308 THE FOREST AND THE FIELD. 



spirits sometimes make mistakes as to their earthly 

 tenements, when imbecility, delirium, and madness, 

 is the result. Fetish charms of all kinds are used 

 as a protection against evil ; and, amongst others, I 

 noticed some that appeared very much like finger 

 bones. 



In some of the tribes both sexes have secret 

 associations, vp^hich exercise considerable influence 

 in the community. That of the men appears to 

 be instituted to keep refractory wives in awe and 

 to awaken lazy slaves to their duty. A large 

 fetish-house in the centre of each village, where 

 no one save the initiated are permitted to enter, is 

 the scene of strange ceremonies and consultations, 

 which keep evil-doers in a state of constant trepi- 

 dation, for the oftenders on whom the judgments 

 fall are summarily flogged or perhaps more severely 

 punished. 



The women have a similar institution, . which 

 seems to be got up to keep the men in order, 



r 



and prevent any flagrant act of cruelty or mis- 

 conduct on the part of husbands, although they 

 also pretend to find out secrets and detect robberies. 



i 



