Liberia *^ 



Holding the bowl in his hand, he looks towards the east, and 

 says, in substance; 'Oh, God! oh, God! oh, God! God! 

 I invoke thee four times ! If this person be innocent, cause 

 him to vomit this gedu. If he be guilty, may it kill him.' 

 The accused takes the bowl and repeats the same words. He 

 then takes the potion and starts to town, escorted by one or 

 two members of the Kwi-iru, followed by the multitude. The 

 former keep near the accused and force him to walk incessantly 

 until it is ascertained that the gedu does not affect him, or he 

 falls down suddenly dead, a victim to the poison. As soon as 

 this takes place a fiendish shout rents the air : ' The witch is 

 found — he is killed.' Tied by the feet, the dead body is 

 dragged on to the beach, where it lies for some hours exposed 

 to the insults of the populace. Before the relations are 

 permitted to bury it, they must purchase it from the Kwi-iru 

 for a bullock or something equivalent." 



" The Kwi-iru, as a kind of police, are often employed by 

 the Sedibo to administer gedu in cases where persons are accused 

 of witchcraft either by them or by the Deyabo. 



" This last word — Deyabo — designates the most remarkable 

 class among the Grebo : the doctors or devil-men. They sup- 

 pose themselves possessed by a demon or spirit under whose 

 inspiration they act and give their responses. They exhibit the 

 peculiarities of those mentioned in Scripture as ' possessed.' 

 They are ' thrown down on the ground,' they ' gnash with 

 their teeth,' they appear dead, and they ' pine away.' When- 

 ever any of the above marks appear in an individual he is said 

 to be possessed ; and is at once placed with an old ' Deya ' 

 to be instructed in the arts and mysteries ot the profession. 

 The novitiate lasts from one to three months according to cir- 

 cumstances. During this time the candidate wears no other 

 covering than grass tied with a cord round the loins. He does 



1070 



