186 
RELIGION AT KARAGUE. 
Of religion, the only approach to it has been men- 
tioned in the various superstitions of the king and his 
brother, who made idols of horns filled with various 
charms. To these they appeal for aid against an 
enemy, for the blessing of health, for the discovery of 
men s inward thoughts, for rain, &c. In the event of 
a war or a journey, the mysterious horn was consulted 
as to the probable success of the expedition. Another 
belief is that certain animals are possessed of devils, 
but are in the power of soothsayers. We found that 
amongst the Wahuma kings it was lawful to cohabit 
with a brother s wife, or with his own sister. 
They have no knowledge whatever of reading, 
writing, or arithmetic. A printed book to them was 
like a picture-book to a child ; its leaves were turned 
over one by one carefully by the most intelligent, and 
immediately shut up by the more ignorant. For twenty 
years Arabs have been amongst them, but Mohamme- 
danism has taken no hold of the king or his people. 
The country presents a wide field for commerce to 
pave the way for regenerating an intelligent race. 
On reading the ten commandments to my Moham- 
medan friend Jumah, who dealt in slaves, ivory, &c, 
often complaining that his slaves were under no con- 
trol, he shook hands with me after each command- 
ment, saying how true and excellent they were, he 
believed in them all. " But do you practise them ? " 
I asked. " Eead ' Honour thy father and thy mother/ 
and tell me how can the slaves honour their fathers 
and mothers if you tear them away from their fami- 
lies?" "Oh, I am a father to them." "How can 
you be a father ? Are the affections of a parent not 
as strong in Africa as anywhere else ? " He felt the 
