New-York tribune., 1910-06-12

marks by which the native
hopes his god will know him and extend his
protection to him
In books dealing with West Africa and
it's religion. published as lately. even. as
1900, reference will be found to Long
JUju." But in none OF these books will
you learn more than that Long Juju" is
the abode Of the most powerful juju in
Nigeria: that the mere mention Of IL will
send a native almost mad with terror, and
that the place where this mysterious ora
Gle gives forth its judgments is not known,
though 1t Is believed to be in the neigh
borhoOd of the town of Bende. The widest
and most terrible reports regarding il were
current. 1t was feared by natives living
as far west at Lagos and beyond. Chiefs
and juju men had only to threaten refrac-
tory blacks with Long Juju'' to secure ab-
ject submission.
All that Europeans could learn about II
was that it was court of final appeal
to which all cases that the local juju men
could not or would not decide were re-
ferred. Popular belief was that the ac-
cused, or losing litigant, was killed by the
priests Of the oracle. and hence any one
returning alive from it was regarded by
his friends as a spirit. Count de Cardi
says that he met with several men who
were known to have visited Long Juju.
and were supposed to have met their deaths
there These men never expressed any de-
sire to return TO their homes, for they said
their friends would never acknowledge they
were anything but spirits.
Count de Cardi, however. describes the
actual homecoming of one OF these men
whom he picked up at Old CaIabar. having
known him well before he went to Long
Juju.''
Il tried ali I could he says. Ito get
his own people to receive him back among
them. but when told them that / had him
on board my ship. then lying a few miles
from their town. l was soon surrounded by
mob Of infuriated savages. who were only
appeased by my promising TO take the man
away the next morning
on my return 1 found none Of the ma
uves would come on board my ship, and
learned from the head juju man of the
town that they considered the ship dehled
by my having had the spirit of a man
from Long Juju' on board. As this was
long before the establishment OF the Brit
ish Protectorate. the only thing 10 be done
was TO make present to the juiu king
and get him to come on board and make
1uju This he did. and then declared nv
ship free from all the evil effects OF the
malignant spirit had had on board
So Immense was the terrorism exercised
on the minds OF the natives of Nigeria bv
this Long Juju" that the British govern
ment decided the spell must bs, broken and
the power of the Long Juiu'' priests de-
stroyed. Accordingly in 1901 an expedition
was sent to search for and DESTROY this
mysterious place
All that was known was that II was sun
posed 10 be natural amphitheatre sur
rounded by hills Some said that the oracle
was priestess who was omniscient and
mat when guilty man was brought ba-
iore her ne became transfxed to the spot
"hhe water rose gradually around him tiu
ne was drowned. Another tale went that
the victim was cast into a huge tank of
boiling blood, round which stood the Univ,
men, who hacked the body To piacss vttn
lWo-edsed swords and kept the mixture
stirring.
When' however. after much d,e,c,,,,,.
ana having encountered much rests,ancs
'he expedition at length discovered !, ,nis
says Colonel MoekIer- -Ferryman u.s. ~.
they found there; In the midst ~ ssrSs
oush lay deep hollow about two h,ndrsd
iee' N circumference and surrounded bv