CUSTOMS. 297 
this court daily with large suites, and it was not only a crowded, 
but frequently a splendid scene. Before the footoorh or treasury 
bag is unlocked by the weigher, though it be by the King's order, 
Apokoo must strike it with his hand in sanction. 
In all public trials, the charges are preferred, in outline, against 
the criminal by the King's linguists, and he is always heard fully, 
and obliged to commit or exculpate himself on every point, and to 
take the various primary oaths, before the witnesses are confronted 
with him ; of whom he is kept as ignorant as possible until the 
moment of their appearance. The oaths, sometimes four or five, 
are progressive, generally beginning by the King's foot, or some 
arbitrary form, and are, apparently, not considered awful or deci- 
sive; such perjuries being commutable by fine. But when the oath, 
" by the King's father," is administered, every one looks serious, 
and if, " by Connantee and Saturday" (see History) is resorted to, 
there is a gloomy silence ; but this is seldom ventured, if the wit- 
nesses, (hurried in with a sort of stage effect between that and the 
former oaths,) confound or perplex the accused. 
There are various ways of taking fetish the two I observed, 
were, licking a white fowl twice or thrice, and drinking a nauseous 
vegetable juice without coughing: it was administered by the 
linguists out of a brass pan in a folded leaf of the plant. If the 
accused is cleared, he comes forward, and is marked with white 
chalk by the linguists, after which he bows to, and thanks all the 
great men in the council. Taking doom is the infallible test, when 
they consider the case to be too doubtful for human decision. The 
bark of that tree is put into a large calabash with water, so as 
to make a strong infusion ; it is stirred up whilst the suspected 
parties sip in turn. It operates, instantaneously and convulsively, 
as a most violent emetic and purge; those who sip first may 
Qq 
