Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1905-05-18
SUPERSTITION IN CENTRAL AFRICA

Central African tribes are greatly in
flucnccd by their superstitions. Like the
North American Indians. they have their
medicine men who conjurc up all sorts
of occult DEMONSTRATIONS of imminent
and mysterious phenomena. With them
the fetish doctor is little less than a god.
If this wise man asserts that a village
has suffered ill-luck because the new
moon dips to the left or right his de-
luded followers collect their effects. de-
vastate the village. and move into some
region which he may indicate is free
from that curse. If rain has not fallen
in sufficient quantity, and the crops sur
rounding the village had withered, or II
the rain has been too abundant. the fetish
doctor may forthwith present AN expla-
nation based upon some new superstition.
Indeed. there are thousands of tribal
beliefs in the Congo Free State which
are forever disturbing the settlement of
the population. Implacable enemies of the
Congo Free State, not wholly ignorant
of these tribal beliefs and customs, pre-
tend to regard the migratory nature OF
the Central African savage as evidence
of his fear of the States government.
arising from feeling of insecurity. Such
persons point to the natives incorrigi-
Bile habit of moving his abode AS an un-
mistakablc sign of his desire to escape
from the barbarties practiced upon him
by officers and soldiers of the Congo
government. In this way. it is sought to
deceive those who are unacquainted with
the habits of the black MANTLE man
vino. Il few years ago. ate his brother with
n relish which civilized white men can
hardly conceive.
frt1lx N va Of
the natural habits of its black subjects,
has often considered tho question Of how
cnectually to deal with these displace-
ments of the population. There are times
when neither superstition nor tribal GUS
tom causes Il large exodus from we'll
established village. Sometimes the fer
tility and luxuriant grass of another re-
gion attracts the more enterprising black,
who has learned to cultivate his own
land. Allurcd by glowing accounts OF
such nature, he gathers about him his
friends and family. and makes off to
what he considers to he a new Eldorado.
In short time the diablcrie of the fetish
doctor has again unsettled him.
| Then, again. there have been occasions
when the natives have migrated to avoid
payment of tho taxes imposed upon them
by their own chief on behalf of the State.
taxes which are intinitesimal in value as
compared with the benefits of civiiza-
ton which the State cOnfcrs. To deal
generally with the dispa cement of the
population of the Congo Free State has
been IL matter OF much concern to the
government. case of sleeping sickness
or smallpox has occurred. and away gees
the whole village pell-nell into another
region. The movements OF tho native
tribes arc often inscrutable. and afford
the State no.cme as to how they may
he prevented. Like some species of wild
animals which instinctivcly avoid certain
districts OF tho forest at particular sea-
sons. or on account OF some unusual
times quit his residence for no apparent
reason at all. Nine times out of ten
however. he migrates on account of
things entirely unconnccted with any ad-
ministrativc act of the State. Entire
Villages have been removed because q
death has occurred there. the cause OF
which was inexplicable to the black man.
occasionally the fetish doctor. inspired
by some unexplained caprice. will decree
that the tribe shall move--he knows not
where Ignorance and superstition in
variably follow leader whose pretence
is some occult power. The tribe moves;
and another tribe. moving from a similar
Tor other impulse, may occupy the very
lvillaee which the first tribe had aban-
ldoned few weeks before.-From "the
Story of tho Congo Free State" by Henry
Wellington Wack.