamboo wall4 ,she saw 
this as she happened to awake from      
sleep4 ,she saw his figure standing     
still1 and she heard a sound as of the  
tinkling of a bell moving about1 such as
 natives tie to the necks of their dogs 
in hunting4 ,the wizard had brought with
 him this time a small invisible beast  

to whose neck the invisible but audible 
bell was attached2 and she heard a sound
 along the bottom of the wall1 as if the
 animal was scratching a hole for its   
master's entrance4 ,this time she was so
 alarmed that she screamed aloud to the 
people of the village2 and then1 through
 the chinks in the wall1 she saw passing
 by in the street the figure of the same
 man4  ,the very next day the woman     
began to be sick of a fever4 ,for       
several days she was quite ill1 and     
people began to be alarmed for her4 ,her
 sickness grew very much worse4 ,her    
people sent for a ,senegal man1 living  
in ,libreville1 who had quite a         
reputation as a doctor in that kind of  
sickness4 ,when this doctor came1 she   
was able to speak only in a low voice1  
and she recounted to him what had       
happened4 ,he asked her to mention the  
precise spot on which the man had stood 
outside of the wall of her house4 ,she  
described to her mother the particular  
spot1 and the mother took the doctor to 

show him4 ,he scraped up clay from the  
place and mixed it in a small bowl of   
cold water4 ,he directed that after she 
had been given a bath morning and       
evening this muddy water should be      
rubbed over her body4 ,she said that    
when it was thus rubbed over her skin1  
her flesh temporarily felt as if it was 
paralyzed4  ,her sickness continued more
 than a month1 and then she recovered4  
,soon after her recovery the man who had
 attempted to enter her room1 and who   
was suspected of having caused her      
sickness by witchcraft art1 suddenly    
left ,gabun1 and went to another        
country4   ,,vii4 ,,spirit-,,dancing4   
,antyande1 a ,mpongwe woman of the town 
of ,libreville1 ,gabun1 is a leader of a
 company of ten or a dozen women in a   
certain native dance called ivanga1     
which is performed only by women4 ,some 
dance it only as an exhibition of their 
gymnastic skill2 others mix with it     
fetich and witchcraft arts1 and claim   
that their movements are under spirit   

power4 ,antyande1 more than the other   
women of the company1 uses witchcraft in
 her performances4 ,she seems almost to 
glide through the air1 alighting on the 
knees of sitting spectators without     
giving them the impression of weight1   
gyrating on small stools without moving 
the stools from their position1 and     
making many other wonderful physical    
contortions in an exceedingly graceful  
and easy manner4 ,she even goes to      
graveyards at night1 accompanied by     
three or four men and women1 to get what
 they call the spirits of the dead4 ,it 
is said by some of the men who have gone
 there with her that they do not        
understand what she does1 but that it is
 so very strange and awful that they are
 afraid4 ,the reason why she goes for   
these abambo 7ghosts7 of the graves is  
that she may be spry and alert1 and able
 to do with her body whatever she       
pleases4 ,she claims also to be         
accompanied by a leopard and a bush-cat 
that are visible to her but not to      

others4 ,as these animals are noted for 
their quick and agile movements1 and are
 under her witch-power control1 they are
 able to impart to her these qualities4 
,in ,january1 #aijb1 she was dancing her
 ivanga1 and there was a woman among the
 spectators who had been drinking to the
 point of intoxication4 ,in her         
foolishness she determined to help      
,antyande by assuming to be directress  
to keep the spectators in order4 ,but1  
being drunk1 she could not do so2 she   
only made disorder4 ,in attempting to   
make matters straight she only made them
 crooked4 ,antyande asked her to get out
 of her way4 ,many1 also1 of the        
spectators begged the woman to cease    
interfering2 but she would not1 and     
finally she vexed ,antyande by spoiling 
her movements in getting too close in   
front of her4 ,antyande's patience was  
exhausted1 and she suddenly revealed a  
secret that astonished many even of her 
intimate acquaintances1 saying1 ,whoever
 is related to this drunken woman1      

please tell her to get out of my way    
while ,i am dancing1 because my dance is
 not a mere gymnastic exercise4 ,i have 
leopards and bush-cats about me1 and if 
she comes too near me1 and the tails of 
these animals should twist around her   
legs1 then she will get a sickness3 and 
if that happens1 her people must not    
hold me responsible for it1 for ,i have 
given you this warning4 ,this surprised 
many of the people2 for they had        
supposed she was nothing more than an   
unusually graceful dancer1 and that her 
success was purely physical4 ,now1      
publicly1 she admitted that the power in
 her limbs and body causing her graceful
 undulations was a supernatural one4 ,so
 some of the women laid hold of the     
drunken woman1 and induced her to get   
out of the way4   ,illustration3 ,,ekope
 ,,of ,,the ,,ivanga ,,dance4--,,gabun4 
,while dancing1 ,antyande wears a wide  
belt called ekope1 which is made with   
white and red stripes1 and adorned with 
fringes of small bells in bands like    

sleigh-bells4 ,it is known that her     
ekope has been heard and seen moving as 
if in the rhythm of a dance in her own  
room when she was not visibly there4    
,those who heard the sound of its bells 
would think she was there practising the
 dance2 but when they went to look1 they
 saw it moving1 but did not see her4 ,a 
few months afterward1 a report came at  
night to the villages that ,antyande was
 very much excited and could not sleep2 
that she had gone to her room for the   
ekope1 and that it was not there4 ,so   
she began to make a great fuss1 and     
begged her associates to keep watch and 
go with her to search for the missing   
ekope4 ,some of these friends were      
willing2 others were not1 and these went
 to their beds4 ,she then went to other 
villages and told the people there3 ,my 
ekope has gone out on a promenade4 ,have
 you seen it8 ,these people were among  
the chief dancers of her band4 ,but they
 told her they did not know where the   
ekope was4 ,so she began to ejaculate a 

prayer3 ,oh1 please1 you went out for a 
walk2 come back to me1 for if you do not
 return1 then ,i am lost4 ,it will be   
death to me4 ,just before daylight1 as  
she was still wandering about with her  
friends1 and singing ivanga songs to    
attract her ekope1 suddenly she and two 
of her friends heard the tinkling of the
 bells among the bushes lining a certain
 road which passes by a ,roman ,catholic
 chapel4 ,they all went in the direction
 of the sound of the bells1 and entering
 a cluster of the bushes1 they saw the  
ekope moving to and fro4 ,she was so    
glad to see it1 and she bade one of her 
companions to go and get it4 ,but the   
woman was afraid1 and refused1 saying1  
,me6 ,oh1 no6 ,go and get it yourself6  
,so she went to it1 singing her ivanga  
song1 seized it1 and brought it to her  
house4  ,as she is noted for her grace  
and skill in that particular dance1     
another woman1 by name ,ekmina1 asked   
her to give her power such as hers1 as  
she also wished to be leader of another 

band of ivanga dancers4 ,antyande       
assented1 saying1 ,well1 do you want    
spirits with it8 ,the other replied1    
,yes1 ,i want two4 ,so the two women1   
with a young man to escort them1 went at
 night to the graves and obtained the   
two desired spirits4 ,it is these which 
give them spirit power4 ,when under     
their influence1 their bodies are       
thrilled with a new essence which makes 
them very light and causes them to act  
and speak as if insane4 ,the two women  
came back to ,antyande's village1 and   
she performed all the magic ceremonies  
that ,ekmina wanted4  ,some time after  
this1 when ,ekmina had practised much   
and had danced publicly several times1  
people began to say to her that she     
danced very well1 and soon she was      
invited to give exhibitions in various  
places4  ,one day it happened that the  
two women had arranged to dance on the  
same night1 each with her own party1 at 
villages quite distant from each other4 
,antyande asked ,ekmina to give up her  

play for that night and join with her1  
for1 said she1 ,i want to make mine     
grand2 and you wait for yours another   
day4 ,but ,ekmina was not willing4      
,antyande tried to get her to change her
 mind1 and was very much displeased     
because she refused4 ,ekmina said1 ,i   
will not give up1 for my dance is by    
special invitation at ,awondo village1  
so ,i have to go4 7,libreville is three 
miles long2 one end is called ,glass1   
and ,awondo is at the other end47       
,ekmina lived at ,glass1 and on her way 
to ,awondo she had to pass the village  
of ,antyande4 ,the latter said to       
herself1 ,as ,ekmina is not willing to  
do as ,i wish1 and ,i was the one who   
gave her this power1 ,i will watch her  
as she passes1 and see what ,i will do4 
,so1 when ,ekmina passed at night with  
her party to ,awondo1 ,antyande watched 
her chance as ,ekmina neared her4 ,she  
went behind her1 and did some magic act 
which would make the latter powerless to
 dance and not be aware of her loss of  

power4 ,when ,ekmina reached ,awondo and
 commenced her play1 she was not able to
 dance at all4 ,she tried till midnight1
 and failed4 ,she suspected that        
,antyande was the cause of the failure1 
for the latter had not been friendly    
since their unsatisfactory talk4 ,so she
 took a portion of her party that same  
night back to ,antyande's village1 told 
the latter her trouble1 and begged her1 
,please1 if you have taken away the     
power1 give it back1 so ,i may finish   
the dance to-night4 ,antyande said1 ,no2
 you would not listen to me4 ,i am a    
chief dancer1 and you are praised as the
 same4 ,go and dance6 ,ekmina said1 ,but
 please give me back the power2 ,i am   
not able to dance without it4 ,antyande 
replied1 ,no1 go to the graveyard and   
get other spirits there for yourself4   
,so there was no dance done by ,ekmina  
that night4   ,,viii4 ,,asiki1 ,,or     
,,the ,,little ,,beings4  ,people       
believe that ,asiki 7singular ,isiki7   
were once human beings1 but that wicked 

men1 wizards and witches1 or other      
persons who assert that they have memba 
7witchcraft powers71 caught them when   
they were children and could not defend 
themselves1 nor could their cries for   
help be heard when playing among the    
bushes on the edge of the forest4 ,these
 wicked persons cut off the ends of the 
children's tongues1 so that they can    
never again speak or inform on their    
captors4 ,they carry them away1 and hide
 them in a secret place where they      
cannot be found4 ,there they are        
subjected to a variety of witchcraft    
treatment that alters their natures so  
that they are no longer mortal4 ,this   
treatment checks their entire physical1 
mental1 and moral growth4 ,they cease to
 remember or care for their former homes
 or their human relatives1 and they     
accept all the witchcraft of their      
captors4 ,even the hair of their head   
changes1 growing in long1 straight black
 tresses down their backs4 ,they wear a 
curious comb-shaped ornament on the back

 of their head4 ,it is not stiff or     
capable of being used as a comb1 and is 
made of some twisted fibre resembling   
hair4 ,the ,asiki value it almost as a  
part of their life4  ,these ,asiki will 
sometimes be seen walking in paths on   
dark nights1 and people meet them coming
 toward them4 ,it is believed that in   
their meeting1 if a person is fearless  
by natural bravery1 or by fetich power  
as a wizard or witch1 and dares to seize
 the ,isiki and snatch away the comb1   
the possession of this ornament will    
bring him riches4 ,but whoever succeeds 
in obtaining that comb will not be      
allowed to remain in peaceful possession
 of it4 ,the poor ,isiki will be seen at
 night wandering about the spot where   
its treasure was lost1 trying to obtain 
it again4  ,it happened in the year     
#aija that there was a report1 even in  
civilized ,gabun1 about these           
,asiki1--that two of them were seen near
 a certain place on the public road at  
that part of the town of ,libreville    

known as the ,plateau1 where live most  
of the ,french traders and government   
officers4 ,a certain ,frenchman1 who is 
known as a freemason1 in returning from 
his #h ,p4 ,m4 dinner at his            
boarding-house to his dwelling-place1   
observed that a small figure was walking
 on one side of the road1 keeping pace  
with him4 ,he accosted it1 ,who are you8
 ,there was no answer2 only the figure  
kept on walking1 advancing and          
retreating before him4  ,also1 a few    
nights later1 a ,negro clerk of a white 
trader met this small being on that very
 road1 and near the spot where the      
,frenchman had met it1 and it began to  
chase the ,negro4 ,he ran1 and came     
frightened to his employer's office1 and
 told him what had happened4 ,his       
employer did not believe him1 laughed at
 his fears1 and told him he was not     
telling the truth4 ,the very next night 
the ,frenchman1 the trader1 and other   
white men and ,negro women were sitting 
in conversation4 ,the trader told the   

story of his clerk1 whereupon the       
,frenchman said1 ,your clerk did not    
lie2 he told the truth4 ,i have myself  
met that small being two or three times1
 but ,i made no effort to catch it4 ,the
 women told him of the comb-ornament    
which ,asiki were believed to wear1 and 
of the pride with which ,asiki regarded 
it1 and the value it would be to any one
 who could obtain it4 ,then the         
,frenchman replied1 ,as the little being
 is so small1 the very next time ,i see 
it ,i will try to catch it and bring it 
here1 so that you can see it and know   
that this story is actually true4       
,illustration3 ,a ,,street ,,in         
,,libreville1 ,,gabun4   ,on a          
subsequent night they two--the          
,frenchman and the trader--went out to  
see whether they could meet the ,isiki4 
,they did not meet with it that night2  
but a few evenings later the ,frenchman 
went alone1 and met the ,isiki near the 
place where it had first been seen4 ,the
 ,frenchman ran toward it and tried to  

catch it2 but it being very agile eluded
 his grasp4 ,but1 though he failed to   
seize its body1 he succeeded in catching
 hold of its comb1 and snatched it away1
 and ran rapidly with it toward his     
house4 ,it did not consist of any hard  
material as a real comb1 but was made of
 strands resembling the ,isiki's hair1  
and braided into a comb-like shape4 ,the
 little being was displeased1 and ran   
after him in order to recover the       
ornament4 ,having no tongue1 it could   
not speak1 but holding out one hand     
pleadingly and with the other motioning 
to the back of its head1 it made        
pathetic sounds in its throat1 thus     
inarticulately begging that its treasure
 should be given back to it4 ,on nearing
 the light of the ,frenchman's house it 
retreated1 and he showed the ornament to
 other white men and some native women4 
7,so positive was my informant that the 
names of these men and women were       
mentioned to me47 ,he said to the       
trader1 ,you doubted your clerk's story4

 ,have you ever seen anything like this 
in all your life8 ,they all said they   
had not4 ,it was reported that many     
other persons hearing of it went there  
to see it4  ,from that night the little 
being was often seen by other ,negroes4 
,it was always holding out its hand1 and
 seemingly pleading for the return of   
its comb4 ,this made the ,negroes afraid
 to pass on that road at night4 ,the    
,frenchman also often met it2 it did not
 chase him1 but followed slowly1        
pleading with its hands in dumb show1   
and occasionally making a grunting sound
 in its throat4 ,this it did so         
persistently and annoyingly that the    
,frenchman was wearied with its begging1
 and determined that the next night he  
would yield up the comb4 ,but he went   
prepared with scissors4 ,he found the   
little being following him4 ,he stopped1
 and it approached4 ,he held out his    
hand with the ornament4 ,as the ,isiki  
jumped forward to snatch at it1 the     
,frenchman tried to lay hold of its     

body2 but it was so very agile that1    
though it had come so near as to be able
 to take the comb from the ,frenchman's 
hand1 it so quickly twisted itself aside
 as to elude his grasp4 ,he however     
succeeded in getting his hands in its   
long hair1 and snipped off a lock with  
his scissors4 ,the ,isiki ran away with 
its recovered treasure1 and did not seem
 to resent the loss of a portion of its 
hair4 ,this hair the ,frenchman is said 
to have shown to his companions at their
 next evening conversation1 and ,i was  
given to understand that he had sent it 
to ,france4 ,it was straight1 not       
woolly1 and long4  ,these ,asiki are    
supposed not to die1 and it is also     
believed that they can propagate2 but so
 complete has been the parent's change  
under witchcraft power that the ,isiki  
babe will be only an ,isiki and cannot  
grow up to be a human being4  ,it is    
asserted that ,asiki are now made by a  
sort of creative power 7just as leopards
 and bush-cats are claimed to be made1  

and used invisibly7 by witch doctors4   
99       99       99       99       99  
,i am only writing these tales1 ,i am   
not explaining them4 ,some of the       
statements in the above story are too   
circumstantial to be denied4 ,but there 
is a wide margin for uncertainty as to  
what one might see after the            
conviviality of an #h ,p4 ,m4 ,west     
,african dinner4 ,in my sudden leaving  
of ,gabun in ,june1 #aijc1 ,i had not   
time to interrogate the men and women   
named as having seen the ,isiki's tress 
of hair4   ,,ix4 ,,okove4  7,the        
incidents of this story really occurred1
 and independent of the fetich belief in
 okove power1 are true4 ,at the request 
of my native informant the names of the 
two tribes are suppressed1 for the sake 
of the living descendants of the two    
kings47  ,there was an old king of one  
of the principal tribes of ,west        
,equatorial ,africa who had great power 
and was held in great respect and fear2 
there was none other his equal4  ,he had

 brothers and cousins4 ,one of these    
cousins had a servant1 a slave1 who had 
been bought from an interior tribe4 ,it 
happened that this man had not always   
been a slave1 but in the tribe from     
which he had been sold he was a freeman4
 ,the charge on which he had been sold  
by his own tribe was that of sorcery and
 witchcraft murder1 the death penalty   
for which had been commuted to sale into
 slavery4 ,he was deeply versed in a    
mystery of a certain fetich or magic    
power called ,okove4 ,he possessed it so
 powerfully that no one was able to     
overcome him in contests of strength1   
and people were greatly afraid of him4  
,so his owners intended to get rid of   
him by selling him out of the country4  
,to do this1 they planned to catch him  
in the daytime2 for he exercised his    
okove power chiefly at night1 when he   
could change himself into a powerful    
being ready to overcome any one who     
should resist him4  ,one night when this
 great king1 who also possessed the     

okove power 7though it was not generally
 known71 went out to inspect1 he saw a  
big tall man walking up and down near   
his premises4 ,the king said to him1    
,ho6 who are you8 ,the man answered1 ,it
 is ,i4 ,the king asked1 ,who is ,i8    
,the man replied daringly1 ,i have      
already told you that ,i am ,i4 ,so the 
king asked again1 ,who are you8 ,where  
did you come from8 ,and what are you    
doing here8 ,the man said1 ,i go        
everywhere1 and do what ,i please at    
other people's places1 and so ,i have   
come here4 ,the king commanded him1     
,but1 no1 not at this place4 ,this is   
mine4 ,go back to your own6  ,the slave 
gave answer1 ,no6 that is not my habit4 
,no one can master me6  ,the king again 
ordered him1 ,go6 ,he flatly refused1   
,no6 ,the king then said plainly1 ,are  
you not willing to leave my premises8   
,he replied1 ,no1 ,i never turn away    
from any one4 ,i go away when ,i please4
 ,when ,i am ready1 ,i will go back to  
my place4 ,at this the king1 restraining

 himself1 slowly said1 ,be it so6 and   
turned away1 leaving the slave standing 
in his yard4  ,the next day the king    
sent word for his cousin the owner of   
the slave to come2 to whom1 when he had 
arrived at the house1 the king told how 
he had seen the man at night4 ,and he   
inquired1 ,what does he do8 ,why does he
 leave his place on the plantation and  
come to my place at night8 ,the cousin  
was surprised to hear this1 exclaiming1 
,so6 indeed6 he comes here at night8    
,then he went back to his house1 and    
calling the slave1 asked him about this 
matter4 ,do you go around at night1 even
 to the king's place8 ,the man said1    
,yes4 ,his master said1 ,why do you do  
that8 ,do you hear of other lower-caste 
people daring to go to the king's at    
night8 ,he answered1 ,no2 but it is ,i  
who do as ,i please4 ,his master told   
him1 ,no2 you better return to the      
plantation1 and live among the other    
slaves4 ,he replied ,i will go1 but not 
now4 ,his master asked him1 ,but what   

are you waiting for8 ,he only repeated1 
,yes2 but not now4  ,the very next      
night1 on the king's going out as usual1
 he found this slave again at his place1
 and said to him1 ,so6 you here again8  
,the man replied1 ,yes2 just what ,i    
told you last night1 that ,i do what ,i 
please1 and ,i can master anybody4 ,then
 the king said1 ,i warn you plainly1    
clear off from my place6 ,he replied1   
,no1 ,i do not intend to clear out2 but 
,i am ready for a fight4  ,the king     
asked1 ,you really want a fight with me8
 ,the man answered1 ,yes1 ,i am ready   
for it4 ,said the king1 ,it is well4    
,the fight began1 each with his full    
okove power4 ,in such contests1 the     
power is able to change the contestants'
 bodies to many forms4 ,the slave was   
quick in his use of them4 ,his first    
change was to the form of a big gorilla4
 ,this also the king met4 ,as the fight 
went on1 the next form was into that of 
leopards4 ,the fight went on1 with      
frequent changes2 the slave always being

 the first to change4 ,after a while the
 slave seemed to be growing tired1 and  
the king asked him1 ,are you through8   
,he answered1 ,no1 only resting4 ,again 
the fight was resumed4 ,finally1 the    
slave took an eagle's form2 the king did
 the same4  ,presently the slave seemed 
to hesitate1 and the king said1 ,you    
said you wanted a fight4 ,well1 let us  
go on with it4 ,they continued2 but the 
slave seemed to be exhausted1 and the   
king said1 ,now1 are you willing to     
leave the place8 ,he answered1 ,no2 my  
fatigue is not yet so great as to make  
me leave your place4 ,the king had held 
his power in reserve1 and had been      
tolerant of the man's audacity2 but he  
now resumed his human form1 took his gun
 7the slave had none71 and aiming it1   
off it went1 and wounded him4 ,being    
wounded1 the slave had to acknowledge   
that he was overcome1 and he had to go4 
,when morning came1 the slave was not   
able to get up to go about his work1 and
 remained in bed4 ,the gun-shot wound   

was a small one1 and he was conscious   
that he was dying of some other cause4  
,he sent some one to the master's house 
to ask him to come4 ,when his master    
came1 he said1 ,ah6 master6 ,i have     
something to say to you4 ,please plead  
for me6 ,the master said1 ,plead for    
you6 ,for what8 ,the slave then told    
him1 ,i went around last night to the   
king's place4 ,he told me to leave1 and 
,i was not willing to do so4 ,so we had 
a great fight4 ,and ,i am conquered4    
,but please plead for me1 that he may   
make me well4  ,the master replied1 ,did
 ,i not advise you not to go there1 but 
rather to stay at your plantation8 ,he  
assented4 ,but please plead1 and ,i will
 stay at the plantation4  ,the master   
answered1 ,i do not think the king will 
be willing to help you4 ,nevertheless1  
being a cousin1 he went privately to the
 king1 and told him all that the slave  
had told him4 ,the king refused1 saying1
 ,no1 ,i am not going to do anything for
 him4 ,he must die4 ,the next day the   

slave was dead4   7,another illustration
 of that king's okove power was narrated
 to me47  ,there had been ill-feeling   
between this king's tribe and an        
adjacent inferior tribe who had killed  
two of the king's chief men without     
cause1 coming suddenly upon them at     
night in their fishing-camp4 ,the king's
 people were very much troubled about   
it1 and asked to be led to war4 ,but the
 old king said1 ,you young people don't 
know anything4 ,if you go to war1 there 
will be much blood shed on both sides4  
,leave the matter with me4 ,i will      
attend to it myself4  ,so at night he   
went by himself to the town of the king 
of the offending tribe1 and remained    
there waiting in ambush on the path4    
,early next morning four of the women   
belonging to that town had gone to their
 gardens with their baskets to get food4
 ,the old king followed them secretly4  
,after all of them had filled their     
baskets1 two lifted them upon their     
backs and started to return to their    

town4 ,the other two were just stooping 
7as is the custom in lifting burdens1   
leaning forward on one knee in order to 
place their backs against the basket1   
with a strap passing around the basket  
and over their foreheads71 when the king
 came behind then and struck their necks
 with his okove4 ,they instantly died in
 that stooping position4  ,the two women
 who had gone on ahead reached their    
town without knowing what had happened  
to the other two4 ,they waited in town a
 long time for the two absent ones to   
come4 ,but when they did not make their 
appearance1 the people began to ask     
those women about the other two4 ,they  
said they knew nothing about the delay1 
only that they had left them ready to   
come and preparing to lift their        
baskets4 ,the townspeople1 anxious      
because it was late in the day1 went out
 to search for the women4 ,they found   
them on the path1 dead by their baskets4
 ,they examined their bodies for some   
mark or wound or sign of a blow4 ,there 

was none4 ,this very much perplexed     
them1 for they did not suspect the cause
 of their death4 ,they carried the dead 
bodies to town4 ,the next night the king
 went again to that same town1 and he   
happened to meet the other king at the  
boat-landing of the town4 ,so the old   
king made complaint to the other why the
 servants of the latter had killed his  
two chiefs4 ,the other made no reply1   
having no justification of what his     
people had done4  ,then the old king    
said1 ,as your people have done this1   
there is war between us2 and he struck  
him with his okove4 ,and he added1 ,do  
you know that ,i have already begun war 
with your people8 ,did you not find two 
of your women dead yesterday at your    
gardens8 ,i killed them4 ,but ,i am not 
through with you4 ,i want you to pay a  
fine1 and ,i want the man who killed my 
two chiefs1 for the lives of the two    
women are not equivalent to those of my 
two chiefs4  ,the other king felt he was
 conquered by some unseen power1 and did

 not resist4 ,he agreed to give up the  
murderer and pay a fine4 ,the next day  
he had the murderer caught and brought  
before a council4 ,he told them that the
 old king of the other tribe wanted the 
life of that man and a sum of money for 
the lives of his two chiefs4  ,they     
began to collect on the spot goods and  
food of all kinds1 and many things of   
little value1 with which to make simply 
the appearance of a full canoe4 ,they   
tied the prisoner1 put him in the canoe1
 and went with him and the goods to the 
old king4 ,he received them4  ,but at   
night he went again to the other king1  
and began to rebuke him1 saying that    
what he had sent was not sufficient4    
,the other made a protest3 ,i have given
 you enough1--the lives of the two      
women1 the one man1 and goods equivalent
 to two more lives4 ,i have thus given  
you five for your two4  ,but the old    
king1 in tribal pride1 reckoned the sex 
and social position of his two men      
greater than any five of an inferior    

tribe1 and said1 ,how dare you speak to 
me like that8 ,you shall surely die6 ,he
 struck him with his okove1 and went    
away4  ,the next day the other king was 
not able to leave his bed and sent for  
many of his people to come1 saying that 
he had a special word to speak to them4 
,they came1 and he told them all about  
the death of the two women1 and all that
 had occurred between him and the old   
king4 ,and now1 he said1 ,i am dying4   
,we are overcome4 ,it is useless to     
resist4 ,i want you to remember1 as long
 as the world stands1 never to fight or 
quarrel with the tribe of that king4    
,then he turned his face to the wall and
 died4   ,x4 ,,the ,,family ,,idols4    
7,to a village on the ,st4 ,thom or left
 bank of ,gabun ,bay1 or ,river1 away up
 a winding mangrove stream1 and on the  
edge of the forest that was broken by   
pieces of prairie1 ,i went1 in          
,february1 #aijc1 to visit a friend1 a  
sick ,christian woman1 who was in the   
care of a relative of hers named ,adova4

