AFRICAN SUPERSTITION. 229 



I was made acquainted by Mr. Chalmers, during 

 my stay at the Chumie, with several instances of the 

 distressing effects produced by superstition, on the 

 minds of the surrounding tribes. A short time pre- 

 vious to the death of Gaika, that Chief sent a mes- 

 sage to an old woman, formerly one of his concubines, 

 but who was then living on the Station, informing 

 her that he had dreamt about her the preceding 

 night, and that he wished to see her at his kraal. She 

 declined the invitation, through fear that some evil 

 was premeditated. On the following day three Chiefs 

 waited upon Mr. Chalmers, and, soliciting a private 

 interview, informed him, in a low tone, that the 

 woman they had come to demand had bewitched the 

 Chief with the hair of a goat, together with some old 

 rags, and the ashes of thunder. They then gravely 

 desired he would give her up to them, in order 

 that she might discover to them the bewitching 

 matter. Mr. Chalmers positively refused to comply 

 with this demand, and endeavoured to convince 

 them of their absurdity in supposing that a feeble old 

 woman, so far removed from their Chief's residence, 

 could exercise any influence over him. Happening 

 to know that one of the party, a son of the aged Chief 

 Islambi, had himself been charged with bewitching 

 his own father, and with causing the sickness of 

 which his parent was then dying, Mr. Chalmers 

 availed himself of this circumstance to impress more 

 forcibly upon the man's mind the folly of believing 



