Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1890-04-06

All natives drink rum that is made from
sugarcane. Every trading house keeps this
| liquor to sell to the natives, who alone use
it. 1t contains very large per cent of
alcohol and so is very powerful as liquor.
The natives all love it, and when one has
finished a job of work for you and received
his pay he will usually ask for "nack-a-
bish, or money for drink. Men, women
and children all smoke to a degree which
would be excessive for white men, bat did
not notice any injurious physical effects of
either the rum or tobacco. Another very
common practice among these people is that
of cupping, and it is done in a manner quite
ingenious TOR them. Two incisions are made,
either in the arm or back. Two small horns
are applied, one to each incision, with the
large ends over it. A vacuum is then made
- probably with the mouth-and the small
end closed tightly with a stopper. The
blood is thus drawn into the horn which is
removed when we'll filled. They seem to
use cuppIng for variety of diseases, and
you will often see dozens OF scars arranged
in some rudely artistic order on the arms
and backs of men and women.
Fetichism is found among nearly, if not,
all natives of Africa that are known, and it
does not want for believers among those OF
Angola. 1t would be wholly impossible to
give correct list of the objects that are be-
lieved to possess the power of protecting one
from injury, disease and death. and OF re-
lieving one who is suffering from pain or
disease for the number and variety are in
Vulnerable. Thus a small and filthy turtle
she'll, or a small hoof of the deer or piece
of wood with an image upon it is often worn
fastened by string to the neck or waist.
A bracelet or anklet oil iron or beads is
frequently used, and when native is asked
why he wears it he will laugh and seldom
say more than to make him we'll and strong.
AFRICAN SUGGESTIONS.
1t is impossible for one to learn much of
the meaning of fetichism or of the religious
beliefs of natives unless he has had long
and friendly intercourse with them. They
will not reveal, as a rule, their beliefs for
fear of being ridiculed, and will often at
tempt to deceive by answering incorrectly,
Missionaries have the best opportunities for
securing information regarding fetichism
and religious beliefs, but unfortunately too
many of them pay no attention to the sub
ject, considering, as they do, that all native
religious beliefs and practices are the works
of the devil" instead of viewing them as
stages in the evolution of religion.
There are several possible partial expla-
nations as to how an object becomes fetch.
The object may be one that belonged to some
ancestor who was believed to possess the
power of curing disease and of transferring
this power to objects; secondly, the belief
that certain object is a preventive against
danger and disease may have arisen from a
false method OF reasoning. Thus the object
may have been worn by some person who
was never sick. The conclusion that the
object was the cause of his not being sick is
quick one for the native mind to reach.
1t has been held. and with good grounds,
by persons who have spent years among the
natives of Africa that it is not possible to
induce an African to give up all belief in
fetichism and superstition.
IT IS FIRMLY ROOTED.
However this may be, certain it is that the
people have been ''steeped" in the fetichism
and superstition of ages, and that their be-
liefs have become SO rooted by heredity and
practice that it is extremely difficult to eradi-
cate them by any means whatever. 1t may
fairly be doubted whether this has ever been
done. Babies as soon as born have fetiches
of some sort put upon them, and are made to
wear them. Thus they are taught from their
birth up to believe in and practice the Gus
toms of their parents. Is it any wonder that
when this has been carried on for genera
tion after generation the belief in ietiches
becomes firmly fixed in their minds?
I have seen natives who were claimed to
be thoroughly converted to orthodox Chris
tianity and yet were slaves of fetichism.
This leads to the question of missionary
work among the African natives-a question
which deserves a somewhat lengthy discus
sion.
Photographs from the illustrations ac-
companying this article were not easy to
secure. The men were easiest to persuade
to step before the camera, but with women
and children it was different. For the group
picture spent an hour in persuasion, and
was about to give up when the oldest woman
consented to stand before the camera. One
BY one the Others followed, with the result
shown. CLAIRE A. ORR.