The bee., 1883-03-17
A QUEER PEOPLE.
rhey Believe the White Man To BE the Evil
One---A Country Where Scandal Is I'm

y
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 [ will
give the native mode of cultiyating
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 roo nf the old vines. A kind
of Gotten 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 a clerk does his
pencil. Provided with beaver hat, a
tooth brush, leather purse and NUM-
Der of ivory and brass rngS 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 lie
lieve in a God who created all things !;
also in a devil, and as the lattsr is
powerful and disposed to do them
harm, they try by all means to pro
pitiate him. Contrary to our suppose
ton, they regard him as being white
instead of black, and when the white
men appeared on the coast with their
great ships filled 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 eralicated, 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 terrUrs, and as
they regard him with certain amount
of awe AMI 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
tr angular 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 10 watch over each individual
habitation. When a woman throws
water out Of the door, she says words
equivalent to "eXcuSe 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 tCrmcnting their former enemies.
This faci, as well rs their belief in
witchcraft, haS much to do with the
extreme peacefulneSS Of their society
and their reticence to pick quarrel.
Witchcraft they bell We in implicitly.
If a man dies Of consumption, small
poN, or OF any other disease or acci-
dent, and any person can be remem-
bered to have spoken i'll Of or quar-
relied with him, that prrSon is said to
lave caused his death by witchcraft.
If the witch be Il woman, she is given
three bowls filed with Il deadly poison,
and it nan, he is given four bowls
of the same miXtl r. If the unfor-
tunate Icing accused of witchcraft
has Il weak stomach which rejects the
poison, he is supp )sed to be innocent,
but if his stomach is strong and re-
tainS the deadly infusion, he is guilty.
When the body of tie victim begins to
swell and death is seen to be drawing
near, the people seize him, and drag
ging him cut into the open air, pelt
him with stones and cubs and injure
him in every possible manner until he
dies. If a person accused of being a
witch refuses to drink the poison he is
placed in the loft of a hut and a 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 finIing the person who caused
the death of any one is 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 witcil'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.
/ have seen mothers killed for the
death of their babes, having chastised
them at some former time for mis-
demeanor. A high priest lives in each
town, and his person and premises are
peculiarly sacred. If man is pur-
sued by crowd of his fellows for
having committed some deed, and he
steps across the threshold of the
| priests house, he is safe from injury,
and if the high priest places his hand
on his head he is exempt from all
further violence. When a man wishes
to satisfy his vengeance on any other
person who may have done him an in
jury, he goes to the priests house and
sharIenS his knife on a stone placed
before the door for that purpose. If
the priest asks no questions he is at
liberty to take the other mans life,
but if he questions the injured person
and prohibits the settlement of the
affair in that manner 4 sort of trial