172 THE WORLD'S WONDERS. 



specially rich in finery, they wear two or three strings of beads 

 as a covering. The old ladies are antiquated Eves, whose dress 

 consists of a string around the waist, in which is stuck a bunch 

 of green leaves, the stalks uppermost. Some of the more 

 prudish young ladies indulge in a like covering, but they do not 

 appear to be fashionable. One great advantage of this leaf 

 costume is that it may be always clean and fresh, as the nearest 

 bush (if not thorny) provides a clean petticoat. When in the 

 society of these very simple and really modest Eves, one cannot 

 help reflecting upon the Mosaical descriptioi of our first parents, 

 ' and they sewed fig leaves together." 



A ROYAL SORCERER. 



CHIEF or as Speke would call him, king Katchiba, holds his 

 subjects by a power which is most effective among savages, viz : 

 sorcery. Should one of his people displease him or refuse a gift 

 asked for, the old chief threatens to curse his goats and wither 

 his crops, and the fear of his power usually forces obedience. 

 Should there be either a drouth or destructive rainfall, Katchiba 

 assembles his subjects and in a fatherly way expresses his regrets 

 that their conduct has forced him to afflict them with unfavorable 

 weather, but that it is their own fault. If they are so greedy 

 or stingy that they will not supply him properly, how can they 

 expect him to regard their interests? He must have goats and 

 corn "No goats, no rain; that's our contract, my friends." 

 Should his people complain of too much rain, he threatens to 

 pour storms and lightning upon them forever, unless they bring 

 him corn, beer and provisions. 



No man would think of starting upon a journey without first 

 receiving the old chief's blessing, which is supposed to act as a 

 spell to avert all evil. In case of sickness he is called in to 

 charm away the disease, but his practice exhibits the same 

 fluctuating results that attend the efforts of all doctors. In 

 order to propitiate this royal sorcerer, his people frequently pre- 

 sent him with their prettiest daughters, so that he is enabled to 

 keep a harem at every village in his country, and in his journeys 

 he is at home wherever he goes. His multiplicity of wives has 