  ,there were only five huts in the     
village4 ,at the first one from the edge
 of the prairie1 which was assigned to  
me in which to sleep1 on a bench outside
 under the low eaves1 was a roughly     
carved wooden idol1 about fourteen      
inches in height4 ,from the dressing of 
the hair of its head1 ,i supposed it to 
be intended for a female4 ,its loins    
were covered with a narrow strip of     
cloth4 ,near it was what could scarcely 
be recognized as a dog1 its head looking
 more like a pig's1 and its tail more   
like an alligator's4 ,the figures were  
chalked and painted2 and near them were 
a few gourd utensils for eating and     
drinking1 and some medicinal barks4     
,subsequently1 at night1 in a           
curtained-off corner of my room1 ,i saw 
three low baskets1 in each of which was 
a pair of wooden images not six inches  
high4 ,they were chalked1 and adorned   
with strips of various-colored cloth4   
,in each basket also was a wooden       
hourglass-shaped article that seemed    

intended for a double bell4 ,pieces of  
medicinal barks filled up the spaces in 
the baskets4 ,the images were relics of 
ceremonies held over twins born long ago
 in the family4  ,at the other end of   
the village1 in a very small roughly    
built hut1 open on one side1 were two   
other idols1--one1 a male1 standing and 
chalked and painted4 ,the female in an  
ornamented box was not visible2 near    
them was a nondescript animal4  ,the    
story of these idols1 as told me by my  
friend 7who has since died71 is more    
especially connected with this pair47   
,,part ,i4 ,,ok,,si4  ,it was made by a 
,loango man1 a fetich doctor1 very many 
years ago4 ,the ,mpongwe family that    
to-day owns these relics had sent south 
to ,loango1 to the ,fit or ,ba-,vili    
tribe1 to bring to ,gabun for this      
special purpose this celebrated         
magician4  ,when he arrived1 the chief  
of the family who had summoned him went 
with him off to the forest1 with all the
 medicines1 and so forth1 which the     

,loango man had brought4 ,this occurred 
on that same left side of the river     
where ,i was visiting4  ,the magician   
began to explain everything in the way  
of directions about the medicines that  
were to be put into the hollow of the   
abdomen of the idol 7and which to-day is
 still covered by a small round mirror  
fastened over it74 ,after explaining all
 these matters1 he gave also all the    
orunda 7prohibitions71 viz43 ,the idol  
must not be allowed to fall on its face2
 it must have a small hut for shelter   
from rain and sun3 it must be given a   
light at night1 at least of coals of    
fire4 ,after this1 he began to carve the
 idol4 ,after making the male of the    
pair1 and before making its female1 he  
made a duplicate of the male1 exactly   
like it1 except that it was only an     
imitation without any magic power2 and1 
instead of medicines1 only powdered     
charcoal was put into the hollow in its 
abdomen1 which1 however1 was to be      
covered with glass1 exactly as the real 

one4  ,when these two idols were        
finished1 the two men1 the magician and 
the chief of the family1 went with them 
far into the forest4 ,the ,loango said1 
,i will put these here1 and when we go  
back to your town ,i will give the power
 of olg a certain kind of spirit to one 
of your women4 ,if she receives it      
properly1 she herself1 without knowing  
our path1 will come to this forest1 and 
will make no mistake in choosing the    
real idol from the imitation2 and she   
will bring it to me in the town4 7,it is
 a rule with the native sorcerers that  
if the one who aspires to the power     
should make a mistake in this choosing1 
she must pay a fine of from #fj to      
#ajj47  ,when all was arranged1 the     
,loango man said1 ,now let us go back to
 town4 ,so they turned back4 ,but when  
they had gone half of the way1 he said  
to himself1 ,this ,gabun man now knows  
everything1 and where the idols are1 and
 which is the real one4 ,it is his      
sister who wishes to receive the power2 

he will go and tell her everything1 and 
she will make no mistake1 not by reason 
of her possessing power1 but by his     
private information4 ,so the ,loango    
said1 ,go you to the town1 await me     
there2 ,i will come soon4 ,and he turned
 back into the forest by himself1 took  
up the two idols from where he had laid 
them down1 went in another direction and
 hid them there1 and then returned to   
town4  ,he then gave the power to the   
woman1 and said1 ,go and bring the olg4 
,she started1 went with only a little   
power1 and was going at random2 but     
before she had gone half-way1 she came  
under the full power4 ,then she turned  
her face right and left1 and gave an olg
 yell1 seeking to know which way the    
power would lead her4 ,at once then she 
knew which was the way2 and she went    
running and shouting frantically1 under 
the influence of this power1 to the     
precise spot1 and took up the real idol1
 making no mistake about the imitation  
one4 ,holding it aloft1 she returned1   

shouting and dancing1 under the ,delphic
 frenzy4 ,she entered the town singing  
and dancing in the street1 and then laid
 the idol at the feet of the ,loango    
man4 ,he took it1 and knew it was the   
right one4 ,he then went to the forest  
and brought also the other1 the         
duplicate4 ,when he returned1 he went   
with it and the real one to the ogwerina
 7backyard7 to show to the ,gabun man   
the slight difference in the two 7which 
he knew by a private mark74 ,in doing   
this he had to take off the little      
mirrors and show the difference between 
the medicines and the charcoal4 ,and he 
again closed the mirrors4 ,then1 just to
 test the woman1 the magician said to   
her1 ,go and bring me the idol ,i have  
left in the ogwerina4 ,she went there1  
still under the power1 and with a       
frenzied scream seized the right one and
 brought it to him4 ,he was half glad   
and half disappointed2 for had she      
mistaken1 he would have received more   
money4  ,then the townspeople held a    

great dance1 and the ,loango taught them
 special songs for the olg4 ,the female 
of the pair of idols had also been made 
about the same time as the male1 but    
with no special ceremony4  ,all being   
finished1 the magician named his fee for
 his services1 was paid1 and went back  
to ,loango4  ,this idol was intended as 
a family fetich1 to protect the family  
at night1 and to kill any one who would 
attempt to injure any of the members4   
,the name of this male of the pair was  
,oksi4  ,the name of the other one1 that
 was under the eaves of the hut in which
 ,i slept1 was                          
,kk-gi-bl-dyambo-gi-bl-ve4 ,these are   
,shekyani words1 and mean               
,a-great-log-may-rot-but-a-spoken-word-d
ies-never4 ,that meant that if an enemy 
came and injured any one in the town1   
the wrong would never be forgotten and  
would surely be avenged4 ,that idol     
might almost stand for a statue of      
,vengeance4  ,the above proverb comes   
from a tale of a cruel old ,shekyani    

chief4  ,,part ,,ii4 ,,barbarity4  ,once
 there was a very powerful ,shekyani    
chief named ,ogwedembe4 ,he had many    
sons and daughters and slaves and slave 
children and nieces and nephews4 ,he had
 also a brother4 ,his principal delight 
was in fighting and killing4  ,ogwedembe
 used to go out on excursions1 and would
 say to his company1 ,now we are out of 
town4 ,that meant that all restraint was
 cast aside1 and that he was ready to   
kill the first person they might meet1  
even without a cause4  ,one day when    
they were out and were passing through a
 thick forest1 they saw a man up a tree 
who had come for palm-wine and had      
filled two of the gourd-bottles used for
 that purpose4 ,so ,ogwedembe shouted to
 him1 ,indeed6 what are you doing there8
 ,have you not heard that ,ogwedembe and
 his brother are out of town8 ,come down
 quickly and meet us here6  ,the man did
 not dare disobey1 and came down4       
,ogwedembe took the gourds1 and said1   
,you may have one2 ,i and my brother    

will drink the other4 ,after the        
drinking1 ,ogwedembe stripped the man of
 his clothing1 leaving him standing     
naked and trembling4 ,in his terror the 
man did not attempt to escape4          
,ogwedembe drew his knife1 and repeated 
his questions1 ,who told you to come    
here8 ,did you not know that ,ogwedembe 
and his brother were out in the forest8 
,now ,i will fix you2 and you can carry 
the news to your town that ,ogwedembe   
and his brother are in the forest4  ,he 
then seized a portion of the man's body1
 and with his butcher-knife horribly    
mutilated him4 ,the man started1        
bleeding1 to go to his town1 and died on
 the way4  ,the section of country in   
which ,ogwedembe's portion of the       
,shekyani tribe lived was south of      
,gabun1 toward the ,orungu people at the
 mouth of the ,nazareth branch of the   
,ogowe ,river4 ,sometimes he and his    
brother would travel in their war canoes
 all the way from their place1 and1     
passing ,gabun1 would go on northward to

 attack the ,benga of ,cape ,esterias   
without cause and in sheer ruthlessness4
  ,some of his daughters and sisters    
were married to ,mpongwe chiefs at      
,gabun4 ,at times his daughters and     
nieces would go and visit him4 ,they    
would be received with firing of guns   
and other great demonstrations1 and on  
leaving would be laden with presents4   
,about twenty years ago one of his      
sisters1 named ,akanda1 died in the     
prime of life4 ,she lived at ,gabun1 her
 husband a ,mpongwe4 7,she was the      
mother of ,adova1 my hostess1 who is    
apparently about sixty years of age1 and
 has a younger brother apparently about 
thirty years of age47 ,so1 when that    
sister died1 ,ogwedembe came to ,gabun1 
on the ,st4 ,thom side1 to the funeral4 
,my sick friend happened to be there at 
the time 7for1 by family marriage1 she  
is a cousin to ,adova7 and saw the old  
chief4  ,ogwedembe1 according to native 
custom1 demanded of the husband a fine  
for his sister's death 7as if due to    

lack of proper care of her74 ,when that 
was paid1 as a sign that no ill-will was
 retained1 ,ogwedembe was to give the   
widower another wife4  ,during this     
discussion ,ogwedembe kept saying1 ,i   
wish my sister had not been married to a
 ,mpongwe1 for it is not your custom to 
shed blood for this cause4 ,but ,i feel 
a great desire to kill some one4 ,if    
this had been a ,shekyani marriage1 ,i  
would have gone from town to town       
killing as ,i chose4 ,the ,mpongwe      
replied1 ,but we have no such custom4   
,he answered1 ,yes1 ,i know that4 ,i    
only said what ,i would like to do1     
though your tribal custom will not allow
 me to do it4  ,his demand of a fine    
being finally yielded to and paid1 to   
show his peaceful intentions1 he gave   
the husband one of his daughters1 a     
widow who had with her two children1--a 
son and a daughter1--and who afterward  
bore him other children4  ,ogwedembe's  
bloody instincts were suppressed at that
 funeral1 and he remained awhile after  

the close of the mourning ceremonies1   
making friendly visits among his        
,mpongwe sons-in-law1 and then went back
 to his ,shekyani country4  ,a short    
time after that the eldest daughter of  
that woman ,akanda 7my hostess ,adova7  
and her husband ,owondo visited         
,ogwedembe4 ,he made a great welcome for
 them1 with dancing and rejoicing of    
various kinds4 ,every day he sent his   
people to fish and hunt1 to obtain food 
for ,adova and the children she had with
 her4  ,before ,adova left1 ,ogwedembe  
called his principal wife and his       
grandchildren1 and said1 ,when ,i die1  
you who are here in ,shekyani1 do not   
remain here1 but go to ,gabun and live  
with ,akanda's children all the rest of 
your life4 ,when he finally died1 they  
obeyed and came to ,st4 ,thom1 of       
,gabun1 bringing their idols with them4 
,the one female image that was under the
 eaves of the house in which ,i slept   
was for guarding their families2 but the
 three sets of twins were to prevent    

their mothers from becoming barren4     
,,part ,,iii4 ,,the ,,right ,,of        
,,sanctuary4  7,it was an ancient and   
universal custom that a refugee1 by     
clasping the knees of the king of any   
other tribe1 could claim his protection4
 ,the king was bound to accept the      
claim4 ,the obligation he thus assumed  
was sacred47  ,while ,adova was there at
 ,shekyani country1 visiting ,ogwedembe1
 there came to him an ,orungu man with a
 little slave boy1 carrying a box4 ,as  
soon as they entered the town1 both of  
them came to ,ogwedembe1 and kneeling   
and clasping his feet1 claimed his      
protection1 and promised voluntarily to 
be under his authority4  ,the old chief1
 without asking the cause of their      
flight or their reason for coming to    
him1 assented1 and summoned the town to 
make the ,ukuku 7,spirit-,society of    
,law7 ceremony of installing the man and
 his slave boy as members of their      
,shekyani tribe4  ,adova and her husband
 were very kind to this adopted brother1

 and he at once became exceedingly      
intimate with them4  ,at night this new 
man had been assigned to the house      
occupied by ,ogwedembe1 in a room near  
him1 so that he could watch him that he 
should not run away1 now that he        
belonged to ,ukuku4 ,but it was not     
known that this man possessed all the   
power of nyemba 7sorcery74 ,ogwedembe   
also had power for fighting1 and a      
certain amount of knowledge that warned 
him not to be deceived by sorcerers4    
,after two days1 on the third night1    
this man rose1 and tried to go to       
,ogwedembe's room1 to put some          
witchcraft medicine on him4 ,but        
,ogwedembe saw him coming1 rose1 seized 
his staff1 walked toward the man in the 
darkness1 and struck him violently on   
the head4 ,the man fell4 ,but neither of
 them uttered any word1 nor made any    
outcry4  ,very early in the morning     
,ogwedembe got up1 went out1 and sat on 
the veranda of his house4 ,he called to 
,adova1 ,come1 ,i want to tell you      

something4 ,she came1 and he said1 ,i   
had a bad dream last night4 ,if any one 
comes to you to-day to ask you to make  
medicine for a sore head1 do not do it4 
,who is it8 she asked4 ,he refused4 ,no1
 ,i will not tell you4 ,but ,i know that
 before to-day is over some one will    
come to you1 but do not help him4  ,the 
,orungu got up late that day and looked 
and felt dull4 ,when he left his room1  
he sent his boy to call ,adova4 ,the boy
 went4 ,she came to him4 ,he said1      
,can't you find medicine for a headache8
 ,i did not sleep well4 ,my head pains  
too much4 ,she said1 ,i do not know a   
medicine for that kind of headache4 ,the
 old chief was sitting near1 and1       
looking significantly at the ,orungu1   
said to ,adova1 ,yes1 that is right4    
,the next night the man said1 ,i do not 
wish to sleep here to-night4 ,i will go 
to an adjacent village1 and will be back
 in the morning4 ,well1 go1 assented    
,ogwedembe1 but be sure to be back in   
the morning4 ,and the man said1 ,yes4   

,scarcely had he left the town to go to 
the other village1 when there came to   
,ogwedembe three people from a certain  
,orungu town carrying a message from    
their ,orungu chief1 thus3 ,the chief   
sent us1 saying1 ',please give up this  
man who came to you and who claimed your
 protection4 ,give up the man4 ,you do  
not know his habits2 they are the habits
 of a worm that in eating spoils only   
the best4 ,he1 with his sorcery1 always 
aims at killing the greatest4 ,if you do
 not give him up1 there will be war2 for
 our chief has had this same demand made
 on him from a third chief whose people 
this man has been killing1 and our chief
 will have to make war with you4'       
,ogwedembe laughed4 ,you say 'war' to   
me8 ,that is nothing to me4 ,you cannot 
do it4 ,war cannot touch me4  ,when the 
message of the ,orungu chief was being  
sent to ,ogwedembe1 some of the         
attendants on the delegation had awaited
 half-way on the route1 and only the    
three had brought the message4          

,ogwedembe said to these three          
messengers1 ,go and call your chief1 and
 we will talk about it4  ,the chief     
came4 7,all this while the man was away 
at the other village1 not having kept   
his promise to return47  ,ogwedembe said
 to the ,orungu chief1 ,it is           
impossible4 ,the law is sacred4 ,i will 
not give him up4 ,but in his heart he   
felt1 ,i am protecting a sorcerer who   
has tried to kill me2 better ,i take the
 money for his extradition1 and send him
 away4 ,he and the chief went on        
discussing4 ,the point was made that the
 sorcerer having himself broken his     
obligation1 by attempting to injure his 
adopted father1 relieved that father of 
his ,ukuku duty of protection4          
,ogwedembe began to yield1 and to name  
the number of slaves that should be     
given him as the price of giving up the 
man4 ,the ,orungu chief demurred to the 
price3 ,it is too much6 ,so ,ogwedembe  
brought down the price to six           
slaves1--three slaves1 and three bundles

 of goods equal to the price of three   
slaves4 ,and it was so settled4 ,then   
the ,orungu chief said1 ,i will go in   
haste to my town to get you the goods2  
but as to the three slaves1 this man's  
boy must be counted as one of them4     
,there was a dispute over this1         
,ogwedembe claiming that the boy was not
 guilty of any crime1 and that his right
 to protection still existed4 ,the      
,orungu insisted that the boy1 being a  
slave1 must follow the fortunes of his  
master1 must be extradited as one with  
him1 and then would of their own will be
 released by them from the penalty of   
his master's guilt4 ,ogwedembe          
consented4 ,so the ,orungu chief and his
 people went to get the goods1 on the   
promise that ,ogwedembe would have the  
man caught and ready to be delivered to 
them4  ,at once ,ogwedembe sent word to 
the man to fulfil his promise of        
returning to the town1 and told his sons
 to be ready early next day to have the 
man caught and tied1 ready for delivery 

on arrival of the goods4  ,next day     
,ogwedembe1 seeing the man coming to    
him1 came out of his house to meet him1 
and speaking ewiria 7hidden meaning71   
called out to his people1 ,sons1 have   
you tied up the bundle of bush-deer     
meat8 ,oh yes1 father1 we'll have it    
ready just now1 as they came running to 
him4 ,then they suddenly fell upon the  
man1 dragged him inside the house1 began
 to strip off his clothing1 and tied    
him4 ,he at once knew that there was no 
mercy1 and he did not resist2 but he    
said to his boy1 ,call me ,adova and her
 husband4  ,but she knew he was naked1  
so she told her husband to go and hear  
what the man had to say4 ,owondo went1  
and the man said1 ,owondo1 ,i have no   
friends here2 only you and ,adova have  
been kind to me1 so ,i call you my      
friend4 ,untie this small strip of cloth
 ,i have about my waist4 ,i have four   
silver dollars there4 ,i am going to    
die4 ,these dollars are of no use to me2
 you and your wife take them4 ,my box is

 in ,adova's care2 she must have the few
 things in it4 ,so ,owondo untied the   
girdle1 took the money1 and went out4   
,shortly afterward the ,orungu people   
came1 bringing the goods and slaves1 and
 took away the man4 ,he was taken by the
 three messengers to the half-way camp1 
where they had left their attendants4   
,there were no houses there for shelter1
 and only their mosquito-nets as tents4 
,they stopped there with the intention  
of passing the night1 and next day of   
going on to their ,orungu town4  ,when  
it came evening they began to prepare   
their sleeping-places1 and at bedtime   
one by one they went to lie down4 ,a    
large branch from an overhanging tree   
fell very near the bed of one of the    
,orungu leaders1 which was adjoining    
that of the sorcerer4 ,so they all said1
 ,ah6 we see what is being done by his  
arts4 ,if this has begun so soon1 who   
knows what will happen before morning8  
,let us start at once4  ,so they all    
made ready that very night1 and went out

 of the forest1 down to the beach1 and  
got into their boat 7as they had come   
part of the way by sea74  ,not long     
after they had started the sea became   
very rough4 ,soon the boat capsized1    
broke to pieces1 and all their goods    
were lost4 ,they all escaped ashore1 but
 the sorcerer was missing4 ,they waited 
on the beach until daylight1 and then   
found his loin cloth washed ashore4     
7,his hands had been tied47 ,they       
believed that he had caused the storm1  
and was willing to die with them in the 
general destruction rather than survive 
to be put to death by the torture to    
which sorcerers were usually subjected4 
,so these people sent back word to      
,ogwedembe and to the nearer villages to
 let them know what had happened to     
them1 and they returned to their ,orungu
 country by land4  ,the little slave    
boy1 who had been left with ,ogwedembe  
as one of the three to be given as the  
price of extradition1 was shortly       
afterward given by him as a present to  

the sick friend ,i was visiting that    
day4 ,she stated that he was a most     
faithful servant and affectionate       
attendant on her infant daughter4 ,he   
stayed with her1 and died in her service
 a few years later1 about #ahhc2 and she
 mourned for him1 for she had treated   
him1 not as a slave1 but as a son4      
,,xi4 ,,unago ,,and ,,ekela-,,mbengo4   
7,in the presence of theosophy1         
telepathy1 thought-transference1        
astrophysics1 and wireless telegraphy1  
the following ,benga legend has at least
 a standing-place4 ,it was written more 
than forty years ago by an educated     
native in the ,benga dialect4 ,i        
translate it into ,english1 preserving  
some of the native idiom47  ,unago and  
,ekela were great friends4 ,they lived1 
,unago at ,mbini in ,eyo 7,benito       
,river72 ,ekela at ,jeke in ,muni 7the  
river ,muni1 opposite ,elobi islands in 
,corisco ,bay4 ,the two rivers are at   
least forty miles apart2 ,ekela is      
supposed to make the journey in two     

hours47  ,they were accustomed1 if one  
killed a wild animal1 to send for the   
other4 ,one day ,unago killed a hog4    
,then he sent for his friend ,ekela4 ,he
 at ,mbini said1 ,oh1 ,chum ,ekela6     
start you out very early in the morning 
hither4 ,come to eat a feast of pig4    
,and his children would say1 ,father1   
your friend at ,jeke1 and you right     
here1 will he hear8 ,said he1 ,yes1 he  
will hear4 ,and so ,ekela1 off there1   
would say to his children1 ,do you hear 
how my friend is calling to me8 ,his    
children answered1 ,we do not hear4     
,says he1 ,yes1 my friend has called me 
to eat pig there to-morrow4  ,before    
daybreak ,ekela takes his staff and his 
fly-brush and starts4 ,when the sun is  
at the point of shining at ,corisco1 he 
reaches ,mbini4 ,unago says to his      
children1 ,did ,i not say to you that he
 can hear8  ,and so they eat the feast2 
the feast ended1 they tell narratives4  
,in the afternoon ,ekela says1 ,chum1   
,i'm going back4 ,unago says1 ,yes4     

