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him it is simply to let them alone. They would never dream of 

 asking a favor of him. He is, and always has been, their bitter 

 enemy. They have a ritual, a somewhat elaborate one too, but 

 few, very few of them, know the significance of the rites they 

 practise. I believe some few do. There seems to be a sort of 

 freemasonry among them, and an inner circle, few in number, who 

 alone know the meaning of their ceremonies. I believe, too, 

 that these few could, if they would, reveal \ery much about 

 their past history and traditions. But it is simply impossible to 

 get any information from them. They are bound to secrecy, and 

 I think death is tlie penalty should they reveal anything to the 

 uninitiated. 



I am about to make a strong assertion ; but I believe it to 

 be true. I believe they have human sacrifices, that from time 

 to time one man, with his own knowledge and consent, is offered 

 in sacrifice for the good of his people — offered to the evil spirit 

 whom they so fear. This is the leading feature in the great re- 

 ligious and highly immoral ceremony, which they celebrate every 

 few years. They call it Jaboi. In some secluded place they 

 form a ring, just like our circus rings, and of about the same 

 diameter. Here young men to be initiated into some lower 

 grades meet at midnight in charge of some of the inner circle 

 mentioned. AVhat there takes place no white man may witness. 

 This rite lasts for about three weeks. Of course, we have col- 

 lected many facts relating to this matter, but I do not consider 

 that our knowledge is yet precise enough for publication. What 

 seems certain, is that they undoubtedly worship in fear an evil 

 spirit ; that sometimes they offer their fellow-men in sacrifice to 

 him, and that the visible emblem, if so I may put it, of their 

 religion, is the human penis. 



Superstitions they have without number. The spirits of the 

 dead live in the trees, and eat of their fruits. Rain is caused by 

 the tribes from whose direction it comes, so also are the winds. 

 A certain blackfellow goes up to the moon once a month to fight 

 the evil spirit. If he did not do this, the evil one would kill the 

 moon. " But this man cannot fly," I once argued ;" he has no 

 wings." " Oh, the devil-devil brings him up," was the ready 

 answer — to fight himself. 



The doctors carry certain bones — -I think of the devil-fish, 

 which are serrated and over six inches long. Women and chil- 

 dren are not allowed to see these bones, and the blacks fear them 

 as they would loaded rifles. They call them harrit. The wounds 

 produced by them never seem to heal ; they become like cancers. 

 Indeed, the blacks call cancer harrit. They believe that a doctor, 

 the holder of such a bone, can produce these sores even at a dis- 

 tance. To prevent stealing from our garden, an old man once 



