The Brattleboro daily reformer. (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1913-1955, 1913-07-29

PREVIOUSLY round strange Lake OF
the Dead"-Natives Look Upon the
Sheets of Water as Sacred Objects.
Have Countless Legends.
+. Amaury Talbot, a district com
missioner in southern Nigeria. has
made another remarkable discovery
Some months ago, when he returned to
England on a visit, he told how he
found the Lake Of the Dead in the
Oban country. He now tells how he
and his wife explored the Sacred Lake
of Life.
When Mr.. Talbot returned to Nigeria
he found that the news of the discov.
cry of the Lake of the Dead had
brought to light the fact that another
sheet of water to which mysterious
powers were ascribed existed in the
neighborhood of Ikot-Obo. the chief
town of the Ibibios, and one afternoon
Mr.. Talbot and Mr.. Eallin, accompa-
MED by Mrs. Talbot and her sister, set
out 10 locate 1t.
Hitherto the knowledge of the lake
had been kept n jealousy guarded Sc
cret from all Europeans, and not even
the natives, with the exception of the
high priests, had been allowed to ap-
proach the sacred water, the dwelling
place of the greatest deity of the race
Access to the lake was through a sd.
cred grove so cunningly contrived that
a stranger might pass within a few
yards of yet never find the holy pool
Mr.. Talbot and his party. guided to
of great fish, on the welfare of which
depended the life Of the Ibibio race.
Its Fish Are Tame.
The fish were so tame that they fed
from the hand Of the reigning high
priest, the only native human being al.
lowed to look on the water Formerly
many victims were annually sacrificed
here, though at the present day human
life is not permitted to he taken.
Countless legends had grown up
round the spot. 1t was said to have
been placed by its first guardian, the
thunder god, under the care of Ply
thon and a leopard, which ceaselessly
keep watch and ward and destroy any
one rash enough to seek to penetrate
its mysteries 1t is especially sacred
as the dwelling place Of the most pow
erful deity-the Great Mother Isu-Ma
(the Face of Love)-whose symbol is
holy rock facing the entrance.
Near by the travellers found sec
ond pool, ancillary to the lake itself.
In the center of this is palm tree,
near which, in the water are stationed
man, a girl and n boy who bear the
name of the goddess, as they We're
granted to the parents in direct an.
swcr to prayer. Mr.. Talbot viii send
home a complete account of the dis
covery at an early date.
Tree Frogs Nests.
In describing his previous discovery
OF the Lake of the Dead Mr. Talbot
said that the surface of the water was
absolutely still and round about were
bushes ten feet high bearing what
looked like great tufts of creamy flow
ers. These, however, proved to be
nests Of tree frogs. The place is a
sanctuary for all wild things, for nc
hunter would dare to penetrate the
bush to this fearsome place
As Mr.. Talbot stood at the edge, gaz
ing out over the water, its quiet was
suddenly broken by a broad ripple and
little fish We're seen to spring agtated
~ above the surface. A great python
was crossing, and this, it was learned
shared with the Crocodiles the guard.
ianship of the sacred lake.
Nothing was allowed to trouble the
water or even to touch It's outer edge
for fear Of famine and pestilence ensu.
Ing. Hither, the natives believed, came
by night the ghosts of long dead Ekoi
to drift in sad companies, hopeless ana
wailing, over the surface of the water