Liberia 



'^ 



nection with the popular belief that death in all cases — except 

 those ot infants and very aged men — is caused hy witchcraft, 

 causes a general tear through the whole community whenever 

 any one dies ; for any one in town is liable to be arrested at 

 any moment and subjected to the dread ordeal of gedu upon 

 the mere ipse dixit of a Deya." 



As regards the Kru people, the Rev. Mr. McConnell 

 reported some years ago that their witch-doctors (who make a 

 great deal of money out of the sale of amulets) are a distinct 

 class of men, who come into the profession hereditarily, each 

 witch-doctor teaching the business to one or more of his 

 children. The children whom he destines to follow him in 

 his profession begin their studies as early as seven or eight 

 years old, and are marked ofT from the rest of the community 

 by wearing a peculiar dress made of straw or reeds. The 

 Kru witch-doctors profess a knowledge of herbs and roots, 

 and certainly have the means of healing diseases, but their 

 greatest reputation is derived from their supposed supernatural 

 knowledge. 



Though the adviser of the king in each country is probably 

 a medicine-man, or though the chieftain may in the exercise of 

 his office have to perform certain duties associateci elsewhere 

 with the work of priests or medicine-men, I can find no record 

 in Liberia of the priestly and the kingly office being actually 

 held by one and the same individual — a prince-bishop. As a 

 rule the constitution of each community is monarchical rather than 

 republican, but actual despots, ruling without reference to councils 

 of elders, are not popular, and seldom last long. There are, of 

 course, many chiefs and " kings "' throughout the two million 

 aborigines of Liberia, but scarcely one of any cardinal importance 

 in the politics of the state. For example, there is no one 

 supreme chief over all the Vai people, or over all the Mandingo, 



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