The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1895-12-08

numerous, but they enjoy very high and /
distinguished rank. The doctrine that
knowledge is power prevails in these re- !
glons as well as elsewhere. Here, how |
ever, the Koran-regarded as treasury of |
knowledge in itself-enables the student to
take his own degrees. Public opinion
grants him his diploma, and as a Kara
moJah he is something more than the
schooimaster, he is a book man, pro-
lessor of everything; and as old age is
everywhere held in veneration his progress
IN life, as well as his progress in knowl-
edge, constitute the sliding scale" by
which he rises in knowledge TO the higher
rank Of Big Book-man, whether profess
slonally or not. AS more humble pre-
ceptors, however, of reading and writing in
the earlier stages of their career, the fra
tern1ty of karamojahs devote much time
to copying particular passages from the
Sacred Book" and they are celebrated for
the neatness of their writing and the taste
OF their initial capitals, which are fire.
QuentIv Illuminated with gaudy colors, es-
pecially blues and reds. Shorter extracts
also are in constant demand to be sewn in
leather cases and worn as charms. or
amulets about the person. Hence
.,
or leather-workers, acquire distinction
also; and hence, again. distinction settles
upon another numerous class, who as wan
derlng religious merchants, well stocked
with amulets and gree-grees, and cunning
in making them-simulate sanctitv as
charm in itself, and drive a charming
trade in working upon the fears and Gre
dullty of their numerous victims. The
wet season" is famous for its natural and
artificial products; the dry for its crops,
travelling and traffic; and where hospital
lty is proverbial and strangers always well
come, the best entertainment and pro-
found respect everw here await a Kara
mojah who has taken has degrees.
The following story is no imaginary fc-
ton, but narrative of an actual fact:
The Gallinas" is part of the western
coast, as well known to the heathenish
superstition of It's inhabitants as for its
palm oil or its speckled poultry. Hither
our hero has worked his way as an itin-
Grant priest, doctor, lawyer, trader or
huckster, taking every body into his con-
hdence and caloling everybody in turn.
1t is now the turn of the CHER, by whom
he is honorably entertained, and who is
fair type of those petty rulers in the coast
districts who exercise a kind of patriarchal
authority over a few families and personal
slaves, and whose traditional predictions
reflect rather the tone and character of
European intercourse than the less
SOpll4SIlCdl 14dDlbS anu uSpITdlIOHS VI tlI0
people and chiefs OF the interior. They
have high notions of white mans savey'
and white mans linso. They love to in
dulge in that mental "bIindman's buff, -
in which they grope for puncheons OF rum,
hogsheads Of tobacco and runaway slaves,
and they occasionally rejoice in super
animated naval uniform coat or cooked
hat conferred upon them in "spree," as
the ceremony OF a diplomatic mission from
the court OF st. James with the brevet
rank of King" and the honorary sobriquet
of Snowflake or "Bottlenose."
In a personal sense Obesity is the
prominent characteristic OF our host.
Slimness that Of his guest. On this score
a capital may represent the one and
capital 1 the other, with the advantage,
too, of being converted into numerals; as
Naughga and Number One! On the score
OF dresAend address the contest is not less |
strikingl
a aimpIe, loose, rusty, blue cotton robe,
red wooden cap upon his orbicular head,
and q gree-gree necklace OF alligator's
teeth complete the outward and visible
attire of the chief; who prefers ease to dig
nifty. Not so his distinguished guest, who
with blue robe also, and black skullcap,
charms dangling from his neck and at
fixed to his wrists and ankles-tall, long
imbed and long visaged, a high forehead,
protruding cheekbones, thin, aqniline
nose, a most insinuating mouth and small,
piercing eyes-prefers dignity to ease.
Mystery is the very soul of superstition,
and the Book-man knows it. He is, by
turns. mysteriously reserved, and the
chief cOgitates; mysteriously affeble, and
the chief reciprocates; now troubled in
spirit, as with an aching heart, and the
chief commiserates.
Come, come; smoke pipe; try lilly
rum!" says the old man. but he is wrapped
in ecstacy as he speaks-to himself-of
heaven and the fruition of his hopes when
he gets therel The chief pricks his ears.
He descants on the temporal benefits
conferred by gree-grees, and the relative
virtues Of the genuine and the spurious.
His remarks naturally tend to enhance
the value OF the particular gree-gree be
has bestowed upon his good friend as
present, make his heart lie down easy"
But he knows full well how rebellious the
human heart is; he knows how prone 1t
is TO Jump up and dance" till it is tired;
and he knows also that this is an inter
calated period of the chiefs existence.
The old man is about 10 think so himself
and that his heart must get up and dance
The hearts OF his people have all been
gree-greed and are all dancing, while their
voices are singing the praises OF the Big
Book mani
Though we have not the slightest evil
dence Of il, not even transient CLEAN OF
inward joyousness reflected upon his I'M
passive countenance, 1t may be questloneo
whether the hedrt OF the great DOoh-AdA
itself is not at least indulgiag in an allegro
movement, if not decided jig; and this
not go much in unison with the popular
inspiration or the vocal sounds as with
his own mental enumeration of all the
gree-grees he has already disposed OF, while
he glances at the heaps of corn and rice he
has to carry away with him whatever else
may represent their convertible value:
No wonder that such man should have
moments of abstraction; that his. pagan
host should reverence such conclusive evi
dence of a great mind, or that such mind,
such calm imperturbable gravity, such
dignity such something which at the chlef
cannot yet quite comprehend, should IN
spire ideas OF super-superIative eminence.
1t is that something which most puzzles
him. What can it be?" he has seen the
great man draw a. mysterious paper from
the folds of his robe, spread it before him
and pore over it with the deepest solIcI-
tude and conceal it in haste when con-
scious of being observed. The chiefs Gu
riosity has however kept pace with his APP
parent caution and obtained glance at 1t.
lit is very beautiful; it must be bag gree
greep' But here he is wrong, and his
r11as+ +aIlS him