,having left him after escorting him    
part of the way1 this one goes on1 and  
that one returns4 ,when ,ekela1 going on
 and on1 reaches clear to ,jeke1 then   
day darkens4 ,when his children see the 
lunch which he brings1 then they believe
 that he has been at ,mbini4   ,a       
,,proverb3 ,,manga ,,ma ,,ekela4        
7,manga means the sea2 secondarily1 the 
sea-beach2 thirdly1 by euphemism1 a     
latrine1 or going to a latrine4 ,for the
 sea-beach is used by the natives for   
that purpose1 they going there          
immediately on rising in the morning4   
,they stay1 of course1 but a short time4
 ,if one should stay very long1 this    
proverb would be used of him1 because   
,ekela1 when he went1 stayed and made a 
journey of fifteen or twenty miles47    
,ekela was accustomed1 if he started out
 early to the seaside in the morning1 to
 say1 ,i am going to manga2 then he went
 on and on1 clear on to ,hondo 7a place 
at least fifteen miles distant74        
,passing ,hondo1 his manga would end    

only wherever he and his friend ,unago  
met4 ,there having told their stories1  
they then each returned4 ,this one went 
to his village1 and that one to his     
village4 ,when ,ekela was about to go   
back to his village1 then he would leave
 his fly-brush at the spot where he and 
his friend had been2 and when he would  
arrive at home1 he would say to his     
children1 ,go1 take for me the fly-brush
 which was forgotten of me1 there at the
 sea1 on the place where ,i was4 ,follow
 my foot-tracks4 ,when the children     
went1 it was step by step to ,hondo1 and
 the foot-tracks were still farther     
beyond4  ,the children1 wearied1 came   
back together unto their father1 and    
said1 ,we did not see the brush4 ,when  
he went another morning1 then he himself
 brought it4   ,,xii4 ,,malanda--,,an   
,,initiation ,,into ,a ,,family         
,,guardian-,,spirit ,,company4          
7,manjana was my cook at ,batanga in    
#aijb4 ,he is a young married man with  
several small children4 ,he is of a     

mild1 kindly disposition1 obliging and  
smiling1 without much force of          
character1 slightly educated1 civilized 
in manner and dress1 but without even a 
pretence of ,christianity2 at heart a   
heathen1 though a member of the ,roman  
,catholic church1 into which he         
consented to be baptized as the means of
 obtaining in marriage his wife1 who had
 been raised in that church4  ,his      
,romanism sat lightly on him1 for he    
voluntarily attended my ,protestant     
evening-prayers1 taking his turn with   
others in reading verses around in the  
chapter of ,scripture for the day2 then 
he liked to take part in the general    
conversation which followed about native
 beliefs and native customs4  ,yk1 or   
family fetich1 is no longer1 at         
,batanga1 a matter of dread1 even to the
 heathen2 so ,manjana was not afraid to 
tell me freely what happened when he was
 initiated into it as a lad4 ,i wrote   
down his story hastily1 as soon as he   
left that evening4 ,i later wrote it out

 in full1 while it was all fresh in my  
memory4 ,i could not exactly reproduce  
his graphic native words1 so ,i did not 
attempt them4 ,the description is my    
own4 ,but ,i followed exactly the line  
of his story1 and used only his         
thoughts4 ,he said37  ,i knew that a    
house was being built on the edge of the
 forest1 a short distance from our      
village4 ,i and other lads and young men
 assisted the strong adult men who were 
building it4 ,but ,i did not then know  
for what purpose or why it was being    
built4 ,i remembered afterward that no  
girls or women were either assisting or 
even lounging about it1 watching the    
process of building and chatting with   
the workmen1 as when other houses were  
built4 ,i did not know that they had    
been told not to look there4 ,i         
remembered afterward that the house was 
located separately from the other houses
 of the village1 but that did not just  
then strike me as strange4 ,somewhat    
similar houses had been built1 as       

temporary sheds in making a boat or     
canoe4 ,such houses are built rapidly1  
and not with the same care as is used in
 the erection of dwellings4 ,so it did  
not occur to me as noticeable that this 
house was finished in the short time of 
two weeks4 ,one gable of it was left    
open4  ,nor did ,i connect its erection 
with the fact that a prominent man of   
our family had died just two weeks      
before4 ,i know now that1 in the manner 
of his death1 or in things that happened
 immediately afterward1 the elders of   
the family had seen inauspicious signs  
that made them fear that evil was being 
plotted against us4 ,as ,i now know1    
some six or eight of our leading adult  
male members of the family had had a    
secret consultation1 and had decided    
that ,malanda should be invoked4  ,i did
 not then know much about ,malanda4 ,i  
knew the name1 that it was a power1 that
 it was dreaded2 but how or why ,i had  
not been told4  ,i know now that while  
this house was being built one or two   

other men were carving an image of a    
male figure2 also1 that when the house  
was completed1 that very night some of  
those elders had secretly disinterred   
the corpse that had been already two    
weeks in its grave1 and had brought it  
to that house4 ,there they had extracted
 two teeth1 and had fastened them in the
 hollowed-out cavities representing the 
eyes of the image1 and had hidden them  
there by fastening over them1 with a    
common resinous gum of the forest1 two  
small pieces of glass4 ,and they had    
stood the image1 painted hideously1 on  
the cover of a large box1 made of the   
flexible inner bark of a tree1 at the   
closed end of the house4  ,then they had
 cut off the head of the corpse and had 
scooped out its rotten brains4 ,these   
they had mixed with chalk and powdered  
red-wood and the ashes of other plants1 
and had tied up the mixture carefully in
 a bundle of dry plantain leaves4 ,i    
already knew and had seen such things   
regarded as very valuable medicine1 used

 to rub on the forehead or other parts  
of the body4 ,then they had tied the    
headless corpse erect against a side    
wall of the house1 keeping its arms     
extended by cross pieces of wood4  ,the 
first that ,i knew that anything unusual
 was about to occur was early one       
morning1 just after the completion of   
the house1 when the voices of the elders
 were heard in the street1 ,malanda has 
come6 ,the women and girls were         
frightened4 ,they knew they were not to 
look at ,malanda4 ,and we lads were     
oppressed with a vague dread that       
subdued us from our usual boisterous    
plays4 ,we knew the name ,malanda4 ,it  
was a power1 it was mysterious4 ,mystery
 is a burden2 it might be for good or   
for evil4  ,immediately all the adult   
men went into the forest4 ,in about an  
hour they returned1 bearing on their    
shoulders a long1 large log of a tree4  
,they cast it into the middle of the    
street1 facing the sun4 ,the hour was   
about #h ,a4 ,m4  ,they sternly ordered 

about twenty of the young men and lads  
to sit down on the log4 ,the mystery    
that had burdened me now fell heavier4  
,our mothers and sisters were afraid to 
look on us1 even with sympathy4 ,these  
men were our fathers and uncles and     
elder brothers1 but their voices were   
harsh1 their faces set with severity1   
their eyes had no light of recognition  
as relatives1 and their hands handled us
 roughly4 ,i was dazed and helpless in  
my own village and among my own         
relatives1 but not a word of pity nor a 
look of even kindness from a single     
person6 ,each of the twenty also was too
 occupied with his own destiny to speak 
to a fellow victim4 ,as far as our      
treatment was concerned we might have   
been slaves in another tribe4 ,with no  
will of our own we blindly did as we    
were bidden4  ,we were told to throw our
 heads back1 bending our necks to the   
point of pain1 and to stare with        
unblinking eyes at the sun4 ,as the sun 
mounted all that morning1 hot and       

glaring1 toward the zenith1 we were     
sedulously watched to see that we kept  
our heads back1 arms down1 and eyes     
following the burning sun in its ascent4
 ,my throat was parched with thirst4 ,my
 brain began to whirl1 the pain in my   
eyes became intolerable1 and ,i ceased  
to hear2 all around me became black1 and
 ,i fell off the log4  ,as each one of  
us thus became exhausted or actually    
fainted1 we were blindfolded and taken  
to that house4 ,on reaching it still    
blindfolded ,i knew nothing that was    
there4 ,i smelled only a horrible odor4 
,the same rough hands and hard voices   
had possession of me4 ,though           
blindfolded1 ,i could feel that the eyes
 that were looking on me were cruel4    
,it was useless to resist1 as they began
 to beat me with rods4 ,my outcries only
 brought severer blows4 ,i perceived    
that submission lightened their strokes4
 ,when finally ,i ceased struggling or  
crying1 the bandage was removed4 ,the   
horror of that headless corpse standing 

extending its rotting arms toward me1   
and the staring glass eyes of the image 
overcame me1 and ,i attempted to flee4  
,that was futile4 ,i was seized and     
beaten more severely than before1 until 
,i had no will or wish1 but utter       
submission to the will of whatever power
 it might be1 natural or supernatural1  
into whose hands ,i had fallen4  ,when  
all twenty of us had been thus reduced  
to abject submission1 we were treated   
less severely4 ,some kindness began to  
be shown4 ,our physical wants were      
looked after and regarded4 ,food and    
drink were supplied us4 ,i observed an  
occasional look of recognition4 ,i began
 to feel that ,i was being admitted into
 a companionship4 ,there was something  
manly in the thought of being entrusted 
with a secret to which younger lads were
 not admitted and from which all of     
womankind were debarred4 ,this gave me a
 sense of elevation4 ,there were some   
people whom ,i could look down upon6 ,it
 began to be worth while to have        

suffered so much4 ,i began to be        
accustomed to the corpse of my relative4
 ,true1 ,i was a prisoner2 but the days 
were relieved by a variety of           
instructions and ceremonies practised   
over us by the doctor4  ,at first we    
were1 in succession1 solemnly asked     
whether we were possessed of any        
witchcraft power 7o na jemba8 ,have you 
a witch87 ,elsewhere we all would have  
indignantly denied having any such evil 
doings4 ,but in the face of that corpse1
 under the presence of the unknown power
 to which we were being introduced1 in  
the hands of a pitiless inquisition1 and
 with the obliteration of our own wills1
 we did not dare lie4 ,would not the    
power know we were lying8 ,we told what 
we imagined to be the truth2 some       
admitted1 some denied4  ,the ,yk bundle 
was opened2 some of its dust was added  
to the brain-mixture 7already           
mentioned74 ,of this compound an        
ointment was made4 ,on the breasts of   
those who denied were drawn commendatory

 longitudinal lines of that ointment4   
,on the breasts of those who admitted   
were drawn corrective horizontal lines  
with the same mixture4 ,instructions    
appropriate to our respective condition1
 as witch possessed or non-possessed1   
were given by the doctor4  ,we were     
interested also in watching the digging 
of a pit in the floor of the house4     
,when this had reached a depth of over  
six feet1 a tunnel was driven laterally 
under one of the side walls1 and opening
 out1 a rod or two beyond1 where a low  
hut was built to conceal it4 ,into this 
tunnel the doctor and three or four of  
the strongest of the elders carried the 
corpse1 and left it there for about ten 
days1 the doctor passing much of that   
time with it4  ,after we had been in the
 house almost twenty days1 although     
still confined1 ,i did not feel that ,i 
was a prisoner2 ,i was deeply interested
 in seeing and taking part in this great
 mystery4 ,i no longer dreaded the dead4
 ,even if physical pain were yet to be  

inflicted on me1 ,i would take it gladly
 as the price of a knowledge which      
ministered to manly pride4 ,i was being 
made a sharer in the rights and         
possession of the family                
guardian-spirit4  ,a few days after this
 the corpse1 now reduced almost to a    
skeleton1 was brought up from the       
tunnel1 and bisected longitudinally4    
,the halves were laid a few feet apart1 
parallel and a short distance away from 
the two sides of the house4 ,we were    
gathered in two companies against the   
walls1 and were told to advance toward  
each other1 carefully stepping over1 and
 by no means to tread on1 our half of   
the remains4 ,and the two companies met 
in the centre4  ,we now felt we were    
free1 though not formally told so4 ,we  
had made a fearful oath of secrecy4 ,we 
preferred to remain and assist in the   
final order of the house4 ,the doctor   
and elders now disarticulated the       
skeleton 7for such it was1 the man being
 dead now at least five weeks1 and the  

decomposed flesh having almost all      
fallen away74 ,the bones were put into  
the bark box on which stood the image4  
,they were an addition to the contents  
of the ,yk1 or family fetich4 ,then1 at 
the close of three weeks' confinement in
 the house1 we emerged in procession1   
the elders bearing the box and the image
 on the top1 and proceeded to the       
village street4 ,there the box and image
 were set2 and a joyous dance was       
started with drum and song1 with all the
 people of the village1 male and female4
 ,a sheep or goat was killed1 and a     
feast prepared4 ,while the dance was    
going on1 the elders around the box were
 bowing and praying to the image on     
their knees4 ,from time to time a man   
would parade by1 lifting his steps high 
and bowing low1 and as suddenly erecting
 himself and strongly aspirating1 ,hah6 
hah6 ,and the village was glad1 for it  
felt sure no evil could now come to it4 
,i was safe1 and ready1 at the next time
 of danger1 to assist in torturing the  

next younger set of lads1 for was ,i not
 a freeman of the family                
guardian-spirit8  ,the box and image    
were stowed away in a back room of the  
village headman's dwelling1 who would   
often take a plate full of food to it1  
as a sacrifice1 and sometimes an        
offering of cloth or other goods2 and   
the village felt safe4  ,nevertheless1  
the house was not torn down2 it stood   
empty and unused4 ,but if1 even a year  
later1 evil still fell on the village1  
the elders knew that something about the
 ,malanda had not been rightly          
performed4 ,and it must all be done over
 again with the next dead adult male    
7never a female7 and with a new lot of  
neophytes4  ,a woman may be subjected to
 a part of the above ceremonies if she  
is suspected of witchcraft1 or if1 on   
examination1 she confess to using black 
art4 ,to purge her of this evil1 and to 
counteract the consequences of what she 
may have done1 she is taken to the      
little hut over the end of the tunnel1  

and some of the above described         
ceremonies are performed over her2 but  
she is never taken into the house1 nor  
into the presence of the corpse4        
,,xiii4 ,,three-,,things ,,came ,,back  
,,too ,,late4  7,the following narrative
 was told me by a ,batanga native       
,christian woman who1 herself less than 
thirty years of age1 is a               
great-granddaughter of the man one of   
whose wives was the witch of this story4
 ,i bade her1 in giving me the account1 
to speak1 not from her present          
,christian standpoint and her only      
slight superstitious bias1 but from the 
full heathen view-point4 ,the confusing 
mixture of singular and plural pronouns 
referring to the witch is an exact      
reproduction of my informant's words47  
,the great-grandfather was a heathen and
 a polygamist4 ,he had four wives4 ,one 
of them was a member of an interior     
tribe1 the ,boheba1 more heathenish and 
superstitious than his own ,batanga     
coast tribe4 ,unknown to him1 she was a 

member of the ,witchcraft ,society1 had 
power with the spirits1 and they with   
her1 attended their secret night        
meetings1 and engaged in their          
unhallowed orgies4  ,the husband1 though
 not a member of the society1 had       
acquired some knowledge of witchcraft   
art1 and1 though without the power to   
transform himself1 as wizards did1 was  
able to see and know what was being done
 at distances beyond ordinary human     
sight4  ,one night she arose from her   
bed to go and attend a witchcraft play4 
,she left her physical house1 the       
fleshly body1 lying on the bed1 so that 
no one not in the secret1 seeing that   
body lying there1 would think other than
 it was herself1 nor would know that she
 was gone out4 ,in her going out she    
willed to emerge as ,three-,things1 and 
this triple unit went off to the        
witchcraft play4 ,the husband happened  
to see this1 and watched her as she     
disappeared1 saw where she went1 and1   
though distant and out of sight1 knew   

what she was doing4 ,so he said to      
himself1 ,she is off at her play2 ,i    
also will do some playing here2 she     
shall know what ,i have done4  ,among   
the several things of which followers of
 witchcraft are afraid1 and which weaken
 their power1 is cayenne pepper4 ,so    
this man gathered a large quantity of   
pepper-pods from the bushes growing in  
the behu 7kitchen-garden71 and bruised  
them in a mortar to a fine soft pulp4   
,this he smeared thoroughly all over the
 woman's unconscious body as it lay in  
her bedroom4 ,he left not the smallest  
portion of her skin untouched by the    
pepper1--from her scalp1 and in the     
interstices of her fingers and toes1    
minutely over her entire body4          
,meanwhile1 with the woman at her play1 
the night was passing4 ,the witches'    
sacred bird1 the owl1 began its early   
morning warning hoot4 ,she prepared to  
return4 ,as she was returning1 the first
 morning cock-crow also warned her to   
hasten1 lest daybreak should find her   

triple unit outside of its fleshly      
house4 ,so the three came rushing with  
the speed of wind back to her village4  
,her husband was on the watch2 he heard 
this panting sound as of a person       
breathing rapidly1 and felt the impulse 
of their wind as she reached her hut and
 came in to re-enter their house4  ,he  
saw her approach every possible part of 
the body1 seeking to find even a minute 
spot that was not barred by the pepper4 
,she searched long and anxiously1 but in
 vain2 and in despair they went and hid 
herself in a wood-pile at the back of   
one of the village huts1 waiting in     
terror for some possible escape4  ,all  
this the husband saw silently4 ,when    
morning light finally came1 he knew that
 this wife was dead1 for her life-spirit
 had not succeeded in returning to its  
body within the specified time4 ,it was 
therefore a dead body4 ,but he said     
nothing about it to any one1 and went   
off fishing4  ,as the morning hours were
 passing while he was away and the      

woman's door of her hut was still       
closed1 his children began to wonder and
 to say1 ,what is this8 ,what is the    
matter8 ,since morning light our        
father's wife has not come out into the 
street4 ,after waiting awhile longer1   
their anxiety and curiosity overcame    
them1 and they broke in the door4 ,there
 they saw the woman lying dead4 ,they   
fled in fear1 saying1 ,what is this that
 has killed our father's wife8 ,they    
went down to the beach to meet him as he
 returned from fishing1 and excitedly   
told him1 ,father1 we have found your   
,boheba wife dead6 ,the man1 to their   
surprise1 did not seem grieved4 ,he     
simply said1 ,let another one of my     
wives cook for me2 ,i will first eat4   
,still more to their surprise1 he added1
 ,and you1 my children1 and all people  
of the village1 do not any of you dare  
even to touch the body4 ,only1 at once1 
send word to her ,boheba relatives to   
come4  ,this warning he gave his people1
 lest any of them should sicken by      

coming close to the atmosphere that the 
witch had possibly brought back with her
 from her play4  ,by the time he had    
finished eating1 the woman's relatives  
had arrived4 ,they were all heavily     
armed with guns and spears and knives1  
and were threatening revenge for their  
sister's death4  ,the man quietly bade  
them delay their anger till they had    
heard what he had to say2 and took them 
to the woman's hut1 that they themselves
 might examine the corpse1 leaving to   
them the chance of contamination4  ,they
 examined2 they lifted up the body of   
their sister1 and searched closely for  
any sign of wound or bruise4 ,finding   
none1 but still angry1 they were        
mystified1 and exclaimed1 ,what then has
 killed her8 ,and they seated themselves
 for a verbal investigation4 ,but the   
man said1 ,we will not talk just yet4   
,first stand up1 and you shall see for  
yourselves4 ,as they arose1 the man     
said1 ,remove all those sticks in that  
wood-pile4 ,you will find the woman     

there4 ,so they pulled away the sticks2 
and there they found ,three-,things4    
,there6 said the husband1 see the reason
 why your sister is dead6 ,at that the  
relatives were ashamed1 and said1       
,brother-in-law6 we have nothing to say 
against you1 for our eyes see what our  
sister has done4 ,she has killed        
herself1 and she is worthy to be        
punished by fire4 7,burning was a common
 mode of execution for the crime of     
witchcraft47  ,in her terror at being   
unable to get back into her mortal body1
 the ,three-,things1 all the while she  
was hidden in the wood-pile1 had        
shrivelled smaller and smaller until    
what was left were three deformed       
crab-shaped beings1 a few inches long1  
with mouths like frogs4 ,these1         
paralyzed with fear1 could not speak1   
but could only chatter and tremble4  ,so
 the relatives seized these             
,three-,things1 and also carried away   
the body2 and1 followed by all the      
people of the village1 they burnt it and

 them on a large rock by the sea4       
99       99       99       99       99  
,that rock ,i pass very often as ,i walk
 on the beach4 ,at high tide it is cut  
off from the shore a distance of a few  
yards2 at low tide one can walk out to  
it4 ,it is only a few hundred yards from
 our ,batanga ,mission ,station4        
,,chapter ,,xvii  ,,fetich ,,in         
,,folk-,,lore   ,the telling of         
,folk-lore ,tales amounts1 with the     
,african ,negro1 almost to a passion4   
,by day1 both men and women have their  
manual occupations1 or1 even if idling1 
pass the time in sleep or gossip2 but at
 night1 particularly with moonlight1 if 
there be on hand no dances1 either of   
fetich-worship or of mere amusement1    
some story-teller is asked to recite4   
,all know the tales1 but not all can    
recite them dramatically4 ,the audience 
never wearies of repetition4 ,the       
skilful story-teller in ,africa occupies
 in the community the place filled in   
civilization by the actor or            

concert-singer4  ,this is true all over 
,africa4 ,in any one region there are   
certain tales common to all the tribes  
in that region4 ,but almost every tribe 
will have tales distinctive to it4 ,it  
is part of native courtesy to ask a     
visitor to contribute his local story to
 the amusement of the evening4  ,some of
 these tales are probably of ancient    
origin1 as to their plot and their      
characters4 ,i am disposed to give the  
folk-lore of ,africa a very ancient     
origin4 ,ethnology and philology trace  
the ,bantu stream from the northeast1   
not by a straight line diagonally to the
 southwest1 but the stream1 starting    
with an infusion of ,hamitic 7and       
perhaps ,caucasian7 blood in the ,nubian
 provinces1 flowed south to the ,cape1  
and then1 turning on itself1 flowed     
northwestward until it lost itself at   
the ,bight of ,benin4 ,that blood gave  
to the ,bantu features more delicate    
than those of the northern ,guinea      
,negro4  ,that stream1 as it flowed1    

carried with it arts1 thoughts1 plants1 
and animals from the south of ,egypt4   
,the bellows used in every village      
smithy on the ,west ,coast is the same  
as is depicted on ,egyptian monuments4  
,the great personages mentioned as kings
 are probably semi-deified ancestors1 or
 are even confounded with the ,creator4 
,it may not be only a coincidence that  
the ancient ,egyptian word ,ra exists in
 west equatorial tribes 7contracted from
 rera  my father7 with its meaning of   
,lord1 ,master1 ,sir4 ,in these tales   
the name ,ra-,mborakinda is used        
interchangeably with the ,divine ,name1 
,ra-,nyambe4  ,but it is true that a    
doubt can be raised against the         
antiquity of some of the tales1 in which
 are introduced words1 e4 g41 cannon1   
pistol1 articles not known to the       
,african until comparatively modern     
times4 ,and in the case of a few1 such  
as ,no4 ,v41 the origin is in all       
probability modern4 ,in ,no4 ,v4 the    
reader at once turns in thought to ,ali 

,baba and the ,forty ,thieves4 ,there   
the internal evidence is positive1      
either that the story was heard long ago
 from ,arabs 7or perhaps within the last
 hundred years from some foreigner71 or 
there may have been an original ,african
 story1 to which modern narrators have  
attached incidents of ,ali ,baba which  
they have overheard within the last     
fifty years from some white trader or   
educated ,sierra-,leonian4  ,but it     
would not necessarily condemn a tale's  
claim to antiquity that it had in it    
modern words4 ,such words as gun1       
pistol1 stairway1 canvas1 and others may
 be interpolations4 ,it was probably    
true long ago1 as is now the case1 that 
narrators added to or changed words     
uttered by the characters4 ,where in the
 plot some modern weapon is named1 long 
ago it was perhaps a spear1 club1 or bow
 and arrow4 ,when ,dutch and ,portuguese
 built their forts on the ,african shore
 three hundred years ago1 some bright   
narrator could readily have varied the  

evening's performance by introducing a  
cannon into the story4 ,such variations 
necessarily grew2 for the native        
languages were not crystallized into    
written ones until the days of the      
modern missionary4  ,in recitation great
 latitude is allowed as to the time     
occupied4 ,brevity is not desired4 ,a   
story whose outline could be told in ten
 minutes may be spread over two hours by
 a vivid use of the speaker's           
imagination in a minute description of  
details4 ,a great deal of repetition    
7after the manner of ,this is the house 
that ,jack built7 is employed1 that     
would be wearisome to a civilized       
audience1 but is intensely enjoyed by   
the ,african1 e4 g41 where the plot     
calls for the doing of an act for       
several days in succession1 we would say
 simply1 ,and the next day he did the   
same4 ,but the native lover of folk-lore
 will repeat the same details in the    
same words for the second and third and 
even fourth day4 ,in my reporting ,i    

have omitted this repetition4  ,i have  
purposely used some native idioms in    
order to retain local color4 ,african   
narrators use very short sentences4     
,africans in many respects are grown-up 
children4 ,one of their daily recognized
 idioms finds its exact parallel in the 
speech of our own children4 ,listen to a
 civilized child's animated account of  
some act4 ,they repeat4 ,the native does
 so constantly4 ,he is not satisfied1 in
 telling the narrative of a journey1 by 
saying curtly1 ,i went4 ,his form is1 ,i
 went1 went1 there1 there1 etc4 ,his    
dramatic acting keeps up the interest of
 the audience in the twice-told tale4   
,i4 ,,queen ,,ngwe-,,nkonde ,,and ,,her 
,,manja4  ,a king1 by name              
,ra-,mborakinda1 had many wives1 but he 
had no children at all4 ,he was         
dissatisfied1 and was always saying that
 he wanted children4 ,so he went to a   
certain great wizard1 named ,ra-,marnge1
 to get help for his trouble4  ,whenever
 any one went on any business to        

