314 ASHANGO-LAND. Chap. XVI. 



Soon after I entered, the rites began. All the men 

 squatted down on their haunches, and set up a 

 deafening kind of wild song. There was an orchestra 

 of instrumental performers near the idol, consisting 

 of three drummers with two drumsticks each, one 

 harper, and a performer on the sounding stick, which 

 latter did not touch the ground, but rested on two 

 other sticks, so that the noise was made the more re- 

 sonant. The two mbuiti men, in the meantime, were 

 dancing in a fantastical manner in the middle of the 

 temple, putting their bodies into all sorts of strange 

 contortions. Every time the mbuiti men opened 

 their mouths to speak, a dead silence ensued. As the 

 ceremony continued, the crowd rose and surrounded 

 the dancing men, redoubling at the same time the 

 volume of their songs, and, after this went on for 

 some time, returning to their former positions. This 

 was repeated several times. It seemed to me to be a 

 kind of village feast. The mbuiti men, I ought to 

 mention, had been sent for from a distance to officiate 

 on the occasion, and the whole affair was similar to a 

 rude sort of theatrical representation. The mbuiti 

 men, like the witchcraft doctors, are important per- 

 sons among these inland tribes ; some have more 

 reputation than others, but in general those who live 

 furtljest off are most esteemed. At length, wearied 

 out with the noise, and being unable to see any mean- 

 ing or any change in the performances, I returned to 

 my hut at half-past ten. 



June oOth. The altitude of Niembouai I found to 

 be 1896 ft. above the level of the sea. I succeeded 

 in obtaining observations both for latitude and longi- 



