The daily morning journal and courier. [volume] (New Haven, Conn.) 1894-1907, 1897-02-20

be put aside; but that OF King Prem
penis capture by "a peaceful white ex-
petition" peaceful though armed, bears
comparison with the action of the King
of Benin, who through probable means
of communication existing between
these secret societies may have possibly
formed the determination not to receive
g. peaceful expedition" similar to that
which had kidnapped King Prempeh
For besides this Anti-White Man
League there are the more deeply root
ed ancient and religious secret societies,
with which these Anti-White Men agi-
tators are probably carefully connected.
These are called fetch or "juju" socie-
ties; the former is a misapplied word
it has been quite thrashed out by the
late Colonel Sir Alfred Burden Ellis, X.
C. b., in his works, "The Land of Fet-
ich" and THE Tshi-spealSing People OF
the Gold Coast" The word is derived
from the Portuguese Feitico-an anu
let or charm; but Ellis proves that the
peoples of those races have a sort Of
primitive polytheistic belief, so that the
term fetch has been lately much mis-
used.
These religious societies are well hid
den. 1 am told that there are still one
or two near Accra; but those of whom
L inquired pretended to know nothing
for certain about them. The natives
with whom I associated, it must be re-
membered, are not savages, but we'll
informed, well-educated, well-behaved
black gentlemen.
These religious societies in the Niger
Coast Protectorate are called Egbo and
Igbo. There is the Egbo of the Ibibio
tribe, which lives on the Kwa-Iboe riv-
er; there is one in Old Calabar, which is
called Egbo Calabar. This society still
exists, but its power within the town Of
Old Calabar is very limited, but ex-
pect that in the towns and villages
scattered throughout the Kwa country
it is still powerful in a way. Their laws
and insignias, however, are very differ
ent to those of the Egbo of the Ibibio,
and they have more grades or degrees,
so that the two should not be confound-
ed. However, at one time it was much
more powerful than any other Egbo so
ciety, as it held supreme sway In the
tribe, there being no Idiong society
among the Calabar such as there is in
: the Ibibio The Idiong in the Ibibio
tribe is a sort of law-giving circle
whose duties are not yet quite known,
yet some Of the Egbo idols have the
!. Idiong ring round their heads, as the
| members themselves have the flesh
, raised round their own heads and cross
ing the top of the forehead. There are
| three degrees in the Egbo Society Of the
Ibibio tribe The society also exists in
| the Igbo county (Eboe, Ibo or Iboe, as
! it is variously spelled) but the tribe
themselves always pronounce it Igbo.
: There are twenty different branches
of the society, but these are called by
> other names, vet they are probably only
: various orders or grades, with different
ceremonies attached to each. More will
4 be learned about these later on if our
4 expeditions do not destroy them.
t These Egbo or Igbo societies have their
t own special idols, horned wooden
: masks, grass dresses, bells and other
t strange Objects some Of which are ex-
: ceedingly difficult to obtain, as they are
: kept very secret; the British Museum
e possesses few, if any, of them, and it
S will soon be impossible to, obtain the
t real objects. 1t can readily be under
2 stood how these societies, many of them
5 outwardly quite distinct, can yet be in
9 more or less communication with each
r other, and that with objects and reli-
. gious rites evidently tending in the
1 same direction, they should be in active
. Opposition to the white man. 1t can
: now be seen how easily the educated
|. black gentlemen in the so-called Anti
d European League could make use OF
d these org anizations fer their own natri-
+ otto purposes. The Porah society, be-
: hind Freetown in Sierra Leone was
: something similar but it was success
n fully put down by Colonel Cardew the
e governor; they attacked people dis
e guised in leopard skins and killed them;
: they possessed curious idol which was
S discovered and captured
It From time to time there will be dis
o turbances not only beyond, but within.
e the Gold Coast, however that elastic de-
s signation may be applied since the
: Ashanti expedition. Last September
S heard from friend that all the canoe-
: men at Cape Coast Castle struck work,
: when it was their usual duty to carry
# cargo to and from the shore to the
ships. They were with great difficulty
however, subdued, but not till "after
sticks and stones were going like wild
fire and broken heads were plentiful"
Hishelmet saved my friends head once,
it and finally the Hausas had to be turned
d out to restore peace; the Kru boys en-
It ployed in the factories were put in the
n boats for the time being. But these are
Is only signs of discomfort and of some-
y thing more important brewing. Wher-
y ever there are white colonies on the
n west coast there will be trouble, except
y perhaps in Sierra Leone, in the capital
e of which, Freetown, Colonel Cardew,
" the governor, is very popular.-London
st Chronicle.
ID - IT