88 WAILING FOR THE DEAD. q HAPi ni 



drinking beer, dancing, and drumming for two days and 

 nights. It is possible that the native doctor, who mixes 

 the ingredients of the poisoned bowl, may be able to save 

 those whom he considers innocent; but it is difficult to 

 get the natives to speak about the matter, and no one 

 is willing to tell what the muave poison consists of. We 

 have been shown trees said to be used, but had always 

 reason to doubt the accuracy of our informants. We once 

 found a tree in a village, with many pieces of the bark 

 chipped off, closely allied to the Tangena or Tanghina, 

 the ordeal poison tree of Madagascar; but we could not 

 ascertain any particulars about it. Death is inflicted on 

 those found guilty of witchcraft, by the muave. 



The women wail for the dead two days. Seated on the 

 ground they chant a few plaintive words, and end each 

 verse with the prolonged sound of a — a, or o — o, or ea-ea- 

 ea — a. Whatever beer is in the house of the deceased, is 

 poured out on the ground with the meal, and all cooking 

 and water pots are broken, as being of no further use. 

 Both men and women wear signs of mourning for their 

 dead relatives. These consist of narrow strips of the 

 palm-leaf wound round the head, the arms, legs, neck, and 

 breasts, and worn till they drop off from decay. They 

 believe in the existence of a supreme being, called Mpambe, 

 and also Morungo, and in a future state. " We live only a 

 few days here," said old Chinsunse, "but we live again after 

 death : we do not know where, or in what condition, or 

 with what companions, for the dead never return to tell 

 us. Sometimes the dead do come back, and appear to us 

 in dreams ; but they never speak nor tell us where they 

 have gone, nor how they fare." 



