SOUTH-CENTRAL AFRICAN COLLECTION 83 
vessels, though occasionally the forms of animals and men are found 
upon baskets. 
In south and central Africa the Barotse have great reputation as 
workers in iron, but their implements are crude. ‘The smelting is done 
with a rude furnace, and the forging with rude bellows made of skin, 
stone anvils and in some cases with stone hammers too. Nevertheless 
with these crude tools the native blacksmiths turn out some excellent 
knives, daggers, axes, spears and swords. ‘The collection contains a 
great variety of iron tools, spears and ear ornaments, illustrating quite 
completely the native iron industries. 
A very conspicuous character in religious and ceremonial activities 
in all African tribes is the so-called witch doctor, who is in reality a 
priest. Such men have various outfits, consisting of charms, medicines 
and regalia, but in almost every case they have upon a string two slender 
pieces of ivory representing women and two hoofs of some ruminant 
representing men, together with two or more vertebrz of a monkey or 
other small mammal. ‘The vertebree are said to represent the spirit 
of the witch, as it is sometimes called, by whose help the priest accom- 
plishes his work. ‘This collection contains one complete witch doctor’s 
outfit together with other medicine articles. The witch doctor is a 
powerful man in the community and performs various functions. Be- 
sides curing diseases, he discovers by magic processes the identity of 
criminals and traitors, directs all ceremonies and acts as chief councilor 
to the king or chief. The significance of his name is probably due to a 
widely spread belief in Africa that every death is the result of the magic 
power of some living person or witch. As a result of this the priest or 
witch doctor is called in to investigate every death, and as a rule he 
names some individual who is held responsible. It goes without saying, 
that witch doctors and chiefs take advantage of this custom to get rid of 
troublesome individuals. This is one of the many dark sides to the 
Dark Continent. 
There are many other interesting groups of objects in this collection, 
among which may be mentioned native fibre, foods, costumes, weapons, 
pipes and musical instruments. ‘The series of drums is particularly fine. 
The Museum now has a good beginning toward an African hall in which 
will be shown the original culture of the great Negro branch of the 
human family. 
. CLark WISSLER. 
