Smyrna times., 1883-05-09
A Queer People.
THEY BELIEVE THE WHITE MAN TO BE
THE EVIL ONE-A COUNTRY WHERE
SCANDAL Is UNKNOWN-FEED
ING THE KING OF
TERRORS.

THE EVIL ONE-A COUNTRY WHERE ]
SCANDAL Is UNKNoWN-FEED-
ING THE KING OF
TERRoRs.
The Rev. William A. Fair, who re-
Gently returned from his missionary
labors on the western coast of Africa,
gives an interesting account of the re-
ligion and custom of the natives He
says the country on the western coast
of Africa is very fertile. As n good
illustration of this | will give the
native mode of cultivating sweet pota-
toes. The potatoes are dug out Of the
ground, and the tops, which have been
cu; of. inserted in the hole. In a few |
months Il new crop is found at the
roots of the old vines. \ kind of cot |
ton 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. Pro-
vided with beaver hat, tooth brush,
a leather purse and n number 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 support, and as
the latter do all the work, those who
are we'll provided for have but little
labor to perform. They believe in a
God who created all things; also in a
devil, and as the latter is powerful and
disposed to do them harm, they try hy
all means to propitiAto him. Contrary
to our SuppositiOns, they regard him as
white, and when the white men ap-
peared OH the coast with their great
ship filled with rooms, end propelled
by some mysterious means, they
thought the devils had come to visit
them. Even now that supposition is
not entirely cradicated, 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
accord to one another. They have
what is called "devil men," who pro
4 pitiate the evil spirits and preven
| them from doing harm by means o
charms. Little leather bags, supposed
to possess mystic power, are sold b,
them at high prices, and the native
pay them well for sticking little piece
of wood in triangular form in front o
their huts. The same charms are fire
itv quently seen on the sea shore to guar
not against the evil spirits of the deer
Ell The devil is supposed to reside on tn
highest rock near to village, and h
is daily furnished with food and drin
placed there by those who fear hi
tho power. Little sacred fires are ker
burning before the doors of the hut
for the comfort of the guardian spir
who is supposed to watch over each il
Md dividual habitation. When a woma
throws water out Of the door, she say
words equivalent to "excuse me, fea
ing that the spirit will depart, if he
rice splashed and not given warning to q
out of the way. They believe that IL
spirits of the dead inhabit the cart
watching over their former friends al
for tormenting their former eneme
"o This fact, as well as their belief
witchcraft, has much to do with Il
No. extreme peaccfulness of their socie
u wa GI and their reticence to pick QUAR-,
give Witchcraft they believe in implicit
IL If a man dies of consumption, sma
pOx, or of any other disease or accidel
and any person can be remembered
have spoken i'll of or quarreled wi
0"' him, that person is said to have caus
his death by witchcraft. If the wit
. be woman, she is given three bow
filled with a deadly poison, and if
man, he is given four bowls of t
same mixture. If the unfortunf
oes' being accused of witchcraft has a we
stomach which rejects the poison,
~ is supposed to be innocent, but if
Ill stomach is strong and retains the des
ly infusion, he is guilty. When I
ock. body of the victim begins to swell q
death is seen to be drawing near, I
people seize him, and dragging him
into the open air, pelt him with stol
.oa and clubs and injure him in every y
- sible manner until he dies. If pers
accused of being witch refuses
0I drink the poison he is placed in the
Vi of hut and hot fire built under h
Pepper is thrown into the flames c
IS the tortured being in the loft, soon C
sents to risk the trial of the power
drug. The manner of finding the 7
son who caused the death of any on
as follows: The corpse is sometiI
all placed on the shoulders of the relati,
who pretend to be moved by the sp
> of the departed, and passing from
: ''-' to hut stop at the witch's door.
of the offices performed by the d
men is to watch sharply for any {
trOversy that may take place betw
any two people, and when one of IL
G dies the other Is accused of his de-
] have seen mothers killed for
death of their babes, having chast
them at some former time for mi
meanor. A high priest lives in c
r i4tf town, and his person and premises
b;ta peculiarly sacred. If a man spurs
by crowd of his fellows for ha,
committed some deed, and he S
across the threshold of the pri
ore the house, he is safe from injury, and il
,S s SirIs Tr high priest places his hand on his
y is the he is exempt from all further viole
usiness When a man wishes to satisfy his
on once. e. geance on any other person who
as Z iSS'' eS have done him an injury, he gee
% 22ly the priests house and sharpens
" -
W. knife on a stone placed before the