Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1847-05-20
6tstorttol.
From the American Missionary.
A F RIG A.
FOURTH LETTER.-REL1GIoN.

My Dear Young Fricnds-It cannot with
strict propriety be said that the people here have
any religion. They cannot properly be called
idoators. They have, however, many superst-
tious practices which seem to take the place of
religion. A description Of some of these practi-
ces will be the ublect of this letter,
You have doubtless read about a kind of ants
in Africa, that throw up large mounds of earth.
There are several kinds of these all coming I'M
der the general name of 'Termites' The vul-
gar name however, is 'Bug-a-qug There is a
small kind of these that are called Mushroom
Termites,' from the shape of their nests. They
are scarcely quarter of an inch in length and
of greysh color. Their nest, let it be made of
what soil it may, is always black, and is gener-
ally pillar some four or six inches in diameter,
on the top of which is an overhanging roof
The whole very much resembles the shape of the
Mushroom. This kind of Termites receive a
certain kind of worship from the natives, but
for what purpose and to what extent | have not
been able fully to ascertain. Near almost every
town are some of these Termites' nests covered
with small house from two to four feet in diam
eter. At certain times the path leading to it is
cleaned out and an area of considerable size
cleaned around it. Here a sacrifice is made in
a 'Sacra, as they call it. This consists ofpieces
of broken earthen dishes, strips of cloth, which
they tie either about the house or some tree near
it, and cooked rice and palm oil
When they cut their farms or plant their rice,
they take little rice and cook it and throw it
before the nest and ask it to give them good
crop,-When child is sick they take water and
pour before it and ask that the child may get
well. Although they arc thus worshipped they
do not seem to be looked upon as sacred
The people make many other 'Sacras' besides
those they make to the Termites. Sometimes
you will see piece of cloth tied round large
tree in the BUSH there to remain and rot. Some
times mat is spread in the road there to re-
main till it is worn out There seems to be no
restriction as to the articles of which 'Sacras'
can be made. They take any thing that has
value, though the articles and the amount is gen.
orally specified by the Country fashion man, as
he is called. These country fashion men are a
kind of priests, generally from the lower class of
the people, and not unfrequently from among
slaves. They understand kind of egerdemain
which generally consists in making marks in the
sand, or hustling pebbles and pieces of bone to-
gether by which they pretend to tell whether
certain events will or will not take place. and
what 'Sacra must be made. Generally good
part of the 'Sacra goes to them. They have no
correct idea of God, In fact some seem to have
no idea at all Those that do, seem to look up
on him only as a malignant being whose anger
is to be appeased and favor obtained by their
'Sacras.'
They put great confidence in gtee-grees,' or
charms. These gree-grees are made by the
Country fashion men, Of what they are made
is known only to those who make them. The
material, whatever it is, is usually deposited in
sleeps or goats horn, and suspended around the
neck. Every gree-gree has its own use. One is
to make the owner rich,-another to keep of
sickness, another to keep off witches, All gree
grees and charms are called by the general name
of medicine
They have other charms besides those made
by their Country fashion men, There is kind
called Shelby or 'Sebby' which are made by
the Mandingoes who are Mahomedans. These
are detached sentences, of the Koran or some
thing else of their own maginations, written in
Arabic characters on piece of paper and sew
ed up in piece Of leather or cloth.
The Catholic slave traders taking advantage
of their passion for charms, sold them crosses at
an enormous price l once saw small castiron
one, for which the owner asked slave. Ofall,
they think the Portuguese Medicine that is the
cross is the best; have seen even Mahomedans
:, wear it.
ltwould take volume to write out all their
little supersttions 1t has been my aim in this
letter to mention only those which seem to have
the nearest connection with religion
My next will be about their marriages and fu
nerals.
Your unworthy missionary,
VIM RAYMOND.