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CHAPTER XIX. 
THE FEAST OF NJAMBAI.— THE TALKING IDOL, — SECRET 
PROCEEDINGS.—THE WOMEN AND THEIR MYSTERIES, 
THE village of Njali-Coudié became full of strangers, 
so full indeed that many could not find shelter there, hence 
little olakos were surrounding the village everywhere. 
When I inquired the cause why so many strangers 
were in the village, I was told that the Njambai feast was 
coming. 
The first night I could not sleep, as no African feast is 
complete without shouting, drumming, singing, dancing, 
and a good deal of drinking, when the latter can be got. 
The noise was terrific; more than one hundred tam-tams 
must have been beating. 3 
- At last I got up and went into the street. It was 
crowded with men, women, and children. Fires and torch- 
es lighted it up, and gave a strange appearance to the sav- 
ages, who were painted in different colors. 
Seeing a great crowd, I went there, and I saw in the 
middle of the street alarge wooden idol. It was a female 
figure, nearly of life size, and with cloven feet like those 
of astag. Her eyes were of copper; one cheek was paint- 
ed red, and the other yellow. About her neck hung a 
necklace of leopard’s teeth. This idol is said to have 
great power, and the people believe that on certain occa- 
