Extracts from Dr. Winterboltom y s Travels. 



An Account of the Religion and Superstition of 

 the Modern Africans* 



THE immense continent of Africa, except that part 

 only where Mahommadenism has been impressed upon the 

 faith of the natives by the Arabs, lies buried in the grossest 

 ignorance. The Africans all acknowledge a Supreme Being, 

 the great Creator of the Universe; but they suppose him to 

 be endowed with too much benevolence to do any harm to 

 mankind, and therefore think it unnecessary to offer him 

 any homage. But from daemons or evil spirits they appre- 

 hend great danger, and they endeavour, by all possible 

 means to deprecate their wrath by sacrifice and offer- 

 ings. These daemons are supposed to be divided into two 

 classes, the larger kind called the Aymins, are supposed 

 to inhabit, chiefly, the deepest recesses of the forest; and 

 the places dedicated to these spirits are generally such as 

 inspire the spectator with awe, or are remarkable for their 

 strange appearance, as immensely large trees rendered vene- 

 rable by old age ; rocks appearing in the midst of rivers, 

 that have something in the form either gigantic or abrupt. 

 Before they begin to sow their plantations they sacrifice a 

 sheep, goat, fowl, or fish to the Aymin; for were this 

 neglected, they are persuaded that nothing would grow 

 there. In the instance where they sacrifice to the deity of 

 the rock, a part is left for the daemons, and the remainder 

 is eaten by the votaries. If they should see any of the 

 African Ants carrying away the meat, they imagine that 

 they are taking it for the spirits. The inferior order of 

 spirits are called the Griffee, these are supposed to reside in 

 the skirts of a town, and sometimes even dwell within it. 