,ra-,marnge1 before he had time to tell 
the wizard what he wanted1 ,ra-,marnge  
would say1 ,have you come to have       
something wonderful done8 ,on the       
visitor saying1 ,yes1 ,ra-,marnge1 as   
the first step in his preparations and  
to obtain all needed power1 would jump  
into fire or do some other astonishing  
act4  ,so1 this day1 he sprang into the 
fire1 and came out unharmed and strong4 
,then he told ,ra-,mborakinda to tell   
his story of what he had come for4  ,the
 king said1 ,other people have children1
 but ,i have none4 ,make me a medicine  
that shall cause my women to bear       
children4 ,ra-,marnge replied1 ,yes1 ,i 
will fix you the medicine2 and after ,i 
have made the mixture1 you must require 
all of your women to eat of it4 ,so the 
wizard fixed the medicine1 and the king 
took it with him and went home4  ,his   
queen's name was ,ngwe-nkonde2 and among
 his lesser wives and concubines were   
two quite young women who were friends1 
one of whom lived with the queen in her 

hut as her little manja1 or handmaid4   
,as soon as ,ra-,mborakinda arrived1 he 
announced his possession of the         
medicine1 and ordered all his women to  
come and eat of it4 ,but ,ngwe-nkonde   
was jealous of her young maid1 and did  
not wish her to become a mother4 ,so1   
early in the morning1 she purposely sent
 the manja away to their mpindi         
7plantation hut7 on a made-up errand1 so
 that she might not be present at the   
feast4  ,at the appointed hour the king 
spread out the medicine1 and called the 
women to come4 ,they each came with a   
piece of plantain leaf as a plate1 and  
assembled to eat1 and ,ramborakinda     
divided out the medicine among them4    
,then the other of the two young women  
remembered her friend the manja1 and    
observed that she was absent4 ,so she   
quickly tore off a piece of her plantain
 leaf1 and divided on it a part of her  
own share of the medicine1 and hid it by
 her1 to keep it for the manja1 so that 
she could have it on her return from the

 mpindi4 ,in the afternoon1 when the    
manja returned1 her friend gave her the 
portion of the medicine1 and she ate it4
 ,soon after this1 all these women told 
,ra-,mborakinda that they expected to   
become mothers4  ,after a few months he 
announced to them that he was going away
 on a long trade-journey and that he    
would not return until a stated time4   
,he gave them directions that in the    
meanwhile they should leave his town and
 go to their parents' homes and stay    
there until his return4  ,now it        
happened that all these women had homes 
except the little manja2 her parents    
were dead1 but she remembered the       
locality of their deserted village4  ,so
 ,ra-,mborakinda left to go on his      
journey1 and all the expectant mothers  
scattered to the homes of their parents1
 except the manja1 who had to follow    
with the queen to her people's village4 
,but soon after their arrival at        
,ngwe-nkonde's home1 the latter began to
 treat her maid cruelly2 and finally1 in

 her severity1 she said1 ,go away to    
your own home and sojourn there1 the    
while that she knew very well that her  
manja had no home4 ,her thought and hope
 were that the manja would perish in the
 wilderness4  ,as the maid knew the spot
 where her home had been1 she left      
,ngwe-nkonde's village1 and started into
 the forest to go to her deserted       
village4 ,on arriving there1 she found  
no houses nor any remains of human      
habitation4 ,but there was a very large 
fallen tree1 with a trunk so curved that
 it was not lying entirely flat on the  
ground4 ,under this enormous log she sat
 down to rest1 and it gave her shade and
 shelter4 ,she accepted it as her place 
at which to live and slept there that   
night4 ,when she awoke in the morning1  
she saw lying near her food and other   
needed things2 but she saw no one coming
 or going4 ,a few days later on awaking 
in the morning she saw a nice little    
house with everything prepared of food  
and clothing and medicines and such     

articles as would be needed by a mother 
for her babe4 ,she stayed there1 and in 
a few days gave birth to a man-child4   
,each day in the morning she found1     
prepared for her hand1 food and other   
needed things lying near4  ,so she      
stayed there a long time till her baby  
was able to creep4 ,when the baby had   
grown strong1 she knew it was the time  
that ,ra-,mborakinda had appointed for  
the return of his women to his town4    
,she finally gathered together her      
things for the journey next day4 ,that  
night1 before she had gone to sleep1    
suddenly she saw a little girl standing 
near her1 and she heard a voice which   
she remembered as her mother's saying1  
,i give you this little girl to carry   
the babe for you4 ,but when you go back 
to ,ra-,mborakinda1 do not allow anyone 
but yourself and this girl to carry the 
child2 if you do1 the girl will         
disappear4 ,so the next morning they    
started on their journey1 the young     
mother and baby and the girl-nurse4     

,during this while each of the other    
women had also born her baby1 and they  
were now preparing to return to         
,ra-,mborakinda's town4 ,but of them all
 none had born real human beings1 except
 the manja and her young friend4 ,all   
the others had born monstrosities1 like 
snakes1 frogs1 and other creatures4     
,ngwe-nkonde had born two snails1 of the
 kind called nkla4 7,it is a very large 
snail47  ,so that day ,ngwe-nkonde was  
coming along with her nyamba 7a long    
scarf7 hung over her right shoulder1 and
 her two snails resting in the slack of 
the scarf1 as in a hammock1 over her    
left hip1 and supported by her left arm4
 ,when the manja reached the            
cross-roads1 she found the queen waiting
 there4 ,her object in waiting there was
 to know whether her maid was still in  
existence4  ,on seeing the manja1       
,ngwe-nkonde pretended to be pleased and
 said1 ,let me see the child you have   
born2 and she stepped forward to take   
the baby away from the little           

girl-nurse4 ,manja1 in her fear of her  
mistress and accustomed to submit to    
her1 forgot to resist4 ,ngwe-nkonde saw 
that the babe was healthy and           
attractive1 and she coveted it4 ,she    
exclaimed1 ,oh1 what a nice child you   
have born6 ,let me help you carry it6   
,the moment she took the baby1 the      
girl-nurse disappeared4 ,ngwe-nkonde    
deposited the babe in her scarf1 and    
gave the two snails to her manja1       
saying1 ,you carry this for me6 ,she did
 this1 intending to cause               
,ra-,mborakinda to think that the baby  
was her own2 she had no intention to    
return it to its real mother2 and the   
manja did not dare to complain4  ,so    
they went onward on their journey to the
 king's town4  ,all the women1 as they  
arrived there1 saluted each other1      
,mbolo6 ,ai6 mbolo6 ,ai6 and each told  
her story and showed her baby4 ,then    
they all brought their babies to the    
,king ,ra-,mborakinda1 that the father  
might see his children4 ,in the king's  

presence ,ngwe-nkonde took out the baby 
boy from her scarf and placed it at her 
breast to nurse4 ,but the child turned  
its head away and would not nurse1 and  
did nothing but cry and cry4 ,poor      
little manja did not dare to claim her  
own1 and she took no interest in the    
snails to show them to the king4 ,for a 
whole day there was confusion4 ,the baby
 boy persisted in rejecting             
,ngwe-nkonde's breast and kept on       
crying1 and the snails were moaning4    
,not knowing what to make of this       
trouble1 ,ra-,mborakinda went again to  
,ra-,marnge4 ,the wizard laughed when he
 saw the king coming with this new      
trouble1 for1 by his magic power1 he    
already knew all that had happened4 ,so6
 he says1 you have come with another    
trouble1 eh8 ,and at once he jumps into 
the fire1 and emerges clean and strong4 
,then the king informed the wizard what 
his difficulty was4 ,and ,ra-,marnge    
told him1 ,this is a small thing4 ,it   
does not need medicine4 ,go you and tell

 all your women each to cook some very  
nice food2 then1 sitting in a circle1   
each must put the nice food near her    
feet4 ,all the babies must be put in a  
bunch together in the centre1 and you   
will see what will happen4  ,so         
,ra-,mborakinda went back to his town   
and told the women to follow these      
directions4 ,they all did so1 except the
 queen and her manja4 ,the former did   
not put the baby boy in the bunch of the
 other babies1 but retained him on her  
lap1 and tried to make him eat of her   
nice food4 ,but he only resisted1 and   
kept on crying1 and the manja1 in her   
grief and hopelessness1 had not prepared
 any nice food1 only a pottage of       
greens1 which she thought good enough   
for her present unhappiness4  ,the king 
seeing that the wizard's directions were
 not fully followed by the queen1       
compelled her to put the baby down in   
the company of the other creatures1 and 
then he and all the mothers sat around  
watching what would happen4  ,soon all  

the children began to creep1 each to its
 own mother4 ,the two snails went to    
,ngwe-nkonde1 and began to eat of her   
nice food4 ,the little baby boy crept   
rapidly toward the manja1 and began with
 satisfaction to eat of the poor food at
 its mother's feet4  ,that was a        
revelation to the king and to all the   
other mothers4 ,they were surprised and 
indignant that ,ngwe-nkonde had been    
trying to steal the baby from the manja2
 ,ra-,mborakinda deposed her from being 
queen4 ,and the other women shouted     
derision at her1 ,ngwe-nkonde6 ,o6      
o-o-o6 and drove her from the town4 ,she
 went away in her shame1 leaving the two
 snails behind1 and never returned4     
,and the king made the manja queen in   
her place4 ,and the story ends4   ,,ii4 
,,the ,,beautiful ,,daughter4  ,there   
was a married woman1 a king's daughter1 
by name ,maria1 who was very beautiful4 
,she had a magic mirror that possessed  
the power of speech1 which she used     
every day1 particularly when she desired

 to go out for a promenade4 ,she would  
then take this mirror from its          
hiding-place1 and looking at it1 would  
ask1 ,my mirror6 is there any other     
beautiful woman like myself8 ,and this  
mirror would reply1 ,mistress6 there is 
none4  ,this she was accustomed to do   
every day until she became jealous at   
the very thought of ever having a rival4
  ,subsequently she became a mother1 and
 bore a daughter4 ,she saw that the     
child was very beautiful1 more so than  
even herself4 ,this child grew in       
gracefulness2 was amiable1 not proud2   
and was unconscious of her beauty4      
,when the daughter was about twelve     
years of age1 the mother dreaded lest   
her child should know how attractive she
 was and should unintentionally rival   
her4 ,she told her never to enter a     
certain room where she had her toilet4  
,and the mother went on as formerly1    
looking into her mirror1 and then going 
out to display her beauty4  ,one day the
 daughter said to herself1 ,ah6 ,i'm    

tired of this prohibition6 ,so she took 
the keys1 and opened the door of the    
forbidden room4 ,she looked around1 but 
not observing anything especially       
noticeable1 she went out again1 locking 
the door4 ,and the next day1 the mother 
went in as usual1 and then went out for 
her walk4 ,after the mother had gone1   
the daughter said again to herself1 ,no6
 there must be something special about  
that room4 ,i will go in again and make 
a search4 ,looking around carefully1 she
 noticed a pretty casket on a table4    
,opening it1 she saw it contained a     
mirror4 ,there was something strange    
about its appearance1 and she determined
 to examine it4 ,while she was doing so1
 the mirror spoke1 and said1 ,oh1       
maiden6 there is no one as beautiful as 
you6 ,she put back the mirror in its    
place1 and went out1 carefully fastening
 the door4 ,the next day1 when the      
mother went as usual to make her toilet 
and to ask of the mirror her usual      
question1 ,is there another as beautiful

 as ,i8 it replied1 ,yes1 mistress1     
there is another fairer than you4  ,so  
she went out of the room much           
displeased1 and1 suspecting her         
daughter1 said to her1 ,daughter1 have  
you been in that room8 ,the girl said1  
,no1 ,i have not4 ,but the mother       
insisted1 ,yes1 you have2 for how is it 
that my mirror tells me that there is   
another woman more beautiful than ,i8   
,and you are the only one who has beauty
 such as mine4  ,during all these years 
the mother had kept the daughter in the 
palace1 and had not allowed her to be   
seen in public1 as she dreaded to hear  
any one but herself praised4 ,then the  
enraged mother sent for her father's    
soldiers1 and delivering the girl to    
them1 she commanded1 ,you just go out   
into the forest and kill this girl4     
,they obeyed her orders1 and led the    
girl away1 taking with them also two big
 dogs4 ,when they reached the forest1   
the soldiers said to her1 ,your mother  
told us to kill you4 ,but you are so    

good and pretty that we are not willing 
to do it4 ,you just go your way and     
wander in this forest1 and await what   
may happen4  ,the girl went her way2 and
 the soldiers killed the two dogs1 so   
that they might have blood on their     
swords to show to the mother4 ,having   
done this1 they went back to her1 and   
said1 ,we have killed the girl2 here is 
her blood on our swords4 ,and the mother
 was satisfied4  ,but in the forest the 
girl had gone on1 wandering aimlessly1  
till she happened to reach what seemed a
 hamlet having only one house4 ,she went
 up its front steps and tried the door4 
,it was not locked1 and she went in4    
,she saw or heard no one1 but she       
noticed that the house was very much in 
disorder2 so she began to arrange it4   
,after sweeping and putting everything  
in neat order1 she went upstairs and hid
 herself under one of the bedsteads4    
,but she did not know that the house    
belonged to robbers who spent their days
 in stealing1 and brought their plunder 

home in the evening4 ,when they returned
 that day1 laden with booty1 they were  
surprised to find their house in neat   
order and their goods arranged in piles4
 ,in their wonder they exclaimed1 ,who  
has been here and fixed our house so    
nicely8  ,so they prepared their food1  
ate1 drank1 and slept1 but they did not 
clean up the table nor wash the dishes4 
,and the next day they went out again on
 their business of stealing4  ,after    
they were gone1 the girl1 hungry and    
frightened1 crept out of her            
hiding-place1 and cooked and ate food   
for herself4 ,then1 as on the first day1
 she swept the floors and washed up the 
dishes4 ,and then she cooked a meal for 
the men to have it ready against their  
return in the late afternoon2 and again 
she occupied herself with the           
arrangement of the goods in the rooms4  
,then she went back to her hiding-place4
  ,when the robbers returned that day   
and laid down their booty1 they were    
again surprised to find not only their  

house in good order1 but food ready on  
the table4 ,and they wondered1 ,who does
 all this for us8  ,they first sat down 
to eat2 and then they said1 ,let us look
 around and find out who does all this4 
,they searched1 but they found no one4  
,the next day they armed themselves as  
usual to go out1 leaving the table and  
their recent load of stealings in       
disorder4  ,when they had gone1 the girl
 again emerged from her hiding-place1   
and1 as before1 cooked1 ate1 washed up1 
swept1 arranged1 and prepared the       
evening meal4  ,again the robbers1 on   
their return1 were still more           
astonished1 as they exclaimed1 ,whoever 
does this8 ,if it is a woman1 then we   
will take her as our sister4 ,she shall 
take care of our house and our goods1   
but none of us shall marry her2 but if  
it is a man1 he must be compelled to    
join in our business4  ,the next day1   
when they were all going out on their   
ways1 they appointed one of their number
 to remain behind1 hidden1 who should   

watch1 and thus they should know who had
 been helping them4  ,when they had     
gone1 the girl1 ignorant that one had   
been left to watch1 came out of her     
hiding1 and began to do as on the other 
days4 ,when she went outdoors to the    
kitchen kitchens here are all detached  
to cook1 the watcher came in sight4 ,she
 was frightened1 and began to run away2 
but he called out1 ,don't be afraid6    
,don't run1 but come here6 ,what are you
 afraid of8 ,you are not doing anything 
bad1 you have been doing us only good4  
,come here6 ,she stood and said1 ,i was 
afraid you would kill me6  ,he came to  
her1 saying1 ,what a beautiful girl to  
look at6 ,when did you come here1 and   
who are you8 ,so she told him her story4
 ,and when she had finished all the     
housework1 she sat down with this man to
 await the coming of the others4 ,when  
the others came and saw the two1 they   
said to him1 ,so you found her8 ,he     
replied only1 ,yes4 ,looking on her1    
they exclaimed1 ,oh1 what a beautiful   

girl6 ,to calm her excitement1 they told
 her1 ,do not be alarmed6 you are to be 
our sister4  ,so they took all their    
goods and put them in her care1 and     
herself in charge of the house4 ,thus   
they lived for some time1--they         
stealing1 and she taking care for them4 
,but one day1 at the palace1 the wicked 
mother began to have some uneasy doubts 
whether her soldiers had really obeyed  
her orders to kill her daughter1 and    
thought1 ,perhaps the child was not     
really killed4 ,she had a familiar      
servant1 an old woman1 very friendly to 
her4 ,to her she revealed her story1 and
 said1 ,please go out and spy in every  
town4 ,look whether you see a girl who  
is very beautiful2 if so1 she is my     
daughter4 ,you must kill her4 ,the old  
woman replied1 ,yes1 my friend1 ,i will 
do this thing for you4 ,so she went out 
and began her spying4  ,the very first  
place at which she happened to arrive   
was the robbers' house4 ,there being no 
people in sight1 she entered the house1 

and found a girl alone4 ,on account of  
the girl's great beauty1 she felt sure  
at once that this was her friend's      
daughter4 ,the girl gave her a seat and 
offered hospitality4 ,the old woman     
exclaimed1 ,oh1 what a nice-looking     
child6 ,who are you1 and who is your    
mother8 ,the girl1 not suspecting evil1 
told her story4  ,then the old woman    
said1 ,your hair looks a little untidy4 
,come here1 and let me fix it4 ,the girl
 consented2 and the old woman began to  
braid her hair4 ,she had hidden in her  
sleeve a long sharpened nail4 ,when she 
had completed the hair-dressing1 she    
thrust the nail deeply into the girl's  
head1 who instantly fell down1          
apparently dead4 ,looking at the limp   
body1 the old woman said to herself1    
,good for that6 ,i have done it for my  
friend4 ,and she went away1 leaving the 
corpse lying there1 and reported to the 
mother what she had done4 ,the mother   
felt sure her friend had not deceived   
her4  ,when the robbers returned that   

day1 they found the girl lying dead4    
,they were very much troubled4 ,they    
began to examine the corpse1 to find    
what was the cause of death1 but they   
found no sign of any wound2 and instead 
of the corpse being rigid1 it was limp2 
there was perspiration on the head and  
neck4 ,so they decided1 ,this nice      
life-looking face we will not put in a  
grave4 ,so they made a handsome casket1 
overlaid it with gold1 and adorned the  
body with a profusion of gold ornaments4
 ,they did not nail on the lid1 but made
 it to slide in grooves4 ,supposing the 
body liable to decay1 they placed the   
coffin outdoors in the air2 and to keep 
it out of the reach of any animals1 they
 hung it by the halliards of their      
flag-staff4 ,every day1 on their going  
out and on their return1 they pulled it 
down by the halliards1 drew out the lid1
 and looked on the fresh1 apparently    
living face of their sister4  ,one day  
while they were all out on their        
business there happened to stray that   

way a man by name ,eserengila           
7tale-bearer71 who lived at the town of 
a man named ,ogula4 ,coming to the      
robbers' house1 he saw no one2 but he at
 once observed the hanging golden box4  
,exclaiming1 ,what a nice thing6 he     
hasted back to his master ,ogula1 and   
called him4 ,come and see what a nice   
thing ,i have found2 it is something    
worth taking6 ,so ,ogula went with him1 
and ,eserengila pulled down the gilded  
box from the flag-staff4 ,they did not  
enter the house1 nor did they know      
anything of its character2 and they     
carried away the box in haste1 without  
looking at its contents1 to ,ogula's1   
and put it in a small room in his house4
  ,some days after it had been placed   
there ,ogula went in to examine what it 
contained4 ,he saw that the top of this 
coffin-like box was not nailed1 but slid
 in a groove4 ,he withdrew it1 and was  
amazed to see a beautiful young woman   
apparently dead4 ,yet there was no look 
or odor of death4 ,as she was not       

emaciated by disease1 he examined the   
body to find a possible cause of death2 
but he found no sign1 and wondering1    
exclaimed1 ,this beautiful girl6 ,what  
has caused her to die8  ,he replaced the
 lid1 and left the room1 carefully      
closing the door4 ,but he again returned
 to look at the beautiful face of the   
corpse2 and sighed1 ,oh1 ,i wish this   
beautiful being were alive6 ,she would  
be such a nice playmate for my daughter1
 who is just about her size4 ,again he  
went and shut the door very carefully4  
,he told his daughter never to enter    
that room1 and she said1 ,yes2 and he   
continued his daily visits there4       
,after many days ,ogula's daughter      
became tired of seeing him enter while  
she was forbidden4 ,so one day1 when he 
was gone out of the house1 she said to  
herself1 ,my father always forbids me   
this room2 now ,i will go in and see    
what he has there4 ,she entered1 and saw
 only the gilded box1 and exclaimed1    
,oh1 what a nice box6 ,i'll just open it

 and see what is inside4  ,she began to 
draw the lid out of its grooves1 and a  
human head was revealed with a splendid 
mass of hair covered with gold          
ornaments4 ,she withdrew the lid        
entirely1 and saw the form of the young 
woman1 and delightedly said1 ,a         
beautiful girl1 with such nice hair1 and
 covered with golden ornaments6 ,she did
 not know why the girl seemed so        
unconscious1 and began to say1 ,i wish  
she could speak to me1 so we might be   
friends1 because she is only a little   
larger than ,i4 ,so she gave the        
stranger's salutation1 ,mbolo6 mbolo6   
,as no response was made1 she protested1
 ,oh1 ,i salute you1 mbolo1 but you do  
not answer6 ,she was disappointed1 and  
slid back the cover1 and went out of the
 room4 ,something about the door aroused
 the suspicions of her father on his    
return to the house1 and he asked her1  
,have you been inside that room8 ,she   
answered1 ,no6 ,you told me never to go 
there1 and ,i have not gone4 ,next day  

,ogula went out again1 and his daughter 
thought she would have another look at  
the beautiful face4 ,entering the room1 
she again drew out the lid1 and again   
she gave the salutation1 ,mbolo6 ,there 
was no response4 ,again she protested1  
,oh1 ,i speak to you1 and you won't     
answer me6 ,and then she added1 ,may ,i 
play with you1 and fondle your head1 and
 feel your hair8 ,perhaps you have lice 
for me to remove8 one of the commonest  
of native ,african friendly services    
among both men and women4 ,she began to 
feel through the hair with her fingers1 
and presently she touched something     
hard4 ,looking closely1 she found it was
 the head of a nail4 ,astonished1 she   
said1 ,oh1 she has a nail in her head6  
,i'll try to pull it out6  ,instantly1  
on her doing so1 the girl sneezed1      
opened her eyes1 stared around1 rose up 
in a sitting posture1 and said1 ,oh1 ,i 
must have been sleeping a long time4    
,the other asked1 ,you were only        
sleeping8 ,and the girl replied1 ,yes4  

,then ,ogula's daughter saluted1 ,mbolo6
 and the girl responded1 ,ai1 ,mbolo6   
and the other1 ,ai6  ,then the girl     
asked1 ,where am ,i8 ,what place is     
this8 ,the other said1 ,why1 you are in 
my father's house4 ,this is my father's 
house4 ,and the girl asked1 ,but who or 
what brought me here8 ,then ,ogula's    
daughter told her the whole story of    
,eserengila's having found the gilded   
box4 ,they at once conceived a great    
liking for each other1 and started to be
 friends4 ,they played and laughed and  
talked and embraced1 and fondled each   
other4 ,this they did for quite a while4
  ,then the beautiful one was tired1 and
 she said1 ,it is better that you put   
back the nail and let me sleep again4   
,so the girl lay down in the box1 the   
nail was inserted in her head1 and she  
instantly fell into unconsciousness4    
,ogula's daughter slid back the lid1 and
 went out of the room1 carefully closing
 the door4 ,she now lost all desire to  
go out of the house and play with her   

former companions4 ,her father observed 
this1 and urged her to play and visit as
 she formerly had done4 ,but she        
declined1 making some excuses1 and      
saying she had no wish to do so4 ,all   
her interest lay in that room of the    
gilded box and beautiful girl4 ,whenever
 her father went out1 she at once would 
go to the room1 draw out the lid1 and   
pull out the nail2 her friend would sit 
up1 and they would play1 and repeat     
their friendship4 ,ogula's daughter1    
seeing that her friend's desire for     
sleep was weakness for want of food1    
daily brought her food4 ,and the girl   
grew strong and well and happy4  ,this  
was kept up many days without ,ogula    
knowing of it4  ,but it happened one    
day1 when the two girls were thus       
sitting in their friendship1 they       
continued their play and conversation so
 long that ,ogula's daughter forgot the 
time of her father's return2 and he     
suddenly entered the room1 and was      
surprised to see the two girls talking4 

