30 SUPERSTITIONS OF AFRICANS. CHAP. I. 



Droughts are of frequent occurrence at Tette, and the 

 crops suffer severely. This may arise partly from the 

 position of the town between the ranges of hills north and 

 south, which appear to have a strong attraction for the 

 rain-clouds. It is often seen to rain on these hills when 

 not a drop falls at Tette. Our first season was one of 

 drought. Thrice had the women planted their gardens 

 in vain, the seed, after just vegetating, was killed by the 

 intense dry heat. A fourth planting shared the same 

 hard fate, and then some of the knowing ones discovered 

 the cause of the clouds being frightened away : our un- 

 lucky rain-gauge in the garden. We got a bad name 

 through that same rain-gauge, and were regarded by 

 many as a species of evil omen. The Makololo in turn 

 blamed the people of Tette for drought : "A number of 

 witches live here, who won't let it rain." Africans in 

 general are sufficiently superstitious, but those of Tette 

 are in this particular pre-eminent above their fellows. 

 Coming from many different tribes, all the rays of the 

 separate superstitions converge into a focus at Tette, and 

 burn out common sense from the minds of the mixed breed. 

 They believe that many evil spirits live in the air, the 

 earth, and the water. These invisible malicious beings 

 are thought to inflict much suffering on the human race ; 

 but, as they have a weakness for beer and a craving for 

 food, they may be propitiated from time to time by 

 offerings of meat and drink. The serpent is an object of 

 worship, and hideous little images are hung in the huts 

 of the sick and dying. The uncontaminated Africans 

 believe that Morungo, the Great Spirit who formed all 

 things, lives above the stars ; but they never pray to him, 

 and know nothing of their relation to him, or of his in- 

 terest in them. The spirits of their departed ancestors 

 are all good, according to their ideas, and on special oc- 

 casions aid them in their enterprises. When a man has 



