52 Proceedings of the Royal Irish Academy. 



flesh is eaten with the fingers. The bones are broken and the marrow taken 

 out ; if not eaten, the cannibal rubs himself and his medicine with the marrow- 

 fat. Before being eaten a portion of the flesh is sometimes dried and part of 

 the dried flesh is put into the medicine. ' The grease in the bottle is carefully 

 preserved, for, if a man rubs human fat on himself, he will get money and 

 become strong, and it can make his body invisible and his deeds unknown ; 

 the possession and use of human fat will make a man powerful to govern the 

 whole country. 



Some days after the sacrifice has been made three Murri-men go into the 

 kunk for seven days, during which time the Nessi medicine is made. Nessi 

 medicine is made by writing the Mussulman confession of faith, or texts from 

 the Koran, on paper or on board. These are then washed, with many 

 incantations, until the writing is removed. When the charm is clean, the 

 washings are put into a bottle and the paper on which the charm is written 

 is rolled up, and either used as a cork or tied to the bottle. 



The Nessi having been made, it, together with the bottles containing 

 human fat, were divided into lots and placed in the ground. The Nessi was 

 only given to the big men — it was distributed among the headmen of sections. 

 If the Nessi was rubbed on their bodies, the Murri-men told them it would 

 prevent the white men from knowing of the matter if they did anything 

 wrong, and so no harm could come to them. 



The heart and the liver of the victim are dried ; the internal organs are 

 used, and, by aid of charms and incantations, the human fat, the Kpa 

 medicine, and the other ingredients of the " Kori-hari " are welded into 

 one composite and powerful medicine by mixing them together, moistening 

 the mixture with nessi, and kneading the whole into a paste which is placed 

 in a small horn. This medicine is the Borfimor, the attainment of which is 

 the great object of the Human Leopard society. The Leopard medicine is 

 put away in a box in a man's house. At certain times the grease gained 

 from the fat of the flesh is rubbed on the medicine. The owner does not 

 carry the medicine about with him. Before going to a meeting of the people, 

 before meeting the chiefs or a commissioner, the man rubs the medicine on 

 himself. The grease he rubs over his face and body. Thus armed he will 

 gain power and deceive the white man, 



A Borfimor bag in my possession (vide Plate IIL) figured prominently 

 in a trial which led to the hanging of thirty-two men. The natives all 

 say it is a bad juju, and was used by Leopard-men ; and this particular bag 

 was known to be used to swear men on. The juju are contained in a 

 leather bag to which are attached buttons and carrying cord. Opened, 

 the bag contains four smaller bags. 