,she was frightened when she saw her    
father4 ,but he was not angry1 and      
quieted her1 saying1 ,do not be afraid6 
,how is it that you have been able to   
bring this girl to life8 ,what have you 
done8  ,she told her father all about   
it1 especially of the nail4 ,then ,ogula
 sat down by the girl of the gilded box1
 and asked the story of her life4 ,she  
told him all4 ,then he said1 ,as your   
mother is the kind of woman that sends  
people to kill1 and ,i am chief in this 
place1 ,i will investigate this matter  
to-morrow4 ,i will call all the people  
of this region1 and there will be an ozz
 7palaver7 in the morning2 and you shall
 remain1 for you are to be my wife4     
,the next day all the country side were 
called1--the wicked mother1 the         
soldiers1 the old woman1 and everybody  
else 7except the unknown robbers74 ,the 
palaver was talked from point to point  
of the history1 and1 just at the last1  
this beautiful girl walked into the     
assemblage1 accompanied by ,ogula's     

daughter4  ,as soon as ,maria saw her   
daughter enter1 she started from her    
seat1 looked at the old woman1 and      
fiercely said to her1 ,here is this girl
 again6 not dead yet6 ,i thought you    
killed her6 ,the old woman was amazed1  
but asserted1 ,yes1 and ,i did4 ,i kept 
my promise to you6  ,then the girl sat  
down1 and ,ogula bade her tell her      
entire story in the presence of all the 
people4 ,so she told from the very      
beginning1--about the magic             
looking-glass1 about the soldiers1 about
 the robbers' house1 and on till the    
stay in ,ogula's house4  ,then all the  
people began to shout and deride and    
revile1 and threaten ,maria and the old 
woman4 ,this frightened the cruel ,maria
 and her wicked friend1 and they ran    
away to a far country1 and never came   
back again4  ,so the beautiful young    
woman was married to ,ogula1 and was    
happy with his daughter as a companion4 
,but the robbers1 in their secret house1
 not having heard of the ozz1 kept on   

mourning and grieving for their lost    
sister1 not knowing where she had gone  
or what had become of her4 ,and so the  
story ends4  7,the above story is       
probably not more than two hundred or   
two hundred and fifty years old2 the    
name ,maria doubtless being derived from
 ,portuguese occupants of the ,kongo    
country47   ,,iii4 ,,the ,,husband ,,who
 ,,came ,,from ,,an ,,animal4           
,ra-,nyambie in his great town had his  
wives and sons and daughters1 and lived 
in glory4  ,he had a best-beloved       
daughter1 by name ,ilmbe4 ,there is a   
certain fetich charm called ngalo1 by   
means of which its possessor can have   
gratified any wish he may express4      
,ngalo is not obtainable by purchase or 
art2 only certain persons are born with 
it4 ,this ,ilmbe was born with a ngalo4 
,while she was growing up1 her father   
made a great deal of her and gave her   
very many things1--servants and houses1 
according to her wishes4 ,when ,ilmbe   
had grown up to womanhood1 she said1    

,father1 ,i will not like a man who has 
other wives4 ,i shall want my husband   
all for myself4 ,and the father said1   
,be it so4  ,as years went on1 ,ilmbe   
thought it was time she should be       
married1 but she saw no one who pleased 
her fancy4 ,so she took counsel with her
 ngalo1 thinking1 ,what shall ,i do to  
get a husband for myself8  ,she decided 
on a plan4 ,her father's people often   
went out hunting4 ,one day1 when they   
were going out1 she said to them1 ,if   
you find some small animal1 do not kill 
it1 but bring it to me alive4  ,so they 
went out hunting1 and they found a small
 animal resembling a goat1 called mbinde
 7wild goat74 ,they brought it to her1  
asking pardon for its smallness1 and    
said1 ,we did not find anything1 only   
this mbinde4 ,she took it1 saying1 ,it  
is good4 ,then turning to one of the    
men1 she bade him1 ,just skin this very 
carefully for me2 and to another of the 
servants1 ,bring me plenty of water1 and
 put it in my bathroom for a bath4 ,each

 of these servants did as he was        
bidden1--this one flaying the animal1   
that one bringing the water4 ,when the  
one had finished flaying1 and brought   
the entire flesh to her1 she said1 ,just
 put it into this water for a bath4 ,she
 left it there two days1 soaking in the 
water4 ,the skin she put in a fire1     
burned it to black ashes1 and carefully 
saved all the ash4 ,this she did not do 
herself1 but told a servant to do it1   
cautioning him to lose none of it4 ,when
 it was brought to her1 she wrapped it  
up with care1 and put it safely away so 
that none of it should be lost4  ,on the
 third day she spoke to her ngalo1      
,ngalo mine1 ngalo mine1 ,i tell you1   
turn this mbinde to a very              
handsome-looking man6 ,instantly the    
mbinde was changed to a finely formed   
man1 who jumped out of the bath-tub1    
dressed very richly4  ,then ,ilmbe      
called one of her servants1 and bade1   
,go to my father1 and tell him ,i wish  
the town to be cleaned as thoroughly and

 quickly as possible1 because ,i have a 
husband1 and ,i want to come and show   
him to you2 so my father must be ready  
to greet us4  ,the father summoned his  
servant ,ompunga 7,wind71 who came1 and 
at once swept up the place clean4       
,ilmbe went out from her house with her 
husband1 he and she walking side by side
 through the street on the way to her   
father's house4 ,all along their route  
the people were wondering at the man's  
fine appearance1 and shouting1 ,where   
did ,ilmbe get this man8 ,when she      
reached her father's house1 he ordered a
 salute of cannon for her4 ,he was much 
pleased to see the man with the crowd of
 people1 and received him with respect4 
,having thus visited her father1 ,ilmbe 
returned to her own house with her      
husband1 the people still shouting in   
admiration of him4 ,the news spread     
everywhere about ,ilmbe's fine-looking  
husband1 and there was great praise of  
them4 ,they lived happily in their      
marriage for a while1 but trouble came4 

,ilmbe had a younger sister living still
 at her father's house4 ,one day ,ilmbe 
changed her mind about having a husband 
all to herself1 and thought1 ,i better  
share him with my younger sister4 ,so   
she went out to her father to tell him  
about it1 saying1 ,father1 ,i've changed
 my mind4 ,i want my younger sister to  
live with me1 and marry the same man    
with me4  ,her father1 though himself   
having many wives1 said1 ,you now change
 your mind1 and are willing to share    
your husband with another woman4 ,will  
there be no trouble in the future8 ,she 
answered ,no6 ,he repeated his question2
 but she assured him it would be        
agreeable4 ,so she took her sister      
7without consulting the husband1 as he  
was under her control1 by power of her  
ngalo71 led her to her house1 and       
presented her as a new wife to her      
husband4  ,they remained on these terms 
for some time without any trouble4 ,but 
as time went on1 the report about that  
handsome man went far1 and finally      

reached ,ra-,mborakinda's town4 ,another
 woman lived there1 also named ,ilmbe1  
of the same age as the other1 and she   
was unmarried4 ,this ,ilmbe said to     
herself1 ,i am tired of hearing the     
report about this handsome man4 ,i will 
go1 though uninvited ,i be1 and see for 
myself4 ,so she tells her brother and   
some of his men1 ,take me over there to 
that town1 and ,i will return to-day4   
,she told her father the same words3 ,i 
am going to see that man1 and will      
return4 ,when this ,ilmbe got to the    
other ,ilmbe's house1 the husband was   
out1 but the wife received her with     
great hospitality2 and the two sisters  
and their visitor all ate together4     
,soon the husband came1 and the wife    
introduced the visitor4 ,here is my     
friend ,ilmbe come to see you4 ,good1 he
 said4 ,then it was late in the day1 and
 the visiting ,ilmbe's attendants said  
to her1 ,the day is past2 let us be     
going4 ,but she refused to go1 and told 
them to return1 saying that she would   

stay awhile with her friend ,ilmbe4     
,but really1 in her coming she was not  
simply a visitor and sightseer2 she     
intended to stay and share in the       
husband4 ,as her brother was leaving1 he
 asked1 ,but when will you return8 and  
shall we come for you8 ,she said1 ,no2  
,i myself will come back when ,i please4
 ,when the evening came1 the hostess    
began to fix a sleeping-place for her   
visitor1 showing her much kindness in   
the care of her arrangements4  ,the     
second day the hostess observed         
something suspicious in the manner with 
which her husband regarded the visitor2 
he said to his wife1 ,here is your      
friend4 ,speak to her for me4 ,are you  
willing to do that8 ,she looked at him  
steadily1 and slowly said1 ,yes4 ,so at 
evening she spoke of the matter to her  
visitor1 who at once assented4  ,when   
,ilmbe parted with her husband before   
retiring1 she said to him1 ,go with this
 new woman1 but do not forget your and  
my morning custom4 ,that was their habit

 of rising very early for a morning     
bath4 ,he only said1 ,yes4 ,they all    
retired for the night4  ,the next       
morning the hostess was up early as     
usual1 and had her bath1 and was out of 
her room1 waiting4 ,but the man was not 
up yet1 nor were there any sounds of    
preparation in his room4 ,so ,ilmbe1    
after waiting awhile1 had to call to    
waken him4 ,he woke1 saying1 ,oh1 yes1  
yes1 ,i'm coming6  ,the next day it was 
the same1 he staying with the new ,ilmbe
 and rising late in the morning4 ,the   
fourth day his wife said to him1 ,you   
have work to do1 and you do not get up  
to do it till late4 ,he was displeased  
at her fault-finding4 ,when she saw     
that1 she also was displeased4  ,so when
 he went to the bathroom she followed   
him there4 ,on the way she had secretly 
taken with her the roll of black powder 
she had kept from the day of his        
creation4  ,while he was bathing1 she   
turned aside1 without his noticing it1  
and opening the roll of the powder1 took

 out of it a little1 and held it between
 her finger and thumb4  ,while he was   
dressing1 she came near1 stooped down1  
and rubbed the powder on his feet4 ,they
 suddenly turned to hoofs4 ,he began    
stamping his hoofs on the floor1        
surprised1 and saying1 ,wife1 what is   
this8 ,she said1 ,it is nothing4 ,you   
have finished dressing4 ,go out4 ,he    
began to plead2 she relented1 and by her
 ngalo's power changed the hoofs back to
 feet4 ,they both went out of the room  
and had their breakfast1 and that day   
passed4 ,but at night he again abandoned
 his wife for the new ,ilmbe1 and next  
morning he was up later even than on the
 previous days4 ,he had to be called    
several times before he would awake4 ,he
 began to grumble and scold1 ,can't a   
person be left to sleep as long as he   
desires8 ,and when he and the new ,ilmbe
 came from that bedroom1 she joined in  
the man's displeasure at his having been
 disturbed4 ,he went for his bath4 ,the 
wife followed1 and used the powder as   

she had done the day before1 turning his
 feet to hoofs4 ,he begged and pleaded4 
,she again forgave him1 and fixed the   
feet again4 ,and they two came out of   
the bathroom and had their breakfast as 
usual4 ,he went to his work1 and the day
 wore on4 ,at night he again deserted   
his wife4 ,the next morning there was   
the same confusion in arousing him as on
 the other days4  ,his wife accompanied 
him to the bathroom as usual4 ,while he 
was in the bath1 and before he was done 
bathing1 she left the room1 and told the
 new ,ilmbe1 ,you sit down near the     
bathroom door4 ,you will see him come   
out4 ,the visitor replied1 ,it is well2 
and she sat down4 ,and ,ilmbe went into 
the bathroom again4  ,when the man got  
out of his bath1 as soon as he attempted
 to dress himself1 ,ilmbe1 without      
saying anything or making any complaint1
 went behind him1 and having the whole  
roll of powder with her1 she opened the 
bundle1 flung it on his back1 and said1 
,you go back to where you came from6    

,instantly he was changed to a mbinde1  
and he began to leap about as a goat4   
,then ,ilmbe cried out to the other     
,ilmbe at the door1 ,are you ready to   
receive him8 ,he's coming6 and she      
opened the door4 ,out ran the mbinde1   
leaped from the house1 dashed through   
the town and off to the forest1 the     
people shouting in derision1 ,h6 h6 h6  
,so1 indeed1 that handsome man was the  
mbinde that was taken to ,ilmbe's house6
  ,then the wife said to the other      
,ilmbe1 ,did you see your man8 ,call    
him6 ,that's he running off there6 ,the 
next day ,ilmbe said to the visitor1    
,send word for your people that they may
 come for you4  ,the following day they 
were sent for1 and they came to ,ilmbe's
 house4 ,after they had arrived1 ,ilmbe 
sent word to her father1 ,have your     
place cleaned1 ,i am coming to enter a  
complaint4 ,the father replied1 ,very   
well6 ,ompunga came and swept the place4
 ,seats were prepared in the street4    
,ilmbe summoned the visitor and her     

people1 saying1 ,let us all go to my    
father's house4  ,so they went there1   
and ,ilmbe made her complaint1 telling  
all from the beginning3 how she obtained
 a husband2 how the other ,ilmbe had    
come2 how she received her kindly2 how  
she even had been willing to share her  
husband with her1 but how the new ,ilmbe
 had monopolized instead of simply      
sharing2 and how things had become so   
bad that she had to send the man back to
 his beast origin4 ,turning to the      
visiting people1 she said1 ,i have      
nothing more to say except that your    
sister ,ilmbe is not going back to your 
town1 but has to be my slave all the    
days of my life4  ,so the king's council
 justified her1 and pronounced the      
judgment just4 ,the people scattered to 
their homes4 ,and the two sisters went  
to their house1 with the other ,ilmbe as
 their slave4   ,,iv4 ,,the ,,fairy     
,,wife4  ,in his great town1 ,king      
,ra-,mborakinda1 or ,ra-,nyambie1 lived 
in glory with all his wives and sons and

 daughters4 ,some of his great and      
favored sons had large business and     
great wealth4 ,but there was one of the 
sons1 named ,nkombe1 whose mother was   
not a favorite wife of the king1 so this
 ,nkombe was poor4 ,everything went     
against him1 and his life was quite     
miserable2 only1 he had a gun1 and he   
knew how to shoot2 that was all4 ,so he 
thought1 ,i'm tired of this kind of     
life4 ,i better leave and go off by     
myself4  ,he gathered together the few  
things that belonged to him1--a few     
plates and pots1 and his gun and        
ammunition1--and went away4 ,he went far
 into the forest1 and with his machete  
began to clear a little place for a     
camping-ground 7olako74  ,he fixed up   
his camp1 and next morning went out     
hunting4 ,when he began to feel hungry1 
he turned back to cook his food4 ,on his
 return he had fresh meat with him2 this
 he cooked1 set it on the table1 and    
ate4 ,after eating1 he cleared off the  
table1 washed the dishes1 brushed up the

 floor1 and the new meat that was left  
he put on the orala 7drying-frame7 for  
next day's use4 ,so that day's work was 
done4  ,next day he again leaves the    
camp1 and with his gun is off again to  
his hunting4 ,at noon he comes back with
 his meat1--antelope1 or wild pig1 or   
whatever it may be4 ,he cooks his food1 
eats2 and that day's work is done just  
as the day before4  ,so he did many     
days4 ,after each day's work he was so  
tired and felt so lonely he wished he   
had a mother or some one to do for him4 
,unknown to him1 since he had come to   
that olako1 there was a woman named     
,ilmbe1 who belonged to the awiri       
7fairies71 who secretly had observed all
 that he did4 ,one day she thought to   
herself1 ,oh1 ,i am sorry for this man2 
,i think that as ,i have the power ,i   
will turn myself into a human being and 
help him1 for ,i do not like to see him 
suffer4 ,so she said to herself1 ,to-day
 ,i will cause ,nkombe to be            
unsuccessful1 so that he shall kill only

 ntori 7a big forest rat71 and ,i will  
hide myself in ntori4  ,so ,nkombe      
hunted long and far that day1 and saw   
nothing worthy of being shot4 ,he was   
getting hungry1 and murmured1 ,ah6 ,i   
have not been able to kill anything     
to-day4 ,but presently he saw ntori pass
 by1 and he said1 ,well1 ,i'll have to  
take this small animal1 ntori6 ,he shot 
it1 and took it with him to his camp4   
,when he reached the olako1 as he had   
other meat on the orala1 and was in a   
hurry1 after singeing and cleaning      
ntori1 he threw it on the orala1 and    
took the older dried meat1 and began to 
cook it for his supper4 ,he went on with
 his usual day's work1 as it took only a
 little while to arrange ntori on the   
orala4  ,next day he went out as usual  
on his hunting journey4 ,while he was   
away1 and before he returned1 ,ilmbe had
 crept out of the head of ntori4 ,she   
brushed up the camp1 and made everything
 neat and clean4 ,she began to cook1    
taking meat from the drying-frame4 ,she 

cooked it very nicely1 and ate          
part1--her share1 just enough to satisfy
 her appetite4 ,then she crept back into
 ntori's head1 as she knew ,nkombe must 
be about starting back4  ,late in the   
afternoon ,nkombe returned with some    
wild meat4 ,he took down dried meat from
 the orala1 leaving his fresh meat      
unattended to1 for he was in a hurry to 
cook1 being hungry4 ,he went to his     
little hut to get plate1 kettle1 and so 
forth4 ,to his surprise1 on the table   
was everything ready1 food and plate and
 drink4 ,he exclaimed1 ,what word is    
this8 ,where did this come from8 ,is    
this the work of my mother's spirit8    
,she has pitied me and has come and done
 this4 ,i wish ,i knew where she came   
from4  ,this occurred during three      
successive days1 just the same each day4
 ,nkombe was puzzled4 ,he wanted to find
 out1 and decided to go to the great    
prophet1 ,ra-,marnge4 ,the prophet saw  
him coming1 and greeted him1 ,sale6     
7,hail7 my son1 sale6 ,mbolo1 replied   

,nkombe4 ,ra-,marnge continued1 ,what   
did you come for8 ,what are you doing8  
,i come for you to make medicine1 that  
you may prophesy for me about a matter  
,i want to find out4  ,ra-,marnge said1 
,child1 ,i am old1 and do not do such   
things now4 ,i have given the power to  
,ogula-ya-impazya-vazya so called       
because his body was                    
all-covered-by-a-disease-of-pimples4    
,well1 where shall ,i go to him8 ,the   
prophet replied1 ,he is not far4        
,nkombe starts to go to                 
,ogula-ya-impazya-vazya1 who presently  
sees him coming4 ,as soon as ,nkombe    
reached him1 ,ogula-ya-impazya-vazya    
said1 ,if you come to me for medicine1  
good1 for that is my only business2 but 
if for anything else1 clear off6 ,yes1  
that is what ,i came for4  ,so          
,ogula-ya-impazya-vazya began to kindle 
his big fire4 ,nkombe was surprised1 not
 knowing what was to be done with the   
fire4 ,the next minute he sees          
,ogula-ya-impazya-vazya throw himself   

into the flames4 ,nkombe was startled   
and afraid1 thinking1 ,is this man going
 to kill himself for me8 ,the prophet   
rolled himself several times in the fire
 in order to get the power4 ,some of his
 pimples on his body burst in the flame2
 and he jumped out1 ready with his power
 to do the medicine4 ,he said1 ,hah1    
repeat your story2 ,i am ready6 ,nkombe 
told all his story1--how he had worked  
for himself1 and how for a few days past
 he had been helped by some one1 and    
wanted to know who it was1 if           
,ogula-ya-impazya-vazya would please    
tell him4 ,hah1 that's a small matter   
for me6 ,so the prophet told him1 ,you  
killed ntori for yourself a few days    
ago1 and this being is a woman who has  
come to be your wife1 and has hidden    
herself in ntori4 ,but1 said ,nkombe1   
how shall ,i be able to catch her1 so   
that she shall be a real woman1 for ,i  
do not see her8  ,i'll let you know how4
 ,go back and hunt all the same for     
three days4 ,on the fourth day go out as

 usual1 but do not go hunting4 ,hide    
near the olako1--near1 but not where you
 will be seen4 ,then the prophet gave   
,nkombe a prepared powder1 and told him 
to keep it carefully4 ,he gave him also 
a small cornucopia 7ozyoto7 full of a   
bruised medicinal leaf1 and told him1   
,go and put these two medicines in a    
secret place near your olako4 ,on the   
fourth day have these two medicines with
 you where you hide4 ,when you see her  
come out1 and while she is doing your   
work1 you will run and seize her1 and   
say to her1 ,you are my wife4 ,she will 
not understand your language1 and will  
murmur and shake her head and resist4   
,but when you hold her fast1 sprinkle   
the powder all over her body4 ,then take
 the ozoto1 and squeeze some of the     
juice in her nostrils1 eyes1 and mouth4 
,she will begin to sneeze4 ,repeat the  
words1 ',you are my wife1 my wife6'     
,then she will understand you1 and will 
yield4  ,so ,nkombe took the medicines1 
and obeyed directions2 hid the medicines

 and hunted the three days1 his heart   
bursting with anxiety to get the days   
done that seemed so long4 ,at last the  
three days were over and the fourth day 
came4  ,now the woman1 by the power that
 was with her1 knew all these things2   
she knew she would be caught that day4  
,after ,nkombe had left in the morning  
with the medicines1 had hidden himself1 
and was waiting for the hours to pass1  
the woman1 hesitating on her fate1 did  
not come out quickly as on the other    
days4 ,but finally ,nkombe saw the      
pieces of meat on the frames shake4 ,and
 out of ntori's head came a beautiful   
woman with clean soft skin4 ,he could   
hardly restrain himself4 ,she went on   
with all the usual work1--cooking1 and  
so forth4 ,but that day she did not     
divide nor partake of the food1 but put 
all of it on the table4 ,when he saw she
 had finished1 and was washing her hands
 preparatory to jumping back into ntori 
on the orala1 he came out of the bushes1
 and stepping cautiously but rapidly1   

rushed to seize her4 ,he caught her4    
,she began to resist1 and he followed   
the prophet's directions4 ,the woman at 
first was murmuring and sobbing1 and    
,nkombe was trying to calm her with the 
words ,my wife4 ,finally1 under the     
powder1 she quieted4 ,when the juice was
 dropped into her mouth1 she was able to
 speak his language4 ,she told him all  
her story1--how she had pitied him1 and 
had entered into ntori1 and everything  
else4 ,but1 she said1 there is one more 
thing ,i must tell you4 ,i have come    
indeed to be your wife1 and ,i have the 
power to make you rich or poor1 happy or
 unhappy4 ,i will give you only one     
rule3 ,be good to me1 and ,i will be so 
to you2 but never say to me that ,i came
 from the low origin of a rat's head4   
,nkombe exclaimed1 ,no1 no6 ,you have   
done so much for me1 ,i could never so  
humiliate you4 ,you speak well1 but be  
very careful not to break your promise4 
,so they ate and finished the day's     
work4  ,next day the woman wanted to    

build a town by word of her power4 ,she 
said1 ,mwe ,sir ,nkombe1 surely you will
 not live in an olako all your life4    
,look for a site for a town1 and mark it
 with stakes for its length and width4  
,nkombe was puzzled4 ,he had a wife1 but
 where would he get materials for a     
house2 for he was as poor of goods as he
 was before8 ,being troubled1 he made no
 reply to his wife1 and did not go to   
mark a site4 ,at night they retired1    
,nkombe still troubled about the        
building of a town2 but ,ilmbe was      
smiling in her heart1 for she knew what 
she would do4 ,so she made him fall into
 a deep sleep4 ,she went out at night a 
short distance1 and chose a good        
town-site4 ,she spoke to her ngalo 7a   
guardian-spirit charm71 ,ngalo mine1    
before morning ,i want to see all this  
place cleared1 and covered with nice    
houses1 and all the houses furnished and
 supplied with men and maid servants4   
,and she returned to bed4  ,before      
daybreak everything was ready1 as ,ilmbe

 desired4 ,the ngalo had made the olako 
disappear1 and ,nkombe and wife were    
sleeping inside their nice house4 ,when 
morning came1 ,nkombe did not know where
 he was1 nor even on which side to get  
out of bed4 ,he exclaimed1 ,what is this
 word8 ,you are in your own house and in
 your own town4 ,so both went out to    
inspect their town and their servants4  
,nkombe did not know how well to thank  
her1 so glad was he4  ,later the wife   
became a mother1 and a son was born4    
,nkombe called this first-born ,ogula4  
,again1 a daughter was born4 ,then the  
wife told her ngalo to bring ships of   
wealth4 ,the next day ships were seen   
coming4 ,nkombe went on board and had a 
conversation with the captains4 ,they   
stayed a few days1 and then sailed away1
 leaving ,nkombe a cargo of wealth4     
,another time ships came1 and ,nkombe   
went off on board as before2 and these  
ships sailed away1 also leaving wealth4 
,other children were born to them4      
,children of a fairy mother are called  

aganlo2 they grow very fast1 and are    
very wise4  ,other ships came4 ,one day 
one comes1 and ,nkombe1 having gone on  
board1 has there a convivial time1 stays
 all day1 and returns nearly drunk4 ,the
 wife says to him1 ,nkombe1 often you   
come from ships looking in this way1 and
 ,i do not like it4 ,i have spoken with 
you often1 that if a food or a drink is 
not good in its effects1 it is better to
 leave it off4 ,but you do not care for 
my words4 ,nkombe1 under the influence  
of liquor1 was vexed with her1 rebuked  
her1 and began to use hard words with   
orwo 7insult73 ,you--you--this woman    
who--but ,i won't finish it4 ,soon1     
however1 he took up the quarrel again1  
saying1 ,a person can know from your    
manners that you came out of-- ,the wife
 said1 ,when you are drunk1 you say half
 sentences2 why hold back8 ,say what you
 want to say4  ,he shouted angrily1     
,yes1 if ,i want to say it1 ,i will say 
it6 ,it was my own ntori that ,i killed4
 ,if ,i had not killed it1 would you    

