184 LIVINGSTONE'S LAST JOURNALS. [Chap. TIL 



it is thought that the end is near. His mother was plun- 

 dered, and lost all her cattle. 



9th May. — No fight, though it was threatened yesterday :. 

 they all like to talk a great deal before striking a blow. 

 They believe that in the multitude of counsellors there is 

 safety. Women singing as they pound their grain into 

 meal, — "Oh, the march of Bwanamokolu to Katanga! Oh, 

 the march to Katanga and back to Ujiji ! — Oh, oh, oh ! " 

 Bwanamokolu means the great or old gentleman. Batusi 

 women are very keen traders, and very polite and pleasing 

 in their address and pretty way of speaking. 



I don't know how the great loving Father will bring all 

 out right at last, but He knows and will do it. 



The African's idea seems to be that they are within the 

 power of a power superior to themselves — apart from and in- 

 visible : good ; but frequently evil and dangerous. This may 

 have been the earliest religious feeling of dependence on 

 a Divine power without any conscious feeling of its nature. 

 Idols may have come in to give a definite idea of superior 

 power, and the primitive faith or impression obtained by 

 Kevelation seems to have mingled with their idolatry 

 without any sense of incongruity. (See Micah in Judges.)* 



The origin of the primitive faith in Africans and others, 

 seems always to have been a divine influence on their dark 

 minds, which has proved persistent in all ages. One portion 

 of primitive belief — the continued existence of departed 

 spirits — seems to have no connection whatever with dreams,, 

 or, as we should say, with " ghost seeing," for great agony is 

 felt in prospect of bodily mutilation or burning of the body 

 after death, as that is believed to render return to one's 

 native land impossible. They feel as if it would shut 

 them off from all intercourse with relatives after death.. 

 They would lose the power of doing good to those once 



* Judges xviii. 



