2-4 COUNT DE BE XYOIVSKY. 



of the village, continuing to strike witli a knife the weapons 

 which we each held in the right hand, delivered a speech, in 

 which, after having celebrated the praises of the high con- 

 tracting parties, he enumerated the obligations which the 

 covenant of blood imposed, and called down upon us the 

 greatest misfortunes if we should ever perjure ourselves. 

 My servant Cravate, while this was going on, did not cease 

 to wet the point of the spear with the liquid. Then Zomena, 

 filling a wooden vessel with the sacred beverage, put it to my 

 mouth and made me drink the contents, then struck me on 

 both shoulders, on the back and on the breast, with the 

 empty vessel. I repeated the same ceremonies, and the 

 famake was completed, we were brothers in blood. My new 

 relatives addressed to me their congratulations, and a crowd of 

 princes and princesses, some calling me their son, the others 

 giving me the name of father or of brother, came to take my 

 hand." "'^ 



Of this custom amongst the B^ra, Mr. Eichardson says : 

 " To friendships formed by two persons drinking a little 

 blood taken from an incision in each other's bellies, they 

 depend for success in plundering, gratifying their lustful 

 desires, and as a protection from being plundered by others." 



In the " Memoirs and Travels of Count de Benyowsky," a 

 Polish noble who, in 1776, so gained the confidence of the 

 people on the eastern coast as to be made by them their 

 M]yanjakab4 or supreme king, there is an account (vol. ii. p. 

 267) of the oath which he took on receiving the allegiance 

 of the chiefs and people, this oath being a kind of blood 

 covenant. Oxen were killed by Benyowsky himself, one or 

 more, according to their number, for every rank of the people, 

 the chiefs taking a drop or two of the blood, and pronouncing 

 an oath. And after this, to quote his own account : " I was 

 again conducted to the circle of the Rdhandnans [or principal 

 chiefs], who made a second oath with me, which was performed 

 in this manner : each person made an incision, with a razor, 

 imder the left breast, as I did likewise myself; and each 

 mutually sucked the blood of the other, at the same time 

 pronouncing the most horrible maledictions against whoever 



* Ball, de la Soc. dc Giog., Fcv. 1S72, p 144. 