have come out of it8 ,then ,ilmbe said1 
,please repeat that2 ,i do not quite    
understand you4 ,he repeated it4 ,she   
exclaimed1 ,eh6 but said no more1 and   
waited until morning1 when he would be  
sober4  ,so early in the morning she    
told him to get up1 so that she could do
 her housework4 ,she did the morning's  
work1 washing things neatly but rapidly4
 ,then she called her sons and          
daughters1 and in their presence said to
 their father1 ,you said so-and-so      
yesterday2 now ,i am off and with my    
children4  ,nkombe knew he had said the 
forbidden words4 ,he pleaded for mercy2 
but she replied1 ,no1 you broke your    
promise4 ,the two elder children pleaded
 for their father3 ,it was only once4   
,though a bad thing1 it cannot break a  
marriage4 ,forgive it4 ,but the mother  
persisted1 ,no6 ,then the two elder ones
 said they would not leave their father4
  ,so she said to him1 ,now be thankful 
you have these two4 ,if it was not for  
them1 ,i would put you back where you   

were just as ,i found you2 but for the  
sake of these two children1 ,i leave    
some of my power with them4 ,then to    
those two she said1 ,you will call on me
 for help when you have need1 and ,i    
will be near to help you4  ,so she took 
the two younger ones1 and said to their 
father1 ,as this place is quite open1   
,nkombe1 sit you here and see me depart4
 ,nkombe did so4 ,he and the two older  
children watched the mother and the two 
younger ones walk down the path from the
 town4 ,they went to the bank of the    
river1 and1 wading in1 disappeared in   
the river depths4   ,v4 ,,the ,,thieves 
,,and ,,their ,,enchanted ,,house4      
,ra-,mborakinda had his big town of men 
and women and children1 all in good     
condition4 ,but a kind of plague came   
upon the people suddenly1 killing many4 
,in a short time it destroyed most of   
the inhabitants1 and finally but few    
were left4  ,so one of the elder sons   
said to a younger one1 ,let us flee for 
our lives6 ,this elder brother's name   

was ,ogula1 and the younger brother's   
name was ,nkombe4 ,when ,ogula had thus 
said1 ,let us flee for our lives1       
,nkombe agreed4 ,ogula took as his      
servant a boy1 and together with ,nkombe
 they went out4 ,they went aimlessly1   
not following any particular plan1 but  
vaguely hoping to happen on any place4  
,they went1 went1 wandering on1 on1 till
 they came to a small hut1 almost too   
miserable for a dwelling4 ,but in their 
extremity they said1 ,oh6 there is a    
house6 ,let us go to it2 maybe we'll    
find shelter there4 ,so they walked up  
to it1 and1 to their surprise1 saw there
 an old man mending a piece of canvas4  
,he saluted them1 and asked them where  
they came from4 ,they told their story1 
and ,ogula asked the old man whether he 
would1 of his kindness1 give them       
shelter4 ,he said1 ,yes1 if you are     
willing to do as ,i tell you2 for living
 here is hard1 and there is nothing to  
eat4 ,i have to cut firewood and carry  
it to the city 7osenge7 far away1 and   

sell it there4 ,that city belongs to a  
big merchant4  ,ogula said1 ,yes2 we are
 willing4 ,so the next day ,ogula       
himself and ,nkombe and their servant   
set themselves ready for work4 ,after   
they had cut their firewood1 they asked 
the old man the way to the city4 ,he    
directed them4 ,they went1 sold their   
firewood1 and brought food4 ,this they  
did many times1 cutting firewood and    
going to the city and buying food2 and  
they each built a house of their own    
near the old man's hut4  ,but after a   
while ,ogula began to tire of this kind 
of life2 so he said to himself1 ,if ,i  
only had a gun1 ,i could go hunting4    
,but even without the gun1 ,i will go   
out and see what ,i can see4 ,so he went
 out alone1 not calling his brother or  
his servant to go with him4 ,he went and
 went1 on1 on1 for a half-day's journey1
 till he happened to come to a large    
house built in a very strange style1    
having no door at its side and with a   
flat roof4 ,the place looked clean1 as  

if kept in order by people4 ,he         
approached cautiously2 but looking      
around1 he saw no one at all4 ,he said  
to himself1 ,who owns this place8       
,surely some one owns it1 for it is so  
clean2 but ,i see no one here4 ,i won't 
leave this place to-day till ,i know who
 lives here4 ,he decided to retire a    
little and climb up a tall tree         
overlooking the house and watch from    
there4 ,he was very hungry1 having had  
no food that day1 but he still decided  
to wait and see what was about the      
house4  ,after he had been up the tree a
 long while1 late in the afternoon he   
saw a number of men coming4 ,he saw one 
of them climb up the side of the house  
to the roof1 where was a trap-door4 ,all
 of the men had bundles of goods4 ,the  
first one who had climbed to the roof   
spoke a few words to the door as he     
stood before it1 and the two parts of   
the door flew open of themselves4 ,then 
the other men climbed up with their     
bundles1 and went into the house4  ,all 

this ,ogula could see from his tree-top4
 ,he said to himself1 ,now ,i am hungry1
 and must go1 for ,i have seen enough   
to-day4 ,i see that this house is       
occupied1 and by men1 and how they      
enter2 it is enough for to-day4 ,he     
thought it time to move before any of   
the people should come out of the house4
 ,he came down rapidly1 and went back to
 the little hut of the old man4  ,when  
he got to his own house1 his brother    
,nkombe asked1 ,where have you been all 
day8 ,ogula said1 ,i was tired of       
working1 and took a walk to the forest1 
and missed my way4 ,but he did not tell 
his brother the story of what he had    
seen4  ,ogula then ate a little and went
 to bed1 though it was not very late4   
,he went thus soon to bed1 for he wanted
 to go early next day to inspect the big
 house again4 ,so1 very1 very early1    
before daylight1 ,ogula was up and off1 
for he did not wish his brother to ask  
him where he was going4  ,he remembered 
the way to the big house1 and went      

directly there4 ,he climbed his tree4   
,he looked and saw that the door of the 
house was open4 ,he waited a little     
while1 and then saw the men climbing out
 of the door4 ,their leader was the     
last2 he spoke a cabalistic word1       
pressed his foot on the threshold1 as   
the two sides of the door folded        
together1 and it was closed4  ,after    
they had been gone quite awhile1 ,ogula 
thought he would try to enter the house1
 first seeking what was the way to open 
it4 ,he said to himself1 ,i know they   
have goods there1 for ,i have seen them 
carried in4 ,so he descended from the   
tree1 and going to the house1 climbed up
 the side4 ,when he got to the top1 he  
searched for something by which the door
 could be opened4 ,he saw nothing like a
 key or lock or handle4 ,then he        
remembered the words he had heard the   
leader use1 and thought1 ,perhaps they  
were the means by which the door was    
opened4 ,so he uttered the words1       
,yginla mie1 k nungwa1 aweme6 7,obey me1

 and thyself open67 and1 to his         
surprise1 the door flew open4 ,then he  
went down the flight of steps leading   
below to the interior of the house4 ,he 
was startled when he saw the room full  
of all kinds of money and goods and     
wealth that any one could wish to have4 
,one could have taken away a great deal 
without its absence being noticed1 so   
abundant was the amount4  ,ogula        
thought1 ,isn't this fine6 ,but ,i must 
be quick1 lest the owners of this house 
catch me here4 ,so he took a cloth1 and 
put into it a few small articles and a  
quantity of cash4 ,he tied up the       
bundle1 went up the stairway1 and walked
 out of the door which he had left open4
 ,at the top he remembered the word     
,nunja6 7,shut67 which the leader had   
used for closing4 ,he spoke it2 and the 
door shut4 ,he hasted away1 and back to 
the hut of the old man4 ,he did not     
enter it1 but went to his own house and 
there hid the bundle4 ,he told no one   
anything1 neither the old man nor his   

servant nor even his brother4 ,soon the 
brother came over from his house1       
saying1 ,brother6 ,i looked for you this
 morning2 you must have gone out very   
early4 ,yes1 ,i went out early1 for ,i  
am tired of seeing so little2 so ,i went
 out to see what ,i could see4  ,the    
next day he did the same4 ,on this trip 
he took not only money from the house1  
but some fine clothing for himself to   
wear4 ,as before1 on emerging at the top
 of the house1 he spoke the word ,nunja6
 the door closed1 and he was away again1
 no one having seen him4 ,when ,ogula   
got back to his house1 ,nkombe asked him
 the same question of the day before1   
,where have you been8 and he made only  
the evasive answer4 ,but ,nkombe began  
to be troubled4 ,he feared something was
 wrong1 and he determined to find out   
what was the matter4 ,so he decided to  
get up next morning just as early as    
,ogula4 ,the reason that ,ogula did not 
tell ,nkombe was because the latter had 
a bad jealous heart1 and was very       

covetous of money4 ,so early in the     
morning ,ogula was off4 ,he did not know
 that ,nkombe had any thought of        
following him4 ,but as soon as ,nkombe  
saw ,ogula start1 he followed him       
cautiously1 so that he might find out   
what his brother was doing4  ,ogula     
walked on straight and rapidly1 and     
never looked behind1 for he had no      
suspicion that he was being followed4   
,when he got to the house1 as usual he  
ordered the door to open1 and descended 
inside4 ,while he was beginning to      
select the things he wanted to take1 to 
his surprise he saw ,nkombe also        
descending the stairway4 ,ogula said1   
,nkombe6 what is this8 ,who showed you  
the way8 ,who told you to come here8 ,i 
am troubled to find you here2 for this  
will be the end of you6 ,i knew it was  
not safe for you to come here4 ,what ,i 
took was for us both4  ,nkombe said1    
,no6 you hid it from me4 ,i have found  
it now4 ,i will be rich for myself4 ,by 
this time ,ogula had tied up his bundle 

ready to go out4 ,but ,nkombe was       
snatching up a large quantity from every
 side4 ,ogula said1 ,nkombe6 be quick6  
,you do not know how to shut that door1 
and it will not be safe for us to be    
found here by those people4 ,but ,nkombe
 was not satisfied with one bundle1 he  
was still gathering up other bundles4   
,ogula wearied of waiting and begging of
 ,nkombe to come1 so he said he must go 
and leave him1 saying1 ,now1 ,nkombe1 it
 is not safe to wait longer4 ,i have    
waited for you and begged you to leave  
with me2 so ,i go alone4 ,you cannot get
 out with all those bundles4  ,but      
,nkombe would not listen4 ,so ,ogula    
went out1 and spoke the word that closed
 the door1 leaving ,nkombe in the house4
 ,however1 being anxious for his        
brother1 ,ogula did not go away1 but    
climbed his tree to see what would      
happen4  ,when ,nkombe had entered the  
house1 he had with him a big1 sharp     
knife4  ,ogula waited outside till those
 people should come4 ,soon they came4   

,the leader did as usual1 being the     
first to climb to the house-top and to  
order the door to open4 ,the door flew  
open1 and the leader descended4 ,as soon
 as he entered1 he found another man1   
,nkombe1 in the house4 ,the leader      
asked1 ,who are you1 and how did you get
 in here8 ,nkombe did not reply1 but    
drawing his knife1 plunged it into the  
leader's neck4 ,with one outcry the man 
fell dead4 ,by this time some of the    
other men had climbed up and were about 
to enter4 ,when they got inside1 they   
saw their leader lying dead1 and this   
stranger standing armed4 ,one of the men
 drew his pistol and shot ,nkombe4      
,observe the pistol2 all these folk-lore
 stories disregard anachronisms or even 
impossibilities4 ,they carried his dead 
body to the roof1 and threw it off to   
the ground4 ,all this ,ogula saw1       
looking from the tree-top down into the 
house4  ,then those people began to be  
perplexed and suspicious1 saying1 ,this 
is not the work of only one1 for we     

found the door closed on our arrival4   
,so this person inside must have had    
some associate outside4 ,how shall we   
find it out8  ,they began to plan1 each 
one with his proposition4 ,one said1    
,let us go and bury the dead body4      
,another1 ,let us leave it and go on    
with our business1 and if on our return 
the body is missing1 that will be a     
proof that a partner has taken it4 ,then
 we will get on the track and find where
 the body was taken4 ,and they agreed   
that he whose plan proved successful    
should be their new leader4 ,so they    
closed the door1 left ,nkombe's dead    
body lying1 and went off on their usual 
business4  ,after they had been gone    
quite a while1 ,ogula came down quickly 
from the tree4 ,he tried to carry the   
body of his brother without dragging it 
so as not to leave any sign of a trail4 
,and he did not follow the path1 but    
walked parallel with it among the       
bushes4 ,he hid the body1 and then went 
away to his house4 ,he called his       

servant1 telling him that ,nkombe was   
dead1 and that he wanted him to come    
help bury the body4 ,he did not call the
 old man1 but only told him that his    
brother was dead4  ,he and the servant  
went to the spot where he had left his  
brother's body4 ,they carried it far    
into the forest1 buried it1 and then    
went back to their house4  ,when the    
thieves came again to their house1 they 
missed the dead body1 so that part of   
their plan had proved true2 and they    
said to the one who had proposed it1    
,you were right4 ,you are our leader4   
,what is your next order8 ,he said1     
,to-morrow we will not go out to do our 
business1 but we will go out to hunt for
 this other man4  ,the next day they    
went1 and scattering searched on all    
paths to see whether they would meet    
with some one or see some house4 ,some  
of them who were on a certain path came 
to the huts of the old man and ,ogula4  
,the first person they saw was the old  
man sitting in his doorway4 ,they       

stopped and saluted4 ,they asked him a  
few questions1 and then consulting      
together agreed to return to their house
 and come back next day1 hoping to find 
out something from the old man4 ,they   
went back to their house4 ,previous to  
this1 from the time that ,ogula had been
 stealing goods he had built with his   
servant a little village of his own some
 distance from the old man's hut4 ,on   
this first coming of the thieves1       
,ogula1 hidden in his house1 had seen   
them1 and he said to himself1 ,as they  
now know of this place1 ,i better go    
away1 for fear this thing be found out1 
and they kill me as they did my brother4
 ,so at night he left that house and    
went off to his village4  ,in the       
morning of the next day1 when the       
thieves came1 they brought liquor1 for  
they had planned that they would make   
this old man drunk1 that he might talk  
when he was foolish with liquor4  ,they 
came to the old man's and saluted him4  
,they sat and conversed1 asking him1    

,how many people are here8 ,are you     
always living alone8 ,at first he       
replied1 ,yes1 ,i live alone4 ,but you  
are so old1 how do you get your food by 
yourself8 ,would you like to taste a    
nice drink8 ,we are sorry for you in    
your lack of comforts4 ,yes1 ,i would   
like to taste it4  ,so they opened their
 liquor1 drank a little themselves1 and 
gave to him4 ,after he had drunk he     
became talkative1 and began conversation
 again3 ,oh1 yes1 you asked me if ,i    
lived alone4 ,but not quite alone4      
,there is a young man here4 ,the thieves
 were glad to hear him talk1 and gave   
him more liquor4 ,he drank2 they asked  
more questions1 ,you said there was     
another man with you2 where is he8 ,then
 the old man repeated the whole story of
 the coming of the brothers1 to the     
death of one of them2 and added1 ,a few 
days ago one of them came to tell me he 
was going to bury his brother2 but ,i do
 not know when or how he died4 ,so they 
asked the old man1 ,you know where he   

was buried8 ,no4 ,but where is that     
living brother8 ,oh1 he has just left   
me1 and is gone to his new place not    
very far away4 ,i have not been there1  
but you can easily find it4  ,they      
consulted among themselves4 ,as this    
other man may hear of what we are about1
 we will go away to-day1 disguise       
ourselves1 and to-morrow seek for his   
place4 ,so they all left4  ,next day two
 or three came disguised1 and found     
,ogula's new house in the afternoon4 ,he
 did not recognize their faces4 ,he     
welcomed them as strangers and treated  
them politely4 ,they asked1 ,is this    
your house8 ,do you live alone8 ,he     
answered straightly1 but did not mention
 his brother4 ,but they felt they had   
enough proof of who he was1 and left4   
,but before they left they had observed 
the number and location of the rooms and
 the shape of the house4 ,in the house  
was a large public reception and sitting
 room1 and from it were doors leading to
 the servant's room and to a little     

entry opening into ,ogula's room4  ,the 
next day ,ogula and his servant were    
doing their work of refining the        
gum-copal they had gathered for trade2  
it was being boiled in an enormous      
kettle4 ,when this copal was melted1 the
 kettle was set1 with its boiling-hot   
pitchy contents1 in that little entry4  
,in the afternoon came the whole company
 of thieves1 all disguised4 ,they said1 
,we have come to make your acquaintance1
 and to relieve your loneliness by an   
evening's amusement4 ,ogula began to    
prepare them food4 ,they sat at the     
food1 eating and drinking2 had          
conversation1 and spent the evening     
laughing and playing4 ,at night most of 
them pretended to be drunk and sleepy1  
and stretched themselves on the floor of
 the large room as if in sleep4  ,ogula 
also had been drinking1 and said he was 
tired and would go to bed4 ,but his     
servant was sober2 he saw what the men  
were doing1 and suspected evil4 ,he     
thought3 ,ah6 my master is drunk1 and   

these people are strangers4 ,what will  
happen8 ,so when the lights were put out
 and he was going to bed1 he left open  
the door of the little entry and locked 
the door of his master's room4 ,after   
midnight the thieves rose and consulted4
 ,let us go and kill him4 ,they arose   
and trod softly toward ,ogula's room4   
,not quite sober1 they missed the proper
 way1 stepped through the open door of  
the little entry1 and stumbled into the 
caldron of copal4 ,it was still hot1 and
 stuck to their bodies like pitch4 ,they
 were in agony1 but did not dare to cry 
out4 ,they all were crawling covered    
with the hot gum1 except the last man1  
who had jumped over the bodies of those 
who had fallen before him2 and he ran   
away to their house4  ,but ,ogula was   
sleeping1 ignorant of what was going on4
  ,in the morning the boy1 who also had 
slept1 on opening the house1 found the  
kettle full of tarred limbs of dead     
human bodies4 ,he knocked at ,ogula's   
door and waked him4 ,but ,ogula said1   

,don't disturb me1 ,i am so tired from  
last night's revel4 ,yes1 but get up and
 see what has happened4 ,ogula came and 
saw4 ,then he told the lad that but for 
him he would have been dead4 ,ogula     
thenceforth took him as a brother4 ,then
 he and the boy had a big work of       
throwing out the bodies of the thieves4 
,ogula was not afraid of a charge of    
murder1 for the thieves had tumbled     
themselves into the scalding contents of
 the kettle4 ,he had enough wealth1 and 
did not go again to the thieves' house4 
,but that one man who had escaped was   
wishing for revenge1 yet was afraid to  
come to ,ogula's house by himself4 ,time
 went on4 ,ogula remained quiet4 ,but   
his enemy still sought revenge1 waiting 
for an opportunity4  ,gradually1 too1   
,ogula had forgotten his enemy's face2  
for the thieves were many1 and all      
disguised1 and he would be unable to    
distinguish which one had escaped4  ,on 
a time it happened that this thief went 
far to another country2 and while he was

 there1 ,ogula also happened to journey 
to that very town4 ,the lad had said1   
being now a young man1 ,may ,i go too8  
,yes1 you may1 for you are like a       
brother4 ,you must go wherever ,i do4   
,on the very second day in the town the 
two1 ,ogula and the thief1 met4 ,the    
thief recognized ,ogula2 but ,ogula did 
not recognize him1 and neither spoke2   
but the young man1 with better memory1  
said to himself1 ,i have seen this man  
somewhere4 ,he looked closely1 but said 
nothing4  ,the next day the thief made a
 feast4 ,he met ,ogula again on the     
street and saluted him1 ,mbolo6 ,i am   
making a feast4 ,you seem a stranger4 ,i
 would like you to come4 ,yes2 where8   
,at such-and-such a place4 ,yes1 ,i will
 come4 ,but this attendant of mine is   
good1 and must be invited too4 ,yes1 ,i 
have no objections4 ,next evening the   
feast was held1 and people came to it4  
,the thief placed ,ogula and his servant
 near himself4 ,there was much eating   
and drinking4 ,the thief became excited1

 and determined to kill ,ogula at the   
table by sticking him with a knife4     
,all the while that the thief was       
watching ,ogula1 the servant was        
watching the thief4 ,presently the      
latter turned slightly and began to draw
 a knife4 ,the servant watched him      
closely4 ,the thief's knife was out1 and
 the servant's knife was out too4 ,but  
the thief was watching only ,ogula1 and 
did not know what the servant was doing4
 ,just as the thief was about to thrust 
at ,ogula1 the servant jumped and thrust
 his knife into the thief's neck4 ,the  
man fell1 blood flowing abundantly over 
the table4 ,the guests were alarmed1 and
 were about to seize the servant1 who   
pointed at the drawn knife in the man's 
hand that had been intended for his     
master2 and then he told their whole    
story4  ,so the guests decided that     
there was no charge against ,ogula and  
his servant1 and scattered4 ,the next   
day ,ogula and his servant left4 ,as he 
knew that that man was the last of the  

company of thieves1 he said1 in         
gladness1 ,now6 ,glory6 ,then he        
thought1 ,all that wealth is mine1 since
 this last one who tried to take my life
 is dead4  ,as he had seen enough of the
 world by travel1 he decided to stay in 
one place4 ,he would call people to live
 with him in a new town which he would  
build for them around that enchanted    
house of the thieves1 which he took as  
his own with all its wealth4 ,and he    
lived long in that house in great glory1
 with wife and children and retainers   
and slaves4   ,,vi4 ,,banga ,,of ,,the  
,,five ,,faces4  ,ra-,mborakinda lived  
in his town with his sons and daughters 
and his glory4 ,one son was ,nkombe1 and
 another ,ogula1 whose full name was    
,ogula-keva-anlingo-n'-ogend            
7,ogula-who-goes-faster-than-water72 but
 they were not of the same mother4      
,ogula grew up without taking any wife4 
,he became a great man1 with knowledge  
of sorcery4 ,one day his father said to 
him1 ,ogula1 as you are a big man now1  

,i think it is time for you to have a   
wife4 ,i think you had better choose    
from one of my young wives4 ,ogula      
replied1 ,no1 ,i will get a wife in my  
own way4 ,so one day he went to another 
osenge 7clearing7 of a town which       
belonged to a man of the awiri 7spirits2
 plural of ombwiri71 i4 e41 one who     
possessed magic power1 and obtained one 
of his daughters4 ,her name was         
,ikgu-ny'-awiri4  ,he brought the girl  
home to his father's house1 where she   
was very much admired as a fine woman6 a
 fine woman6 ,she was indeed very       
pretty4 ,then ,ogula said to her1 ,as   
you are now my wife1 you must be orunda 
7set apart from7 to other men1 and ,i   
will be orunda to other women1 even if  
,i go to work at another place4 ,and she
 replied1 ,it is well4  ,at another time
 ,ogula said1 ,i think it better for us 
to move away from my father's town1 and 
put my house just a little way off4     
,after the new house was finished they  
moved to it1 and lived by themselves4   

