Wanika. 
103 
God than the word which they apply to the visible 
heavens. This word is "Mulungu." Thus in trans- 
lating the first chapter of Genesis you must write, 
" In the beginning Mulungu created Mulungu," unless 
a word be borrowed from another tongue. When 
asked what God is, they look at you vacantly, and 
often declare that they do not know. When pressed 
upon the matter, they point you to the sky. Yet 
when asked to account for the existence of natural 
phenomena — the sun, moon, stars, the earth, the sea, 
the air, rain, vegetation, animals and human beings — 
they admit that all must have come from Mulungu" 
(God). Thus they have an indefinite notion of God as 
the Creator. Tndeed, they attribute everything beyond 
the power of man to " Mulungu." Of the attributes 
of this Being they have most imperfect and erroneous 
conceptions. They apprehend something of His power 
and skill, as exemplified in His works, though it is 
doubtful if their ideas upon these subjects possess in 
their minds any definite shape. They admit them, 
and seem to realize them partially when their atten- 
tion is called to them, otherwise they appear to be 
beyond the region of their thought. Of God's omni- 
science and omnipresence they have no idea. Regard- 
ing His moral attributes they are altogether astray. 
God's mercy, love, holiness, truth, and justice are 
unknown to them. The only moral quality they 
ascribe to Him is that of vindictiveness and cruelty ! 
Mulungu,'' say they, without hesitation, "ni mui " 
(God is bad). " Who is it that afflicts the world with 
locusts, pestilence, drought, and death t Who," they 
exclaim, " carries off" our wives, our brothers, our sisters, 
to the grave V All this they consider to be the work 
