200 THROUGH ANGOLA 



person and exorcize the spirit or may deal with 

 the case himself ; for there are yet but few purely 

 physical healers working with herbs, cupping 

 and bleeding, counter-irritants and massage- 

 nearly all such people I met were involved in 

 witchcraft to some degree. In most cases, besides 

 the medicine, a charm (fetish) is given to the 

 patient who seeks relief ; the nature of these 

 charms or fetishes, which is very varied, is alluded 

 to later in the chapter. 



Among the group of medicine-men there may 

 be a separate person specializing in rain. 



The rain-maker is usually an elderly and 

 observant native, who is really the African 

 Meteorological Officer ; and despite all his tricks 

 and charms, probably depends a good deal on 

 the effect of wind direction, temperature, and 

 atmospheric pressure (as personally felt on an 

 oppressive day) to help him in his forecasts. 

 Though rarely at work, his fees are probably big 

 ones. 



To impress his clients, the witch doctor not 

 only builds a mysterious fetish house near the 

 village where the dread spirit may live ; he also, 

 like every clever impresario, dresses his part, and 

 so decorates himself with feathers, paint, shells, 

 and charms of all kinds, as effectually to inspire 

 respect and terror in the villages where he lives 

 and operates. Once they have established a 

 reputation, one or other of the group of witch 

 doctors is consulted in every venture and mis- 

 fortune : in hunting expeditions and war. for 

 barrenness, sickness, drought, or deluge. 