,ogula had business elsewhere that      
compelled him to be often absent1       
returning at times in the afternoons4   
,whenever ,nkombe knew that ,ogula was  
out1 he would come and annoy ,ikgu with 
solicitation to leave her husband and   
marry him4 ,ogula knew of this1 for he  
had a ngalo 7a special fetich7 that     
enabled him to know what was going on   
elsewhere4 ,the wife would say1 ,ah1    
,nkombe6 ,no1 ,i know that you are my   
husband's brother2 but ,i do not want   
you6 ,then1 when it was time for ,ogula 
to return1 ,nkombe would go off4 ,that  
went on for many days2 ,nkombe visiting 
,ikgu whenever he had opportunity1 and  
the wife refusing him every time4 ,it   
went on so long that at last ,ogula     
thought that he would speak to his wife 
about it4  ,so he began to ask her1 ,is 
everything all right8 ,has any one been 
troubling you8 ,she answered1 ,no4 ,he  
asked her again1 and again she said1    
,no4 ,thus it went on1--,nkombe coming2 
,ogula asking questions2 and the wife1  

unwilling to make trouble between the   
two brothers1 denying4 ,but one day the 
trouble that ,nkombe made the wife was  
so great that ,ogula1 with the aid of   
his ngalo1 thought surely she would     
acknowledge4 ,but she did not2 for that 
day1 when he came and called his wife   
into their bedroom1 and asked her1 she  
only asserted weakly1 ,no trouble4 ,then
 he said1 ,do you think ,i do not know8 
,you are a good wife to me4 ,i know all 
that has passed between you and ,nkombe4
 ,and he added1 ,as ,nkombe is making   
you all this trouble1 ,i will have to   
remove again far from my father's town1 
and go elsewhere4 ,so he went far away1 
and built a small village for himself   
and wife4 ,they put it in good order1   
and made the pathway wide and clean4    
,but in his going far from his father's 
town he had unknowingly come near to    
another town that belonged to another   
,ra-,mborakinda1 who also had great     
power and many sons and daughters4 ,one 
of the sons also was named ,ogula1 just 

as old and as large as this first       
,ogula4 ,one day this ,ogula went out   
hunting with his gun4 ,he went far1     
leaving his town far away1 going on and 
on till he saw it was late in the day   
and that it was time to go back4  ,just 
as he was about returning he came to a  
nice clean pathway1 and he wondered1 ,so
 here are people8 ,this fine path6 who  
cleans it8 and where does it lead to8   
,so he thought he would go and see for  
himself2 and he started on the path4 ,he
 had not gone far before he came to the 
house of ,ogula4 ,there he stood1       
admiring the house and grounds4 ,a fine 
house6 a fine house6  ,when ,ogula saw  
,ogula #b;d standing in the street1 he  
invited him up into the house4 ,they    
asked each other a few questions1 became
 acquainted1 and made friendship2 and   
,ogula kept ,ogula #b;d for two days as 
his guest4 ,then ,ogula #b;d said1 ,they
 may think me lost1 in town1 after these
 two days4 ,thanks for your kindness1   
but ,i had better go4 ,and he added1    

,some day ,i will send for you1 and you 
will come to visit me1 that ,i may show 
you hospitality4  ,ogula #b;d went back 
to his place4 ,he had a sister who was a
 very troublesome woman1 assuming       
authority and giving orders like a man4 
,her name was ,banga-yi-baganlo-tani    
7,banga-of-five-faces74 ,though her     
father1 the king1 and her brother were  
still living1 she insisted on governing 
the town4 ,when any one displeased her1 
or she was vexed with any one1 she would
 order that person to lie down before a 
cannon and be shot to pieces4 ,the      
father was wearied of her annoyances1   
but did not know what to do with her4   
,as ,ogula #b;d had left word with      
,ogula that he would invite him on      
another day1 he did so4 ,ogula accepted2
 but as the invitation was only to      
himself1 he did not take his wife1 but  
went by himself1 and was welcomed and   
entertained4  ,when it was late         
afternoon1 he was about to go back1 but 
,ogula #b;d said1 ,you were so kind to  

me2 do not go back to-day4 ,stay with   
me4 ,and ,ogula consented4  ,in asking  
,ogula to stay1 ,ogula #b;d thought1 ,as
 his wife is not here1 perhaps he will  
want another woman4 ,i have my sister   
here2 but if ,i first offer her1 it will
 be a shame1 for he has not asked for   
any one an actual native ,african       
custom1 to give a guest a temporary     
wife1 as one of the usual hospitalities4
 ,the custom is not resented by the     
women4  ,all this while ,ogula had not  
seen the sister4 ,when they were ready  
for the evening meal1 ,ogula #b;d       
thought it time to call his sister to   
see the guest4 ,she fixed herself up    
finely1 clean1 and with ornaments4 ,she 
came and sat in the house1 and there    
were the usual salutations of ,mbolo6   
,ai1 mbolo6 and some conversation4      
,while they were talking1 ,banga had her
 face cast down with eyes to the ground4
 ,and when she lifted her eyes to look  
at ,ogula1 her face changed4 ,from the  
time she came in till meal-time1 she    

made a succession of these changes of   
her face1 thinking that ,ogula would be 
surprised1 and would admire the changes1
 and expecting that he would ask her    
brother for her4  ,she waited and       
waited2 ,ogula saw all these five       
changes of her face1 but was not        
attracted4 ,they went to their food1 and
 ate and finished4 ,and they talked on  
till bedtime2 but ,ogula had said       
nothing of love4 ,banga was annoyed and 
disappointed2 she went to her bed piqued
 and with resentful thoughts4  ,the next
 morning ,ogula said it was time to go  
back to his wife4 ,when he was getting  
ready to go1 ,banga said to him1 ,have  
you a wife8  ,he answered1 ,yes4 ,she   
said1 ,i want her to come and visit me  
some day4 ,and ,ogula agreed4 ,he went1 
and returning to his house1 told his    
wife that ,banga wanted to see her4     
,after ,ogula was gone1 ,banga asked her
 brother about ,ogula's wife4 ,is she   
pretty8 ,and he told her how finely the 
wife had looked4 ,banga was not pleased 

at that1 was jealous1 and waited till   
,ikgu should come that she might see for
 herself4 ,i will see if she is more    
beautiful than ,i with my five          
countenances4 ,subsequently ,banga chose
 a day1 and sent for ,ikgu4 ,she dressed
 for the journey1 and ,ogula1 not being 
invited1 took her only half-way4  ,when 
,ogula's wife arrived1 ,banga saw that  
it was true that she was pretty1 and of 
graceful carriage in her walking1 and   
she did not wonder that her husband was 
charmed with her4 ,but she hid her      
jealousy1 and pretended to be pleased   
with her visitor4 ,ogula's wife did not 
spend the night there2 when she thought 
it time to go1 she said good-bye1 and   
turned to leave4  ,when she had gone1   
,banga was planning for a contest with  
her4 ,she said to herself1 ,now ,i see  
why that man made me feel ashamed at his
 not asking for my love1--because his   
wife is so beautiful4 ,she shall see    
that ,i will have her killed1 and ,i    
shall have her husband4  ,so after a few

 days she sent word to ,ogula's wife1   
,prepare yourself for a fight1 and come 
and meet me at my father's house4  ,but 
the wife said to ,ogula1 ,i have done   
nothing4 ,what is the fight for8        
,nevertheless1 she began to prepare a   
fighting-dress1 and before it was       
finished another messenger came with    
word1 ,you are waited for4  ,so she     
said1 ,as it is not a call for peace1 ,i
 had better put on a dress that befits  
blood4 ,so she dressed in red4 ,after   
she was dressed she started1 and ,ogula 
went with her1 to hear what was the     
ground of the challenge4  ,as soon as   
they got to the town1 they found ,banga 
striding up and down the street4 ,her   
cannon was already loaded1 waiting to be
 fired4 ,when ,ogula wanted to know what
 the palaver was1 ,banga said1 ,i do not
 want to talk with you2 ,i only want you
 to obey my orders4  ,but ,ikgu wanted  
to know what the trouble was1 and began 
to ask1 ,what have ,i done8 ,banga only 
repeated1 ,i don't want any words from  

you2 only1 you come and lie down in     
front of this cannon4 ,ikgu obeyed1 and 
lay down1 and ,banga ordered her men to 
fire the cannon4  ,by this time ,ogula1 
by the power of his ngalo1 had changed  
the places of the two women4 ,when the  
cannon was fired1 and the smoke had     
cleared away1 the people who stood by   
saw ,ikgu standing safe by her husband1 
and ,banga lying dead4 ,all the         
assembled people began to wonder1 ,what 
is this8 ,what is this8  ,so ,banga's   
father called ,ogula1 and said1 ,do not 
think ,i am displeased with you at the  
death of my daughter2 ,i too was wearied
 at her doings4 ,so1 as you are         
justified1 and ,banga was wrong1 it is  
no matter to be quarrelled about4  ,and 
,ogula #b;d said to ,ogula1 ,i am not   
vexed at you4 ,you had done nothing4    
,she wanted to bring trouble on you1 and
 it has come on herself4 ,i have no     
fight with you4 ,we will still be       
friends4 ,but do not live off in your   
forest village by yourself2 come you and

 your wife to live in this town4  ,so   
,ogula and his wife consented1 and      
agreed to remove1 and live with ,ogula  
#b;d4 ,and they did so without further  
trouble4   ,,vii4 ,,the ,,two           
,,brothers4  ,ra-,mborakinda has his    
great town1 and his wives1 and his      
children1 and the glory of his kingdom4 
,all his women had no children1 except  
the loved head-wife1 ,ngwe-nkonde       
7,mother of ,queens71 and the unloved   
,ngwe-vazya 7,mother of ,skin-,disease74
 ,each of these two had children1 sons1 
at the same time4 ,the father gave them 
their names4 ,ngwe-nkonde's was ,nkombe1
 and ,ngwe-vazya's was ,ogula4 ,again   
these two women became mothers4 ,this   
time both of them had daughters4        
,ngwe-nkonde's was named ,ngwanga1 and  
,ngwe-vazya's was ,ilmbe4 ,a third time 
these two bore children1 sons1 on the   
same day4 ,these two sons grew up       
without names till they began to talk1  
for the father had delayed to give them 
names4 ,but one day he called them to   

announce to them their names4 ,what he  
had selected they refused1 saying that  
they had already named themselves4      
,ngwe-nkonde's child named himself      
,osongo1 and ,ngwe-vazya's ,obengi4 ,and
 the father agreed4  ,these two children
 grew and loved each other very much4   
,no one would have thought that they    
belonged to different mothers1 so great 
was the love they had for each other4   
,they were always seen together1 and    
always ate at the same place4 ,when one 
happened to be out at mealtime1 the     
other would not eat1 and would begin to 
cry till the absent one returned4 ,both 
were handsome in form and feature4      
,when ,ngwe-vazya's people heard about  
her nice-looking little boy1 they sent  
word to her1 ,we have heard about your  
children1 but we have not seen you for a
 long time4 ,come and visit us1 and     
bring your youngest son1 for we have    
heard of him and want to see him4  ,so  
she went and asked permission of        
,ra-,mborakinda1 saying that she wanted 

to go and see her people4 ,he was       
willing4 ,then she made herself ready to
 start4 ,as soon as ,osongo knew that   
his brother ,obengi was going away1 he  
began to cry at the thought of          
separation4 ,he said1 ,i am not going to
 stay alone4 ,i have to go too1 for ,i  
am not willing to be separated from my  
brother4 ,and ,obengi said the same3 ,if
 ,osongo does not go with us1 then ,i   
will not go at all4 ,then ,ngwe-vazya   
thought to herself1 ,no1 it will not do 
for me to take ,osongo along with me1   
for his mother and ,i are not friendly4 
,and she told ,osongo that he must stay4
 ,but both the boys persisted1 ,no1 we  
both must go4 ,so ,ngwe-vazya said1     
,well1 let it be so4 ,i will take care  
of ,osongo as if he were my own son4    
,and ,ra-,mborakinda and ,ngwe-nkonde   
were willing that ,osongo should go4    
,so they started and went2 and when they
 reached the town of ,ngwe-vazya's      
family the people were very glad to     
receive them4 ,she was very attentive to

 both the boys1 watching them wherever  
they went1 for they were the beloved    
sons of ,ra-,mborakinda4 ,she was there 
at her people's town about two months4  
,then she told them that it was time to 
return home with the two boys4 ,her     
people assented1 and began to load her  
and the boys with parting presents4     
,they went back to ,ra-,mborakinda's    
town1 and there also their people were  
glad to see them return1 for the        
children had grown1 and looked well4    
,the people1 and even ,ra-,mborakinda1  
praised ,ngwe-vazya for having so well  
cared for the children1 especially the  
one who was not her own4  ,this made    
,ngwe-nkonde more jealous1 because of   
the praise that ,ra-,mborakinda gave1   
and because of the boys' fine report of 
their visit and the abundance of gifts  
with which ,ngwe-vazya had returned4 ,so
 ,ngwe-nkonde made up her mind that some
 day she would do the same1 that she    
might receive similar praise4 ,she      
waited some time before she attempted to

 carry out her plan4 ,by the time that  
she got ready to ask leave to go the    
boys had grown to be lads4 ,one day she 
thought proper to ask ,ra-,mborakinda   
permission to go visiting with her son4 
,ra-,mborakinda was willing1 and she    
commenced her preparations4  ,and again 
confusion came because of the two lads  
refusing to be separated4 ,osongo       
refused to go alone4 ,but afterward he1 
knowing of his mother's jealous         
disposition1 changed his mind1 and said 
to ,obengi1 ,no1 ,i think you better    
stay4 ,but ,obengi refused1 saying1 ,no1
 ,i have to go too4 ,osongo then told   
him the true reason for his objecting4  
,i said this because ,i know that my    
mother is not like yours4 ,so please    
stay2 ,i will be gone only two days1 and
 will then come and meet you4 ,but      
,obengi insisted1 ,if you go1 ,i go4    
,and ,ngwe-nkonde said1 ,well1 let it be
 so2 ,i will take care of you both4  ,so
 they went4 ,when they reached the town 
of ,ngwe-nkonde's family1 the people    

were glad to see them4 ,she also was    
apparently kind and attentive to the    
lads for the first two days4 ,on the    
third day she began to think the care   
was troublesome4 ,these lads are big    
enough to take care of themselves like  
men4  ,she did indeed feel kindly toward
 ,obengi1 liking his looks1 and she said
 to herself1 ,i think ,i will try to win
 his affections from his mother to      
myself4 ,she tried to do so1 but the lad
 was not influenced by her4 ,when she   
noticed that he did not seem to care for
 her attentions1 she was displeased1    
began to hate him1 and made up her mind 
to kill him4  ,all the days that the    
lads were there at the town they went   
out on excursions to the forest1 hunting
 animals4 ,as soon as they came back    
they would sit down together to chat and
 to eat sugar-cane with ,african        
children a substitute for candy4        
,ngwe-nkonde knew of this habit4 ,after 
she had decided to kill ,obengi1 on the 
next day she had the sugar-cane ready   

for them4 ,she rubbed poison on one of  
the stalks1 and arranged that that very 
piece should be the first one that      
,obengi would take4 ,he had taken only  
two bites1 and was chewing1 when he     
exclaimed1 ,brother1 ,i begin to feel   
giddy1 and my eyes see double6 ,please  
give me some water quickly6 ,water was  
brought to him4 ,he took a little of it4
 ,others1 spectators1 became excited1   
and began to dash water over his face4  
,but soon he fell down dead4  ,then     
,ngwe-,nkonde exclaimed to herself1 ,so 
,i've been here only five days1 and now 
the lad is dead4 ,i don't care6 ,let him
 die6  ,by this time ,osongo had become 
greatly excited1 crying out1 and        
repeating over and over1 ,my brother6   
,oh1 my brother6 ,oh1 my same age6 ,his 
mother said to him1 ,to-morrow ,i will  
have him buried1 and we will start back 
to our town4 ,osongo replied to her1    
,that shall not be4 ,he shall not be    
buried here4 ,we both came together1 and
 though he is dead1 we both will go back

 together4 ,the next morning ,osongo    
said to his mother1 ,i know that you are
 at the bottom of this trouble4 ,you    
know something about it4 ,you brought   
him4 ,and now he is dead4 ,i charge you 
with killing him4 ,she only replied1 ,i 
know nothing of that4 ,we will wait1 and
 we shall know4  ,they began to get     
ready for the return journey1 and some  
of the people said1 ,let a coffin be    
made1 and the body be placed there4 ,but
 ,osongo said1 ,no1 ,i don't want that2 
,i have a hammock1 and he shall be      
carried in it4 ,so they prepared the    
hammock1 and placed in it the dead body4
  ,as to ,ngwe-,nkonde1 ,osongo had her 
arrested1 and held as a prisoner1 with  
her hands tied behind her1 and he took a
 long whip with which to drive her4 ,and
 they started on their journey4  ,on the
 way ,osongo was wailing a              
mourning-song1 and cursing his mother1  
and weeping1 saying1 ,oh1 we both came  
together1 and he is dead6 ,oh1 my       
brother6 ,oh1 my same age6 ,obengi gone6

 ,osongo left6 ,oh1 the children of one 
father6 ,osongo1 who belongs to         
,ngwe-,nkonde1 left1 and ,obengi1 who   
belongs to ,ngwe-,vazya1 gone6 ,and thus
 they went1 he repeating these impromptu
 words of his song1 and weeping as he   
went4 ,as they were going thus1 while   
they were still only half-way on their  
route1 a man1 ,eserengila 7tale-bearer71
 one of his father's servants1 was out  
in the forest hunting4 ,he heard the    
song4 ,listening1 he said to himself1   
,those words6 ,what do they mean8       
,listening still1 he thought he         
recognized ,osongo's voice1 and         
understood that one was living and the  
other dead4  ,so he ran ahead to carry  
the news to the town before the corpse  
should arrive there4 ,when he reached   
the town1 he first told his wife about  
it4 ,she advised him1 ,if that is so1   
don't go and tell this bad news to the  
king2 a servant like you should not be  
the bearer of ill news4 ,but he still   
said1 ,no1 but ,i'm going to tell the   

father4 ,his wife insisted1 ,do not do  
it6 ,with those two beloved children1 if
 the news be not true1 the parents will 
make trouble for you6 ,but ,eserengila  
started to tell1 and by the time he had 
finished his story the company with the 
corpse were near enough for the people  
of the town to hear all the words of    
,osongo's song of mourning4  ,obengi's  
father and mother were so excited with  
grief that their people had to hold them
 fast as if they were prisoners1 to     
prevent them injuring themselves4 ,the  
funeral company all went up to the      
king's house1 and laid down the body of 
his son2 and ,osongo's mother1 still    
tied1 was led into the house4  ,the     
townspeople were all excited1 shouting  
and weeping4 ,some began to give        
directions about the making of a fine   
coffin4 ,but ,osongo said1 ,no1 ,i don't
 want him to be put into a coffin yet1  
because when my brother was alive we had
 many confidences and secrets1 and now  
that he is dead1 ,i have somewhat of a  

work to do before he is buried4 ,let the
 corpse wait awhile4 ,so he asked them  
all to leave the corpse alone while he  
went out of the town for a short time4  
,then he went away to the village of    
,ra-,marnge1 and said to him1 ,i'm in   
great trouble1 and indeed ,i need your  
help4 ,the prophet replied1 ,child1 ,i  
am too old2 ,i am not making medicine   
now4 ,go to ,ogula-y'-impazya-vazya1 and
 repeat your story to him2 he will help 
you4  ,ra-,marnge showed him the way to 
,ogula-y'-impazya-vazya's place4 ,he    
went1 and had not gone far when he found
 it4 ,going to the magician1 ,osongo    
said1 ,i'm in trouble1 and have come to 
you4 ,as soon as he had said this1      
,ogula-y'-impazya-vazya made his magic  
fire1 and stepped into it4 ,osongo was  
frightened1 thinking1 ,i've come to this
 man1 and he is about to kill himself   
for me2 and he ran away4 ,but he had not
 gone far1 when he heard the magician's 
nkendo 7a witchcraft bell7 ringing1 and 
his voice calling to him1 ,if you have  

come for medicine1 come back2 but if for
 anything else1 then run away4 ,so      
,osongo returned quickly1 and found that
 the old magician had emerged from his  
fire and was waiting for him4 ,osongo   
told his story of his brother's death1  
and said he wanted direction what to do4
 ,ogula-y'-impazya-vazya gave him       
medicine for a certain purpose1 and told
 him what to do and how to do it4  ,when
 ,osongo came back with the medicine1 he
 entered his father's house1 into the   
room where his brother's corpse was     
lying1 and ordered every one to leave   
him alone for a while4 ,they all left   
the room4 ,he closed the door1 and      
following the directions given him by   
,ogula-y'-impazya-vazya1 he brought     
,obengi to life again4  ,now came a     
question what was to be done with       
,ngwe-nkonde1 the attempted murderess4  
,it was demanded that her throat should 
be cut1 and that her body1 weighted with
 stones1 should be flung into the river4
 ,for1 said ,osongo1 ,i will not own    

such a mother2 she is very bad4         
,obengi's mother shall be my mother4 ,it
 was decided so4 ,and ,ra-,mborakinda   
said to ,ngwe-vazya1 ,you step up to the
 queen's seat with your two sons        
7meaning ,osongo and ,obengi74  ,and    
,ngwe-vazya became head-wife1 and was   
very kind and attentive to both sons4   
,and the matter ended4   ,,viii4 ,,jeki 
,,and ,,his ,,oz,,zi4  ,ra-,mborakinda  
had his town where he lived with his    
wives1 his sons1 his daughters1 and his 
glory4  ,lord ,mborakinda had his loved 
head-wife1 ,ngwe-nkonde1 and the unloved
 one1 ,ngwe-lege4 ,both of these1 with  
other of his wives1 had sons and        
daughters4 ,ngwe-nkonde's first son was 
,nkombe1 and she had two others4        
,ngwe-lege also had three sons1 but the 
eldest of these1 ,jeki1 was a thief4 ,he
 stole everything he came across1--food1
 fish1 and all4 ,this became so         
notorious that when people saw him      
approach their houses they would begin  
to hide their food and goods1 saying1   

,there comes that thief6  ,jeki's       
grandfather1 the father of his mother1  
was dead4 ,one night1 in a dream1 that  
grandfather came to him1 and said to    
him1 ,jeki1 my son1 when will you leave 
off that stealing1 and try to work and  
do other things as others do8 ,to-morrow
 morning come to me early2 ,i have a    
word to say to you4 ,jeki replied1 ,but 
where do you live1 and how can ,i know  
the way to that town8 ,he answered1 ,you
 just start at your town entrance1 and  
go on1 and you will see the way to my   
place before you reach it4  ,so the next
 morning ,jeki1 remembering his dream1  
said to his mother1 ,please fix me up   
some food4 ,he did not tell her that the
 purpose of the food was not simply for 
his breakfast1 but as an extra supply   
for a journey4 ,the food that was       
prepared for him was five rolls made of 
boiled plantains mashed into a kind of  
pudding called nkima1 and tied up with  
dried fish4 ,when these were ready1 he  
put them inside his travelling-bag4     

