Gloucester County Democrat. (Woodbury, N.J.) 1878-1932, 1883-03-08
QUEER PEOPLE.
They Believe the White Man To BE the Evil
One---A Country Where Scandal is I'M
knOwn---Feeding the King of Terrors.


knOwn---Feeding the King of Terrors.
The Rev. William A. Fair, who
recently returned from his missionary
labors on the western coast of Africa,
gives an interesting account of the
religion and customs of the heather
natives. He says the country on the
western coast Of Africa is very fertile.
As good illustration Of this I will
give the native mode of cultivating
sweet potatoes. The potatoes are dug
out of the ground, and the tops, which
have been cut off, inserted in the hole.
In few months new crop is found
at the roots of the old vines. A kind
of cotton is found growing wild, and
from it the native women weave cloth.
The people are very careful to keep
their teeth clean, and those of them
who own tooth brushes carry them
over their ears, as clerk does his
pencil. Provided with a beaver hat,
tooth brush, leather purse and num-
Der of ivory and brass rings for his
limbs, the native requires little else to
make him a man of fashion. Each
man has as many wives as he can sup
port, and as the latter do all the work.
those who are well provided for have
but little labor to perform. They be-
leye in God who created all things
also in a devil, and as the latter is
powerful and disposed to do them
harm, they try by all means to pro
pitiate him. Contrary to our supposi-
tion, they regard him as being white
instead of black, and when the white
men appeared on the coast with their
great ships filed with rooms, and pro-
PEELED by some mysterious means, they
thought the devils had come to visit
them. Even now that supposition is
not entirely eradicated, and more by
habit than anything else they call us
devils. Among the majority of them
the belief still fingers that we are re-
lated to the king of terrors, and as
they regard him with certain amount
of awe and reverence, we are allowed
many privileges which they do not ac-
cord to one another. They have what
is called ''devil men," who propitiate
the evil spirits and prevent them from
doing harm by means of charms. Lit
tie leather bags, supposed to possess
mystic power, are sold by them at high
prices, and the natives pay them well
for sticking little pieces of wood in a
triangular form in front Of their huts.
The same charms are frequently seen
on the sea shore to guard against the
evil spirits of the deep. The devil is
supposed to reside on the highest rock
near to village, and he is daily fur
nished with food and drink placed
there by those who fear his power.
Little sacred fires are kept burning be-
fore the doors of the huts for the com
fort Of the guardian spirit who is sup
posed to watch over each individual
habitation. When woman throws
water out of the door, she says words
equivalent to "exeuse me-" fearing
that the spirit will depart, if he is
spiashed and not given warning to get
out Of the way. They believe that the
spirits of the dead inhabit the earth,
watching over their former friends
and tormenting their former enemies.
This fact, as well as their belief in
witchcraft, has much to do with the
extreme peacefulness Of their society
and their reticence to pick quarrel.
Witchcraft they believe in implicitly.
If man dies of consumption, small
pox, or OF any other disease or acct
dent, and any person can be remem-
bered to have spoken i'll Of or quar-
relied with him, that person is said to
| have caused his death by witchcraft.
If the witch be woman, she is given
three bowls filled with deadly poison,
and if a man, he is given four bowls
Of the same mixture. If the unfor-
| tunate being accused of witchcraft
has weak stomach which rejects the
poison, he is supposed to be innocent,
but if his stomach is strong and re-
tains the deadly infusion, he is guilty.
| When the body of the victim begins to
/ swell and death is seen to be drawing
near, the people seize him, and drag
ging him out into the open air, pelt
him with stones and cubs and injure
him in every possible manner until he
dies. If person accused Of being a
witch refuses to drink the poison he is
placed in the loft of hut and hot
fire built under him. Pepper is thrown
into the flames and the tortured, being
in the loft, soon consents to risk the
trial of the powerful drug. The man
ner of finding the person who caused
the death Of any oneis as follows: The
corpse is sometimes placed on the
shoulders Of the relatives, who pretend
to be moved by the spirit Of the
departed, and passing from hut to hut
stop at the witch's door. One of the
offices performed by the devil men is
to watch sharply for any controversy
that may take place between any two
people, and when one Of them dies the
other is accused of causing his death.