Bekry — Tlie Sierra Leone Cannibals. 47 



together ; but the " dark-break " or twilight is the proper tinie for the sacrifice 

 to be offered. 



When the victim has been selected, a man is chosen for his strength and 

 agility, and often because he has done it before, to catch the victim. He is 

 called Yongolado, the man who has the teeth or claws, " the warrior." To him 

 is delivered a leopard-skin and two knives. The leopard-clothes and knives 

 are kept by the chief ; and no common man is allowed to go in where they are 

 kept. When wanted they are sent out. The skin, with the knives rolled up in 

 it, comes, passed on by many hands, from no one knows where, and when the 

 ceremony is over, as mysteriously disappears. The bundle is received from a 

 man, often unknown, who instructs the receiver to carry it to such and such a 

 place, where he will hand it over to another, who carries it forward as 

 before. 



The knives are variously described by those who have seen them as 

 pronged knives with two points, and two knives each with two blades. The 

 knives are attached to the forepaws of the leopard-skin like claws, and are 

 held in the hand like knuckle-dusters. One of these leopard-knives was 

 described as double-edged, with a hole in the handle through which one could 

 pass part of the hand. Between the handle and the blade it was bound with 

 hide. There were two blades at right-angles to the handle. The whole knife 

 was of iron, except the hide. Another knife is described as being of iron with 

 two prongs a little shorter than the length of a hand. The handle is a piece 

 of wood with a hole in it, through which the holder puts his hand. There 

 are also small knives consisting of two points attached to a ring which is worn 

 on the finger (vide fig. 1, p. 69). 



The Yongolado dons the leopard-skin, and is often accompanied by other 

 men similarly clad. The skins cover their faces as well as their bodies, and 

 their hands are thrust into the forepaws of the leopard-skins, which have for 

 claws the pronged knives. The knives are attached to the shoulders by 

 strings or ropes. Usually there is only one pair of knives ; but eases where 

 more were present have been known. Sometimes the leopard-skin is more 

 elaborately arranged. It has been formed into a shirt, descending below the 

 knees and to the elbows. There was another skin for the head which came 

 down on the forehead like a judge's wig, leaving the face bare ; it covered the 

 head and neck, and fastened under the chin. The face was covered with a 

 bimbi or net, and masks have been used. 



The bush comes up close to the villages, often to within 30 to 40 yards 

 of the backs of the nearest houses. The leopard-men, having assembled in the 

 bush behind the town, make the cannibal sign to the headman of the village. 

 The whistle, a piece of cane about 1| inches in diameter and about 6 inches 



K.I. 4. PROC, VOL. XXS., SECT, C. [7] 



