Chap. III. HORIUD FORM OF MONOMANIA. 53 



be would not believe bis own confession, until tbe boy 

 took bim to a place in tbe forest wbere lay tbe two 

 bodies, one witb tbe bead cut off, and tbe otber witb 

 tbe belly torn open. Upon tbis, Akondogo gave 

 orders to seize tbe lad. He was bound witb ropes, 

 taken to tbe village, and tbere tied in a borizontal 

 position to a post, and burnt slowly to deatb, all tbe 

 people standing by until be expired. 



I must say, tbe end of tbe story seemed to me too 

 borrid to listen to. I sbuddered, and was ready to 

 curse tbe race tbat was capable of committing sucb 

 acts. But on careful inquiry, I found it was a case 

 of monomania in tbe boy Akosbo, and tbat be really 

 was tbe murderer of tbe two men. It is probable 

 tbat tbe superstitious belief of tbese morbidly imagi- 

 native Africans in tbe transformation of men into 

 leopards, being early instilled into tbe minds of tbeir 

 cbildren, is tbe direct cause of murders being com- 

 mitted under tbe influence of it. Tbe boy bimself, as 

 well as Akondogo and all tbe people, believed be bad 

 really turned into a leopard, and tbe cruel punisb- 

 ment was partly in vengeance for witcbcraft, and 

 partly to prevent tbe committal of more crimes by 

 tbe boy in a similar way, for, said tbey, tbe man bas 

 a spirit of witcbcraft. 



Tbe natives of all tbe neigbbouring country were 

 now so well aware tbat I wanted live gorillas, and 

 was willing to give a bigb price for tbem, tbat many 

 were stimulated to searcb witb great perseverance ; 

 tbe good effects of tbis were soon made evident. 



One day as I was quietly dining witb Captain 



