382 GENERAL OBSERVATIONS. 



In several other places, figures of a similar kind were met 

 with, cut into the face of the slat}^ rock, or into wood, or on 

 the surface of the gourds or pumpkins, most of which had 

 something of the fetiche or sacred character attached to 

 them. They have some vague notion of a future paradise, 

 in which they shall all be happ^^ ; they also entertain some 

 idea of a good and an evil principle ; the former is distin- 

 guished by the name of Zamba M'Poonga ; the latter by 

 that of Cad dee MTeemba ; but they seem to pa}' more 

 veneration to, and to feel a greater dread of, their sub- 

 s'tantial fetiches, than these imaginary personages. 



The most inoffensive part of their superstitions is the re- 

 spect which they show to the dead ; and absurd as it may 

 appear, a veneration for deceased friends and relations is 

 always a favourable trait in the character of a people. 

 Those who can aflFord, and they omit no endeavours to 

 obtain it, cover the dead bodies of their relations with many 

 folds of clothing, and keep them above ground, till, from the 

 quantity of wrappers added from time to time, they have 

 arrived at an immense bulk ; in this state they are then 

 deposited in a hut ; they mourn their loss at stated times 

 of the day with bowlings and lamentations ; and at length 

 they bury them in graves of vast depth, with the view pro- 

 bably of preventing the possibility of their being scratched 

 up by beasts of prey ; they plant trees and shrubs round 

 the graves, and like the Welsh and the Chinese, decorate 

 them with flowers or place fetiches upon them. An ele- 

 phant's tusk placed at the head and another at the foot, 

 mark the grave as belonging to a person of some distinction. 



