Wheeling Sunday register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1882-1934, 1890-08-24

slaves themselves, yet hold many slaves
of other tribes, whom they acquire by
purchase. A KroO has a broad blue
black mark down the entire length of
his forehead, a tribal mark; the clothing
/ is simply a loin cloth for the men, the
women wearing cloth fastened around
the hips by turning the ends under, the
garment itself extending down as far as
the knees. The rest OF the body, which
IS bare is frequently decorated with
stripes of blue and white clay, present.
ing a somewhat startling appearance.
/ The KrooS have many things in common
with other tribes, although each tribe
has its own dialect | was told that they
were quite inaccessible as far as mis-
SiOnary work was concerned, and, in
deed. they were considered as iniidelS
among the other tribes. EX-PreSident
/ Payne of the Republic once informed
me that any attempt to ChriStianize
them would be Throwing away my time
on hopeless task put were he living
now. his opinion concerning the krOoS
would be greatly changed.
The heather tribes of Africa, as far
/ as have investigated the matter, all be-
/ licve i'm the Immortality of the soul.
/ though their belief is but dimlY defined.
They hold that after the death of the
body, the spirit passes into some beast
or serpent. and even that it may be re-
habilitated and returned To earth in hu-
man form as an infant. There is in
such a belief a faint resemblance to
Buddhism. There is no national ore even
tribal religion, however, such as we find
among the BuddhiStS. That which they
worship they call "Ju-Ju," and every
one is free 10 select and set up his own
'Ju-Ju," according to his spiritual in
clinationS. Many believe in the "Great
Ju-Ju. the Supreme One, but when in
/ tcrrogated concerning him, they lapse
ito indefnitcncSS, and with shake Of
of the head explain that He far, far
away" and these "Ju-Ju'S' being at
hand. they can see them.
The strange tumble of theology or
/ heatheniSm is a most interesting study.
/ The name of God, the Supreme One, in
I Kroo is .'NySwa;" i'm the BaSSa it is
"Grippo:' in the Ney, (ND. "koni-
baw." Mingled with their worship IS
much of the superstition that finds eX-
preston i'm charms and other trinketS.
The "Grce-Grec" is charm that
Is variousy worn, in small rolls, in
la goats horn. or in other shapes,
and il is reputed TO possess the power to
/ keep the witches away, to give long
life and immunity from sickness TO the
wearer, to bring luck, etc. Like all
heather nations, these poor SaVages adj
dress their prayers more to the powers
of evil than to the good; they think that
unseen. baleful influences follow them
from their birth, and, to propititate this
relentless power, they pray and offer
sacrifices to il.
one of the worst features of savage
superstition was the annual rite at
Bonny and Old Calabar. where, TO APP
peaSc the evil power of 1.-The Mad
Water, an Albino young woman was
every year rowed out i'm boat to the
bar and there sacrificed to the spirit of
the sea where the water was the rough
est. Such frightful atrocities. how
ever. are fast disappearing under the
teachings of the missionaries Of the
Church of England at Bonny
and those of the Scotch Pres
byterians at Old Calabar. Still,
when l was at the latter place in 1850,
] saw around almost every doorstep a
row of human skulls, which was told
was placed there to keep the witches
away
Another peculiar outcome of my visit
there waSm my discovery that the King
had just been persuaded to enact law
/ prohibiting the killing of twins and
their mother. Till that time this was a
universal practice in that part of Africa.
/ Zone child" the native explained
with the utmost gravity. "be a
proper child; but one he be
proper deblee and the nanny be
deblce. or he no born deblee." This
was the reason given for taking the
mother and tying and leaving her in the
bush, to be eaten by the driver-antS or
devoured by wild animals. her own
/ father. mother and even her husband
conserving to the atrocity. In Abomey,
the capital of Dahomey, where no mis-
SiouarieS are allowed TO labor. human
sacrifices are still offered daily, and the
most savage baabarities are practiSed.
+ CannibaliSm has been a fruitful sub
+ ject for African explorers, and is ono TO
which | have given no little considera-
tiOn. Livingstone was quite doubtful
taS 10 most OF the tribes being cannibalS.
The one exception, as he thought, was
a tribe whose men were of superior ply