The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1898-10-09

IKe the others, are gained by proofs CT
quaAhcation and payment of sums Of
money. The principal festivals are on the
occasions of The planting and digging up
OF the vans. These customs, as they are
cameo by the white men, are respect
1VeIy, IN November and in the summer
ana during their continuance dances and
the consumption of trade gin manifest
the presence of the Egbo Society: al these
tlmes they have been know to kill peo-
pie in the bush, probably with the object
OF furnishing corpses for furthering their
plack magic rites-very black, indeed, in
every sense Of the world The idem of the
Egbo Society wears black wizard made
Of wood, with holes pierced for the eyes,
ana two horns rise forward; he is dressed
cap-a-pie in rough bamboo mating. and
mas bell fastened to his side which
rings as he goes along; in his left hand
is a bunch of green leaves, of particular
plant and in his right is an enormous
cowhlde whip, with which he hogs those
whom ne meets.
Very secret idols are kept in the houses
of The members and in their juju houses;
some OF them are Janus-faced heads, the
races OF which are painted white, the
fetch color, and are curiously carved with
double chns and double foreheads; the
eyes are made of tin let into the wood,
ana the tattoo marks are embossed on the
forehead and on the sides of the cheek
near the ear and painted on the rest Of
the cheek. Some of the heads have a
couple of double black horns curving both
ways, others merely have a little black
nat The heads stand on small pedesta.S
and with their white color and grinning
teeth look very weird and ghastiy; a Span
ism servant in Grand Canary, when he
saw them in. the room, declared that they
were devils. No, we said they are angels.
He lint tn
mutter Sou diablos." These figures dur
ing the secret society rites are supposed
10 possess magic powers and to be able
to speak and to tell what is going on,
and where goods are that have been stol-
en-. These busts must not be confused
with Nab-keens or those roughly carved
figures, many of which are on horseback
and some of which represent merely ami
mails, and are generally died or painted
various colors. Nabikeens are used at the
lndok or triennial publications of towns,
when the evil spirits who may have ac-
cumulated therein are expelled and driven
into the figures that are then thrown into
the river or bush; these are therefore,
not idols, and ore of course, comparative
ly common, and also are of every variety
Of finish, gaudy or plain, delicate or rough.
Bur secret societies, we believe, are not
connned to the west coast, although it
is there that possibly the most important
are 10 be found. We are told that they
are also 10 be found in the northwest Of
Africa Witch doctors, or medicine men,
Of course. abound all over the continent.
Aagube was well known as a magician
IN MashOnaland; Mimo, in Matabeieand,
also had the same attributes powers oe
Ventriloluism and foresight considerably
sustained this reputation Witches also
have great power over the women But
sven these solitary wizards and witches
require suppression.
All praise is due to Sir Ralph Moor
.or discriminating the juju chiefs of Benin
md uprootins those of Bendi; the inhu-
ance of these societies over the native
mind once Withdrawn, the country viii
more willingly yield submssively to Brit
sh administration, and the means OF fos-
'ering simultaneous rebellions will have
passed from the natives forever. Interest
ng though these societies are from an
Astrological point of view the sooner
hey are abolished the better.
-s-s1r-e-