The Sun.
London, England, 1865-11-08 00:00:00

Ethnological Society.

The first meeting of the session of this society was
held yesterday evening, in their rooms, St. Martin's-
place—Mr. Craufurd in the chair. A number of
brilliantly coloured Chinese drawings, brought from
Rangoon, decorated the room, and were described
by Mr. Mackie.
The hon. secretary, Mr. T. WRIGHT, read a re-
port of the ethnological papers read at the last meet-
ing of the British association at Birmingham.
The first paper read was " On the Manners and
Customs of Little Popo, Bight of Benin," by Capt.
Wildman, R.N., in which he gave au interesting ac-
count of the condition of the natives in that district,
who combine with the customs of savage tribes many
manners imitated from Europeans. They are, he
said, the most cleanly and well-conditioned people
of any of the negro tribes on the African coast.
Little Popo, from its position on the sea shore, to the
south, and on the banks of a large and long lagoon
on the north, ought to be, next to Lagos, the most
important trading town between St. Paulo and Cape
Formosa ; but owing to wars, continued for years,
but little trade has been carried on. The houses in
the town are built on both sides of the lagoon, and
are thatched two or three feet thick with dried grass.
They are one-storied, and built of mud and sand,
enclosing a court. The following curious account
was given of the mode of burial :—The head of the
house is always buried in the ground floor. A grave
is dug inside the large room, which occupies all the
lower part of the house. The man's head wife is also
buried in the same place. The ceremony of burial
is this, as the natives tell you—" Big Fellow" dies,
his body is " dressed fine." It is then put iu a chair
in his room—his feet being put into a large brass
pan. Two of his sons, and two of his daughters,
his eldest sister, and his nephew by her, are now
told quickly to come. The native general of the
district is also called. They all come to the house
and see the body. Having examined it and seen
that the " Big Fellow" has not been poisoned, they
say "Put him into the box." The box is made the
length of the body, about 3 feet broad, 4 feet high,
with a round top, fitted with hinges. The body is
now put into the box. The sons and daughters
give about $lO each, the nephew about $B, the sis-
ter about $2O, and the native general $l6. This is
all put into the box with the body. A decanter
full of rum, a tumbler, a decanter of
water, silk cloths, a round English hat, a
long pipe filled with tobacco, a bottle of English
lavender water, a small looking-glass and comb,
two or three silk handkerchiefs, two plates, a knife,
fork, and spoon are also put into the box. Each of
the sons, daughters, his sister and nephew, give silk
cloths to cover the body. A grave is dug in the
lower room, and plastered round inside ; half way
up the grave bars are placed across; the box (or
coffin) is rested on these bars, and covered over with
a concrete of mud and sand. The room is cleared
and cleaned, the windows shut, candles being kept
lighted for about a week. The death is kept quiet
for about four months, and is then made public,
and " the customs" held ; they are as follow :
First day—Fire guns, drink rum ; second day—early
in the morning fire guns, relations dance and beat
drum, calling out " Drink plenty ruin ;" third day—
they rest ; fourth day—fire gun, dance, beat drum,
" drink plenty rum," give away cloth. This con-
tinues for 15 days. Sixteenth day—All the deceased's
children wash, and " dress fine," and carry the
dead man's chair into the bush. All the people
in the town are given powder, to be ready to fire
muskets when the chair is brought back from the
bush. One of the dead man's sons is " dressed fine,"
and put into the chair, which is now brought into
the house. All the people fire muskets and cannon.
Three tables are now laid for dinner ; a bullock
killed, goats, fowls, ducks, &c. The head men of
the town are called. The head men take one table ;
the women the second table ; the dead man's sons
the third table. When they have all finished
eating they fill a tumbler half full of rum,
stand up, and cry aloud, " Hip, hip, hurrah !"
" Who say ?" (the dead man's name) " Say !"
Big guns are fired outside. They then sit
down. Ruin is now given away to every and any
one. An awning, and room of silk clothes is
made ; with two men inside to watch, having with
them rum ; this they give to any one who comes,
the awning remaining up for two wocks. -When
a " big man" dies, the brothers of " small men,"
who have died within about three fears previous, all
contribute to the custom of the " big man" powder,
beasts, fowls, or whatever they can afford, and dress
fine—their dead relations' children claiming the
custom as for their brother as well as the big man.
The criminal law is very simple, being very much
like the old Hebrew law of " an eye for an eye, a
tooth for a tooth." The head men of the town judge
all cases of murder, whether by violence or poison ;
the latter is the most common. If a man or woman
is found guilty of murder, he or she is killed by the
same means as they employed in the murder : that
is to say if a knife or stick has been used, the cul-
prit is so killed. If poisoned, he or she is poisoned.
If the culprit runs away and cannot be found, his
brother is executed instead. If a slave man runs

away, having killed any one, his master is fined
about $lOO, or more if he is rich. If a free man

steals he is imprisoned ; if a slave steals he is
flogged with a fish tail, the fish tail being about four

feet long and four inches in diameter at the thick
end, tapering at the other end, and is covered with

small and large excrescences like teeth, which cut

the flesh to pieces. He gets about four dozen blows,

when he becomes quite insensible, and his flesh
without feeling ; they then cut the flesh with small

knives until the blood wines; red and green pep

pers are now ground up with salt and well rubbed
into the part previously operated upon with the
fish tail. He is then sent to the plantations to

work, and is not again allowed in thehouse. Slaves
are punished by their masters without referenco to

the head men, and the masters are not responsible

to any one concerning the punishment of their

slaves. Debtors are more severely punished than

murderers. When a man owes- a- large sum of
money and cannot pay, all his family are pawned
until the amount is paid. If he has no
family he is taken to the King (nominally over many

towns) with 12 dollars. The king orders him to be

buried in the ground in the bush, with the earth

stamped down all round him, just leaving his head
out ; a pot is put over his head at night ; at day-

break it is removed and left off until the evening,
when it is again put on; this is done until he is dead,

which happens generally in four days if the sun is

very hot, five or six days if cool. The turkey buz-
zards soon find out a man so buried, and circle round
him, for a little time, and then settle and devour the
flesh from his head, first picking out his eyes. When

a man is so punished the creditor has no further

claim on his family for the debt.

If the debtor

runs away, his family are seized by the creditor
and kept till the debt is paid. In this case the

man's brother generally pawns his family
(or slaves if he has any), and redeems them

when he can get enough money to pay the debt.
Polygamy is practised to an unlimited extent, each
man having as many wives as he can afford to keep.
Forty wives are not unfrequently kept by a rich

man, and one instance was mentioned of a man

having 100.

At the conclusion of the paper there was a brief
discussion, in which Dr. Hodgskin, Dr. Caddy, Mr.
Mackie, and the President took part.
A second paper was read "On the Darien
Indians," by Dr. Cullen. These Indians, who oc-
cupy the Isthmus of Darien, are scattered into small
tribes on the sea-shore. They have always main-.
tained their independence, and do not allow any of
the neighbouring Indians to enter their territory.
The whole population, Dr. Cullen believes, does not
exceed 3,ooo—their numbers having rapidly dimi-
nished during the last 100 years. In a country 157
miles in length and with an average breadth of 60
miles, with a soil of great fertility, there are less
than 5,000 occupants. This is the more strange, as
the land yields abundant valuable products, and
occupies a most commanding position for commerce.
There is, however, no path nor trail, nor any mode

of transit across the Isthrnns. The Darien Indians

are a handsome race, of low stature, but stoutly built,
with the copper-coloured skin, straight, coarse black

hair, and other characteristics of Red Indians. They
live very peaceably together, are honest, cleanly,