22 THE PIGMIES. 



With regard to the Aetas, our present knowledge is less advanced. 

 M. Montano says in his notes that he could find among them no 

 form of worship ; but judging from personal experience, he refrain- 

 ed from concluding that they were wholly destitute of any beliefs 

 whatever. ( x ) La Gironklere, while declaring that these di- 

 minutive Negroes have no religion, informs us that, at times, they 

 worship rocks and trunks of trees which seem to bear resemblance 

 to animal beiugs. ( 2 ) My impression is that in all probability, 

 this homage is paid to something higher than these material objects, 

 perhaps to the spirits or genii of the mountains and forests, for 

 Bjenzi tells us that these savages believe in evil spirits called 

 Nonos, to whom they offer up sacrifices. ( 3 ) 



This belief in spirits is current among the Bermun tribes, and 

 consequently among the Sakais, Manthras, &c. Here it is profes- 

 sionally represented by a body of priests or rather wizards called 



of the Andamanese. Where certain travellers had only seen most wretched 

 savages, where I had myself only suspected confused but genuine notions, we 

 find in reality a pretty complete mythology and a belief in a true God, invi- 

 sible, immortal and omniscient, by whom the whole world was created and 

 whom they call Pu-higa. I shall quote Mr. Man's own words (No. II, p. 

 157):— 



" Of Pu-higa they say that : — 



I. — Though His appearance is like fire, yet He is (now-a-days) invisible. 

 II. — He was never born and is immortal. 

 III. — By Him the world and all objects, animate and inanimate, were 

 created, excepting only the powers of evil. 

 IV. — He is regarded as omniscient while it is day, knowing even the 



thoughts of their hearts. 

 V. — He is angered by the commission of certain sins, while to those in 

 pain or distress he is pitiful, and sometimes deigns to afford 

 relief. 

 VI. — He is the Judge from whom each soul receives its sentence after 

 death, and, to some extent, the hope of escape from the tor- 

 ments of Jer '-eg-lar-mugu (regarding which anon) is said to 

 affect their course of action in the present life. 

 This J r er '-eg-lar-mugu is a kind of hell or purgatory which the Mincopies 

 consider as a cold and icy region. 



(1) M. Montano had been told that the Bagobogos had no religion. 

 Owing to favourable circumstances, he was able to recognise among them a 

 well defined and anything but rudimentary religious conception, of which he 

 gave us an outline in one of his addresses to the " Societe de Geographic" 

 1877. 



(2) Loc. cit., p. 300. 

 ( a) Loc. cit., p. 303. 



