MEN OF THE TREES 



otic. In recent years thousands of white men have settled 

 in their midst, bringing with them an entirely different 

 brand of civilization. A few decades ago they were liv- 

 ing in primitive simplicity, when suddenly Western civ- 

 ilization burst upon them. The consequent change of 

 affairs has been so rapid that they have not had time 

 to adjust their vision. There was no intervening half- 

 light but the dawn of Western ideas burst as suddenly 

 as their own tropic sunrise. Quickly a condition of af- 

 fairs was thrust upon them which speeded up their ev- 

 olution very rapidly. 



It is only the casual observer who would fail to see 

 that the change is only on the surface. Side by side with 

 the new state of affairs, old tribal customs and beliefs 

 still hold sway. The coming of the automobile has not 

 usurped the authority of the witch doctor. Sacred trees 

 and a belief in ancestral spirits still play a very great 

 part in their lives. They attribute the existence of the 

 world to the great spirit god N'gai, and him they wor- 

 ship. But their religion is very simple and matter-of- 

 fact, and probably there is a tendency for those of us 

 who have been brought up in countries where the teach- 

 ing of religion has been elaborated, to read into cere- 

 monies as practiced by these people possible meanings 

 which actually do not exist. We must not forget that 

 these are extremely primitive people, with a very simple 

 and practical outlook upon life. They have no literature, 

 but stories of the past have been handed down from 

 father to son, and form a rich store of folk lore. 



ii8 



