RADACK AND OTIIEH ISLANDS. 1()<J 



the culprit with severe illness and death. Under 

 a tree, in Bjgar, offerings of fruits, cocoa, &c. are 

 brought. Certain forms of conjuration are effica- 

 cious and infallible to make the water come into 

 the pits ; if the result is unfavourable, something- 

 has been forgotten, and the words were not said 

 right. It is every where as with us.* At Bygar 

 the sharks are not allowed to do any harm to man : 

 the god will not suffer it. The inhabitants of all the 

 groups of Radack visit Bygar by way of Udirick, 

 only those of Eilu are not })ermitted to do it im- 

 mediately. They must remain a month at Udirick 

 before they sail there, and on their return must 

 spend another month in the same group before 

 they partake of the provision brought with them. 

 This provision consists in the flesh of birds and 

 turtles, w'hich they first bake, and then dry in the 

 sun. The use of salt is unknown at Radack. 



The marriages, the funerals, the feasts upon 

 several occasions seem to have no reference to re- 

 ligion. We were not happy enough to come to 

 an understanding with Kadu respecting an ex- 

 istence after death. 



Though no particular marks of respect are shown 

 to the chiefs, they, however, exercise an arbitrary 

 right over all property. We, ourselves, even saw 

 chiefs, to whom we had made presents, conceal 



* For example, the belief in meiHcine, the last thing to which 

 incredulity still clingg. 



