34 



THE LIVING RACES OF MANKIND 



to cure a chief by marking his body with chalk made from the bones of his ancestors, spitting 

 on the affected parts of the patient's body, and touching them with a burning grass torch. 

 Du Chaillu regards this medical use of fire as a kind of fire-worship. The same author has 

 given a graphic account of an ordeal at which three nephews of the Okanda chief were 

 compelled to drink poison on suspicion of having bewitched the chief. The accused men said 

 they were not afraid to drink the poison, for they were not wizards and would not die. The 

 poison was accordingly prepared, and the people of the village assembled to watch its effect. 

 "When the poor fellows were brought into the middle of the circle of excited spectators, it 

 was horrid to see the ferocity expressed in the countenances of the people; it seemed as 

 though their nature had entirely changed. Knives, axes, and spears were held ready to be 

 used on the bodies of the victims if they should succumb under the ordeal. A breathless 

 silence prevailed whilst the young men took the much-dreaded cups of liquid and boldly 

 swallowed the contents; the whispering of the wind could be heard through the leaves of the 

 surrounding trees. But it was only of short duration. As soon as the poison was drunk, the 



crowd began to beat their 

 sticks on the ground, and 

 shout, ' If they are wizards, 

 let the mboitiulou kill 

 them; if innocent, let it 

 go out! ' repeating the 

 words as long as the sus- 

 pense lasted. The struggle 

 was a severe one; the eyes 

 of the young men became 

 bloodshot, their limbs 

 trembled convulsively, and 

 every muscle in their 

 bodies was visibly working 

 under the potent irritation. 

 The more acute their 

 sufferings became, the 

 louder vociferated the ex- 

 cited assembly. I was 

 horror-stricken, and, al- 

 though I would gladly 

 have fled from the place, 

 felt transfixed to the spot. 

 I knew that if they fell I should have no power to save them, but should be forced to see 

 them torn limb from limb. At length, however, the crisis came a sudden shiver of the body 

 and involuntary discharge and the first intended victim had escaped. The same soon after 

 happened to the second and to the third. They gradually came back to their former state, but 

 appeared very much exhausted. The trial was over, and the doctor closed the ceremony by 

 himself drinking an enormous quantity of the poison, with a similar result to that which we 

 had witnessed in the young men, only that he appeared quite tipsy; in his wild and incoherent 

 sayings he stated that the bewitchers of Mayolo [the chief] did not belong to the village 

 a decision which was received with great acclamation. Mayolo rejoiced that the wizards did not 

 belong to his own people, and the whole people were wild with joy; guns were fired, and the 

 evening passed with beating of drums, singing, and dancing." 



THE ASHANGO. 



The Ashango are the dominant tribe in Ashangoland, a district in the French Congo, 

 south of the Ogowe. They are neighbours of the Ishogo, and have many of the same 



Photo by Jlichard Buchta. 



A GROUP OF NIAM-NIAM NATIVES. 