,then he dressed himself for his        
journey4  ,his mother said1 ,where are  
you going8 ,he evaded1 and said1 ,i will
 be back again4 ,so he went away4       
,after he had been gone a little while1 
he came to a fork of the road1 and      
without hesitation his feet took the one
 leading to the right4 ,after going on  
for a while he met two people named     
,isakiliya1 fighting1 whose forms were  
like sticks4 ,these sticks were abambo1 
or ghosts4 ,in all native folk-lore1    
where spirits embody themselves1 they   
take an absurd or singular form1 that   
they may test the amiability or         
severity1 as the case may be1 of human  
beings with whom they may meet4 ,they   
bless the kind1 and curse the unkind4   
,he went to them to make peace1 and     
parted them2 took out one of his rolls  
of nkima and fish1 gave to them1 and    
passed on4 ,they thanked him1 and gave  
him a blessing1 ,peace be on you1 both  
going and coming6 ,he went on and on1   
and then he met two ,anty 7eyes7        

fighting4 ,in the same way as with the  
,isakiliya1 he went to them1 separated  
them1 gave them food1 was blessed1 and  
went on his way4  ,again he met in the  
same way two ,kumu 7stumps7 fighting1   
and in the same way he interfered       
between them1 made peace1 gave food1 was
 blessed1 and went on his journey4 ,he  
went on and on1 and met with a fourth   
fight4 ,this time it was between two    
,poti 7heads71 and in the same way he   
made peace between them1 gave a gift1   
was blessed1 and went on4  ,he journeyed
 and journeyed4 ,and he came to a       
dividing of the way1 and was puzzled    
which to take4 ,suddenly an old woman   
appeared4 ,he saluted her1 ,mbolo6 took 
out his last roll of nkima1 and gave it 
to her4 ,the old woman thanked him1 and 
asked him1 ,where are you going8 ,he    
replied1 ,i'm on my way to an old man1  
but am a little uncertain as to my way4 
,she said1 ,oh1 joy6 ,i know him4 ,i    
know the way4 ,his name is              
,re-ve-nla-g-li4 ,she showed him the    

way1 pronounced a blessing on him1 and  
he passed on4 ,he had not gone much     
farther when he came to the place4      
,when the old grandfather saw him1 he   
greeted him1 ,have you come1 son8 ,he   
answered1 ,yes4  ,well1 said the        
grandfather1 ,i just live here by       
myself1 and do my work myself4 ,and the 
old man made food for him4 ,then next   
day this grandfather began to have a    
talk with ,jeki4 ,he rebuked him for his
 habit of stealing4 ,jeki replied1 ,but1
 grandfather1 what can ,i do8 ,i have no
 work nor any money4 ,even if ,i try to 
leave off stealing1 ,i cannot4 ,i do not
 know what medicine will cause me to    
leave it off4 ,then said the            
grandfather1 ,well1 child1 ,i will make 
the medicine for you before you go back 
to your mother4 ,so ,jeki remained a few
 days with his grandfather1 and then    
said1 ,i wish to go back4 ,the          
grandfather said1 ,yes1 but ,i have some
 little work for you to do before you   
leave4 ,so ,jeki said1 ,good6 let me    

have the work4  ,the grandfather gave   
him an axe1 and told him to go and cut  
firewood sufficient to fill the small   
woodshed4 ,jeki did so1 filling the shed
 in that one day4 ,the regular          
occupation of the old man was the       
twisting of ropes for the lines of      
seines4 ,so the next day he told ,jeki  
to go and get the inner barks1 whose    
fibre was used in his rope-making4 ,jeki
 went to the forest1 gathered this      
material1 and returned with it to the   
old man4  ,the next day the grandfather 
said to ,jeki1 ,now ,i am ready to start
 you off on your journey4 ,and he added1
 ,as you gave as reasons for stealing   
that you had neither money nor the means
 of getting it1 ,i will provide that4   
,then the old man called him1 took him  
to a brook-side1 and reminded him that  
he had promised that he could make a    
medicine to cure him of his desire to   
steal4  ,the grandfather began to cut   
open ,jeki's chest1 and took out his    
heart1 washed it all clean1 and put it  

back again4 ,then they went back to the 
grandfather's house4 ,there he gave     
,jeki an ozzi 7wooden pestle71 and said1
 ,now1 son1 take this4 ,this is your    
wealth4 ,everything that you wish1 this 
will bring to you4 ,hold it up1 express 
your wish1 and you will get it4 ,but    
there is one orunda 7taboo7 connected   
with it3 no one must pronounce the word 
'salt' in your hearing4 ,you may see and
 use salt1 but may not speak its name   
nor hear it spoken1 for if you do things
 will turn out bad for you4 ,but1 the   
old man added1 if that happens1 ,i will 
now tell you what to do4 ,and he        
revealed to him a secret1 and gave him  
full directions4 ,when the grandfather  
had finished1 he led him a short        
distance on the way1 and returned to his
 house4 ,he had not prepared any food   
for ,jeki for the journey1 for he with  
the ozzi would himself be able to supply
 all his own wishes4  ,jeki goes on and 
on1 and then exclaims doubtfully1 ,ah1  
only this ozzi is to furnish me with    

everything6 ,i'm getting hungry2 so1    
soon ,i'll try its power4 ,he went on a 
little farther1 and then decided that he
 would try whether he could get anything
 by means of the ozzi4 ,so he held it   
up1 and said1 ,i wish a table of food to
 be spread for me1 with two white men to
 eat with me4 ,instantly there was seen 
a tent1 and table covered with food1 and
 two white men sitting4 ,he sat down    
with these two companions4 ,after they  
had eaten1 he spoke to the ozzi to cause
 the tent and its contents to disappear4
 ,they did so4 ,this proved for him the 
power of his ozzi1 and he was glad1 and 
went on his way satisfied4  ,finally he 
reached his father's town1 whose people 
saw him coming1 but gave him no welcome1
 except his mother1 who was glad to see 
him4 ,but most of the people only said1 
,there6 there is that thief coming      
again4 ,we must begin to hide our       
things4 ,after ,jeki's arrival1 in a few
 days1 the townspeople noticed a change 
in him1 and inquired of each other1 ,has

 he been stealing1 or has he really     
changed8 for shortly after his return he
 had told his mother and brothers all   
the news1 and had warned the people of  
the town about the orunda of salt4 ,in  
the course of a few days ,jeki did many 
wonderful things with his ozzi4 ,he     
wished for nice little premises of his  
own with houses and conveniences1 near  
his father's town1 supplied with        
servants and clothing and furniture4    
,these appeared4 ,soon1 by the wealth   
that he possessed1 he became master of  
the town1 and ruled over the other      
children of his father4 ,he obtained    
from that same ozzi1 created by its     
power1 two wives1--,ngwanga and ,ilmbe1 
who were loving and obedient4 ,he also  
bought three other wives from the       
village1 who were like servants to the  
two chief ones4 ,he confided his plans  
and everything to the two favored ones  
who had come out of the ozzi4  ,in the  
course of time he thought he would      
display his power before the people1 and

 for their benefit1 by causing ships to 
come with wealth4 ,so he held up the    
ozzi1 and said1 ,i want to see a ship   
come full of merchandise6  ,presently   
the townspeople began to shout1 ,a ship6
 a ship6 ,it anchored4 ,jeki called his 
own brothers and half-brothers1 and     
directed1 ,you all get ready and go out 
to the ship1 and tell the captain that  
,i will follow you4 ,they made ready1   
and went on board1 and asked1 ,what     
goods have you brought8 ,the captain    
told them1 ,mostly cloth1 and a few     
other things4 ,they informed him1 ,soon 
the chief of the town will come4 ,and   
they returned ashore1 and reported to   
,jeki what was on board4 ,he made       
himself ready and went1 leaving word for
 them to follow soon and discharge the  
cargo4 ,the ship lay there a few days1  
and then sailed away4 ,then ,jeki       
divided the goods among his brothers and
 parents1 keeping only a small share for
 himself4  ,thus it went on3 every few  
months ,jeki ordering a ship to come    

with goods4 ,as usual1 he would send his
 brothers first1 they would bring a     
report1 and then he would go on board4  
,sometimes he would eat with the ship's 
company1 sometimes he would invite them 
ashore to eat in his own house4  ,all   
this time no one had broken the orunda  
of salt4 ,but1 to prove things1 ,jeki   
thought he would try his half-brothers1 
and see what were their real feelings   
toward him4 ,so the next time he caused 
ships to come with a cargo of salt only4
 ,at sight of the ships there was the   
usual shout of ,a ship6 a ship6 ,the    
brothers went aboard as usual1 and found
 what the cargo was4 ,the half-brothers 
returned ashore immediately1 and began  
to shout when they neared ,jeki's house1
 ,the ships are full of salt6 ,he heard 
the word1 and said to his mother and to 
his two chief wives1 ,do you hear that8 
,the half-brothers came close to him1   
and exclaimed1 ,dgula ,sir1 the ships   
are loaded with nothing but salt1 salt1 
salt1 and the captain is waiting for    

you4 ,jeki asked again1 as if he had not
 heard1 ,what is it the captains have   
brought8 ,and they said1 ,salt4 ,so he  
said1 ,let it be so4 ,to-day is the day4
 ,good6 ,you go and get ready1 and ,i   
will get ready1 and we shall all go     
together4  ,then the two chief wives    
looked very sorrowful1 for they felt    
sure by his look and tone that something
 bad was about to happen4  ,first he    
ordered a bath to be prepared for       
himself4 ,it was made ready1 and he     
bathed1 and went to dress himself in the
 other room1 where his goods were       
stored4 ,when he had entered1 he called 
his own two brothers and the two wives1 
and closed the door4 ,he began to       
examine a few of his boxes4 ,opening a  
certain one1 he said1 ,of all my wealth1
 this was one of the first4 ,now ,i am  
going to die4 ,but as it is always the  
custom1 a few days after the funeral1 to
 decide who shall be the successor and  
inheritor1 when that day arrives1 come  
and open this particular box4 ,do not   

forget to take the cloth for covering   
the throne of my successor from this    
box4  ,inside of that box was a small   
casket1 holding a large black silk      
handkerchief4 ,he kept the secret       
received from his grandfather1 and did  
not tell them what would happen when    
they should come to get cloth from the  
box4 ,they understood only that on the  
throne-day they were to open the big box
 and the little casket it contained4    
,then he told them1 ,now you may go out4
 ,they went out4 ,jeki shut the door1   
and began to dress for the ships4 ,but1 
before dressing1 he took out the black  
silk handkerchief from the small box1   
and rubbed it over his entire body2 and1
 carefully folding it1 put it back again
 in the casket and closed it4 ,then he  
was ready to start4 ,and they all went  
off to the ships1 he with the ozzi in   
hand4 ,he1 with his own brothers1 was in
 a boat following the boat of his       
half-brothers4  ,he raised a death-song1
 ,ilendo6 ,ilendo6 give me skill for a  

dance6 ,ilendo6 ,ilendo6 give me skill  
for a play6 ,this he sang on the way1   
jumping from boat to boat4 ,he said he  
would go on board the ships1 but ordered
 all his brothers not to come4 ,his plan
 was that they were to be only witnesses
 of his death4 ,he boarded one of the   
ships1 and went over the deck singing   
and dancing with that same ,ilendo song4
 ,then he jumped to the deck of the next
 vessel4  ,as he did so1 the first one  
sank instantly4 ,on the second ship he  
sang and danced1 and jumped thence to   
the third1 the second sinking as the    
first4 ,on the third ship he continued  
the song and dance2 he remained on it a 
long while1 for he caused it to sink    
slowly4 ,when the water reached the     
vessel's deck1 the brothers in the boats
 were looking on with fear4 ,his own    
brothers began to cry1 seeing the ship  
sinking1 for they knew that ,jeki would 
die with it4 ,when it sank1 the boats   
went ashore wailing1 and took the news  
to the town4  ,but the half-brothers    

were not really mourning2 they were     
planning the division of ,jeki's        
property4 ,all the town held the kwedi  
7mourning72 but after the fifth day the 
half-brothers told their father that it 
was time for the exaltation of a        
successor to ,jeki1 the ceremony of     
ampenda 7glories74 ,ngwe-nkonde's       
first-born son1 ,nkombe1 said1 ,i will  
be the first to stand on the throne1 and
 my two brothers will be next4 ,jeki's  
two brothers refused to have anything to
 say about the division4 ,they          
determined they would remain quiet and  
see what would be done4 ,and the two    
wives of ,jeki said the same4  ,when the
 half-brothers came to the house of     
mourning1 they began to discuss which of
 these two women they would inherit4    
,then one of the two wives said1 ,oh1   
,ngwanga1 we must not forget what ,jeki 
told us about the box1 now that the     
people are fixing for the ampenda6  ,so 
the two brothers of ,jeki and the two   
women went inside the room1 shut the    

door1 and began to open the big box to  
take out the little casket4 ,by this    
time the people outside had everything  
ready for the ceremony of the ampenda4  
,the two women now opened the casket1   
took out the black handkerchief1 and    
unfolded it4 ,and ,jeki stood in the    
middle of the room1 with his ozzi in his
 hand4 ,their surprise was great2 their 
joy extreme4 ,in their joy they ran to  
embrace him4  ,the people outside were  
very busy with their arrangements4      
,nkombe already had taken the throne1   
having painted his face with the little 
white mark of rule1 and given orders to 
have the signal-drum beaten2 and the    
crowd began to dance and sing to his    
praise4  ,jeki sent his youngest        
brother1 ,oraniga 7last-born71 saying1  
,just go privately and tell my father   
about me1 that ,i have come to life4    
,and ,i want him to have the whole town 
swept1 and to lay bars of iron along the
 streets for me to step on from this    
house to his4 ,say also that ,ntyege    

7monkey7 must continue his firing of    
guns and cannon2 then ,i will come and  
meet my father4  ,oraniga did so2 and   
the father said1 ,good6 and ,oraniga    
returned4 ,the father gave the desired  
orders about the sweeping and the iron  
bars and the firing of cannon2 but the  
people at the throne-house did not know 
of all this4  ,then ,jeki and his two   
wives and two brothers dressed          
themselves finely to walk to the        
father's house1 and marched in          
procession through the street4 ,a few of
 the people saw them1 wondered1 and     
asked the drums to stop1 exclaiming1    
,where did they come from8 ,the         
procession went on to the father's      
house1 and ,ntyege kept on with the     
cannon firing4  ,on reaching his        
father's house1 ,jeki told him he had   
something to say1 and the father ordered
 the drum to cease4 ,all the people were
 summoned to the father's house to hear 
,jeki's words4 ,he said1 ,father1 ,i    
know that ,i am your son1 and ,nkombe is

 your son4 ,you all know what ,nkombe   
has done1 for he was at the bottom of   
this matter2 so now choose between him  
and me4 ,if you love him more1 ,i will  
go far away and stay by myself2 but if  
you love me1 ,nkombe must be removed    
from this town4  ,so the father asked   
the opinion of others4 7,for himself1 he
 wanted to have ,jeki47 ,nkombe's own   
brothers said he ought to be killed1 for
 he is not so good to us as ,jeki was4  
,so they bound ,nkombe1 and tied a stone
 about his neck1 and drowned him in the 
sea4  ,and everything went on well1     
,jeki governing1 and providing for the  
town4     ,,glossary   ,a4  ,abuna1     
abundance4  ,aganlo1 children of mixed  
mortal and fairy birth4  ,akazya1 a     
poisonous tree4  ,amie1 do not know4    
,anlingo1 water4  ,anty 7sing4 inty71   
eyes4  ,anyambe1 the ,divine ,name4     
,aweme1 yourself4  ,ayenwe1 unseen4     
,b4  ,bbk1 consent thou4  ,behu1 kitchen
 garden4  ,benda1 a kind of rat4  ,bia1 
medicine4  ,bobbu1 soft4  ,bohamba1 a   

certain medicinal tree4  ,boka1 a       
certain medicinal tree4  ,bokadi1 a     
certain medicinal tree4  ,bokuda1 a     
certain medicinal tree4  ,bolondo1 a    
poisonous tree4  ,bongm1 a certain      
medicinal tree4  ,botombaka1 passing    
away4  ,buhwa1 day4  ,bwanga1 medicine4 
,d4  ,dgula1 ,mr41 a title of respect4  
,diba1 marriage4  ,diy1 the hearth2 a   
household4  ,diyaka1 to live4   ,e4     
,ebbi1 a male love philtre4  ,egona1 a  
small antelope horn4  ,ehongo1 a        
cornucopia4  ,ekongi1 a guardian-spirit 
fetich4  ,ekope1 a girdle4  ,elmb1 a    
certain medicinal tree4  ,elinga1 a     
basket4  ,etomba1 tribe4  ,evove1       
harlot4  ,ewiria1 words of hidden       
meaning4   ,f4  ,fufu1 mashed1 boiled   
ripe plantains4   ,g4  ,go1 to1 in1 at4 
,greegree 7gris-gris71 fetich amulet4   
,gumbo1 okra4  ,gwandere1 a medicine for
 worms4   ,h4  ,haye1 will not do4      
,hume1 a certain fish4   ,i4  ,ibambo   
7pl4 abambo71 ghosts4  ,ibt1 a blessing4
  ,iga1 the forest4  ,iguga1 woe4       

,iheli1 a gazelle4  ,ijawe 7pl4 majawe71
 blood relative4  ,ikaka 7pl4 makaka71  
family name4  ,ilala1 an arch2 a        
stairway4  ,ilina 7pl4 malina71 soul4   
,ina1 my mother4  ,ininla 7pl4 anlinla71
 soul4  ,injenji1 a certain leaf2 fault4
  ,isakiliya1 kindling-wood4  ,isiki    
7pl4 asiki71 a dwarf changeling4        
,itaka1 a kitchen hanging-shelf4        
,itala1 a view4  ,ivaha1 a wish4        
,ivenda 7pl4 ampenda71 glory4  ,iyele1 a
 female love philtre4   ,j4  ,ja1 of4   
,jaka1 to beget4  ,joba1 the sun4       
,jomba1 meat cooked in a bundle of      
plantain leaves4  ,juju1 an amulet4     
,k4  ,k1 and you4  ,kasa1 a lash4       
,keva1 to surpass4  ,kilinga1 a kind of 
bird4  ,kimbwa-mbenje1 native           
bark-cloth4  ,kna1 a kind of bird4      
,knakna1 a large kind of bird4  ,koka1 a
 large kind of bird4  ,kombo1 a         
superstitious ejaculation4  ,konde1     
queen4  ,kota1 a certain tree4  ,kulu1 a
 kind of spirit4  ,kumu1 a stump4       
,kwedi1 time of mourning4   ,l4  ,lale1 

my father4   ,m4  ,mabili1 an east-wind 
fetich4  ,mba1 not ,i4  ,mbenda1        
ground-nut4  ,mbi1 ,i4  ,mbinde1 a wild 
goat4  ,mbolo1 gray hairs2 a salutation4
  ,mbulu1 a wild dog4  ,mbumbu1 rainbow4
  ,mbundu1 poison ordeal4  ,mbwa 7pl4   
imbwa71 dog4  ,mbwaye1 a poison test4   
,mehole1 ripe plantains4  ,miba1 water4 
,mie1 me4  ,monda1 witchcraft medicine4 
,mondi 7pl4 myondi71 a class of spirits4
  ,mpazya1 skin disease4  ,mulimate1 a  
small horn for cupping4  ,musimo1       
spirits of the dead4  ,muskwa1 a        
medicinal brush4  ,mutira1 a medicinal  
stick4  ,mvia1 a kind of bird4  ,mwana1 
a child4  ,mwanga1 a plantation4   ,n4  
,na1 with4  ,ndabo1 house4  ,ndembe1    
young4  ,nduma1 a kind of snake4        
,ngalo1 a guardian-spirit charm4  ,ngma1
 a water plant4  ,ngnd1 gourd seeds4    
,ngnde1 moon4  ,ngofu1 an iron fetich   
bracelet4  ,ngunye1 a flying-squirrel4  
,nguwu1 hippopotamus4  ,ngwe1 mother4   
,njabi1 a wild oily fruit4  ,njeg1      
leopard4  ,nkl1 a large snail4  ,nknj1 a

 marriage dance4  ,nkendo1 a magician's 
bell4  ,nkinda 7pl4 sinkinda71 a class  
of spirits4  ,nsn1 ,sunday4  ,nsinsim1 a
 shadow4  ,ntori1 a large forest rat4   
,ntyege1 a monkey4  ,nungwa1 open thou4 
,nunja1 shut thou4  ,nyamba1 a scarf    
slung over the right shoulder1 in which 
to carry a babe4  ,nyemba1 witchcraft4  
,nyolo1 body4   ,o4  ,odika1 kernel of  
the wild mango4  ,oganga1 doctor4       
,ogend1 a journey4  ,ogwerina1 rear of a
 house4  ,okove1 a powerful fetich4     
,okume1 ,african mahogany tree4         
,okundu1 a kind of fetich for trading4  
,olg 7pl4 ilg71 a class of spirits4     
,olako1 a camping place4  ,ombwiri 7pl4 
awiri71 a class of spirits4  ,ompunga1  
wind4  ,orala1 a hanging shelf over a   
fireplace4  ,oraniga1 last-born4  ,orwo1
 insult4  ,orega1 the ,njembe secret    
society drum4  ,orunda1 a prohibition2  
taboo4  ,osenge1 a cleared place in the 
forest4  ,ovvi 7pl4 ivvi71 messenger4   
,owavi 7pl4 sijavi71 a leaf4  ,ozyzi1 a 
pestle4  ,ozyoto1 a cornucopia4   ,p4   

,paia1 my father4  ,pavo1 a knife4      
,peke1 ever4   ,r4  ,rera1 my father4   
,s4  ,saba1 an oath4  ,sabali1 an oath4 
,sale1 hail6   ,t4  ,tamba1 the womb4   
,tube1 a certain leaf4  ,tuwaka1 bless2 
spit   ,u4  ,udinge1 a great person4    
,ukuku 7pl4 mekuku71 spirit2 secret     
society4  ,ukwala1 a machete4           
,untyanya1 a medicinal bark4  ,unyongo1 
a medicinal tree4  ,upuma1 a period of  
six months4  ,utodu1 old4  ,uvengwa1 a  
phantom4   ,v4  ,veya1 fire4   ,y4      
,yginla1 imperative1 hear thou4  ,yk1 a 
family fetich4     ,,footnotes3  #a     
,gen4 xxx4 #ae-af4  #b ,gen4 xxix4 #bf4 
#c ,trumbull1 ,blood ,covenant1 p4 #caa4
  #d ,trumbull1 ,blood ,covenant1 p4 #d4
  #e ,garenganze1 p4 #gi4  #f ,rom4 i4  
#bh1 margin4  #g ,rom4 i4 #cj4  #h      
,three ,years in ,savage ,africa1 p4    
#gd4  #i ,western ,africa1 p4 #bji4  #aj
 ,i am strongly disposed to think that1 
in its origin1 there was a sacrificial  
idea connected with cannibalism4--,r4   
,h4 ,n4  #aa ,gen4 iv4 #b4  #ab ,gen4   

iv4 #ag4  #ac ,gen4 iv4 #ba1 #bb4  #ad  
,heb4 xi4 #d4  #ae ,gen4 iii4 #ba4  #af 
,joshua xxii4 #cd4  #ag ,john xx4 #bi4  
#ah #a ,sam4 vi4 #c4  #ai ,dan4 iii4    
#bi4  #bj ,history of ,religion1 pp4    
#abi et seq4  #ba ,western ,africa1 p4  
#bjg4  #bb ,wilson4  #bc ,crowned in    
,palmland1 p4 #bcd4  #bd ,decl4  #be ,j4
 ,l4 ,wilson4  #bf ,j4 ,l4 ,wilson4  #bg
 ,decl4  #bh ,wilson1 ,western ,africa4 
#bi ,menzies1 ,history of ,religion1 p4 
#cc4  #cj ,wilson1 ,western ,africa1 p4 
#bab4  #ca ,garenganze1 p4 #bcg4  #cb   
,menzies1 ,history of ,religion1 p4 #gc4
  #cc ,those nails were not mere        
ornaments4 ,they were the records of the
 number of persons who had been         
transfixed by death or disease under the
 power of that fetich idol4 ,a similar  
custom is known in the ,west ,indies and
 in the southern ,united ,states4 ,for  
every pin stuck into a wax figure       
intended to represent the person to be  
injured1 some sickness or other evil    
will fall on him4 ,wilkie ,collins also 

utilized this superstition in his novel1
 ,i say1 ,no4--,r4 ,h4 ,n4  #cd ,decl4  
#ce ,history of ,religion1 pp4 #fe1 #fi4
  #cf ,garenganze1 p4 #gg4  #cg ,three  
,years in ,savage ,africa4  #ch ,i saw  
the same on the ,ogowe4--,r4 ,h4 ,n4    
#ci ,these piles ,i have found at almost
 every village ,i have visited4--,r4 ,h4
 ,n4  #dj ,decl1 p4 #cdf4  #da ,menzies4
  #db ,decl4  #dc ,hosea xiii4 #b4  #dd 
,acts xv4 #bi4  #de ,brown1 ,on the     
,south ,african ,frontier1 p4 #aac4  #df
 ,arnot1 ,garenganze1 p4 #ajf4  #dg     
,this would be what ,i have denominated 
the white art4--,r4 ,h4 ,n4  #dh ,in    
that part of ,africa4--,r4 ,h4 ,n4  #di 
,really1 only a difference in           
administration4--,r4 ,h4 ,n4  #ej ,decl1
 ,three ,years in ,savage ,africa1 pp4  
#aeb1 #aed1 #bid4  #ea ,arnot1          
,garenganze1 p4 #aae4  #eb ,and1        
similarly1 ,i have known the fimbriated 
extremities of the fallopian tubes in a 
woman held up as a proof of her having  
been a witch4 ,the ciliary movements of 

these fimbri were regarded as the       
efforts of her familiar at a process of 
eating4 ,the decision was that she had  
been eaten to death by her own offended 
familiar4--,r4 ,h4 ,n4  #ec ,wilson1    
,western ,africa1 p4 #cih4  #ed ,brown1 
,on the ,south ,african ,frontier4  #ee 
,ex4 xxii4 #ah4  #ef ,i ,sam4 xxvii4    
#aa-ae4  #eg ,verse #ab4  #eh ,wilson1  
,western ,africa1 p4 #bge4  #ei ,wilson1
 ,western ,africa1 p4 #cic4  #fj ,ibid4 
#fa ,wilson1 ,western ,africa4  #fb ,to 
a native ,african that is a much greater
 wrong than stealing from other people1 
particularly from foreigners4--,r4 ,h4  
,n4  #fc ,on the ,south ,african        
,frontier1 p4 #bad4  #fd ,garenganze1 p4
 #bjg4  #fe ,arnot4  #ff ,brown1 ,on the
 ,south ,african ,frontier4  #fg ,tale  
#bc1 p4 #ic1 my ,notes on the           
,folk-,lore of the ,fjort4  #fh ,arnot4 
#fi ,decl4  #gj ,see ,niger and ,yoruba 
,notes4  #ga ,from a ,west ,african     
newspaper4  #gb ,menzies1 ,history of   
,religion1 p4 #ga4  #gc ,see an         

illustration of it on p4 #ajb of my     
,crowned in ,palm-,land2 an infant is   
lying on a plantain leaf in the street4 
#gd ,wilson1 ,western ,africa4  #ge     
,decl4  #gf ,among ,cannibals1 pp4      
#bgh-bgi4  #gg ,arnot1 ,garenganze1 p4  
#aaf4  #gh ,decl1 ,three ,years in      
,savage ,africa1 pp4 #gd-gi4  #gi ,decl4
  #hj ,arnot1 p4 #gf4  #ha ,three ,years
 in ,savage ,africa1 p4 #eab4  #hb      
,wilson4  #hc ,p4 #eac4  #hd ,i know of 
its occurring on the ,gabun and ,ogowe  
rivers on the ,west ,coast4--,r4 ,h4 ,n4
  #he ,p4 #ajg4  #hf ,p4 #aae4  #hg     
,trumbull1 p4 #abi4  #hh ,western       
,africa1 p4 #cig4  #hi ,wilson1 ,western
 ,africa4  #ij ,garenganze1 p4 #ajg4    
#ia ,niger and ,yoruba ,notes4  #ib     
,wilson4     ,transcriber's ,notes3     
,passages in italics are indicated by   
italics4  ,the original text contains   
letters with diacritical marks that are 
not represented in this text version4