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after their decease, and to be clad from head to foot in white damoor 
cloth (this material forms their shroud), and they appear much 
taller than when in life. They are supposed to visit houses during 
the night, and to alter the position of different articles of furniture. 
Should any one be unable to find some article in the morning, they 
commonly say, “ So and So’s spirit paid us a visit last night,” and thus 
account for its temporary disappearance. The ghosts are thought to 
hide, but not to steal things. 
Great fear is felt of going into or near burial-places on dark nights, 
as the apparition of ghosts is dreaded. They think that if the grave 
has not been firmly built, and any air finds its way in, there will 
also be room for the spirit to find its way out. This spirit, however, 
is not the “ kilma ” which has gone to Accra, and which possesses no 
power of return. 
The Fors have priests or fakirs, who go by the name of puggees. 
They are in no sense hereditary, and there is no ceremonial induction 
into their office. Any one may become a pnggee if he chooses, but 
he must first be educated by a priest, in reading and writing, in the 
Koran, and in the For law ; for the Fors have a written law, which 
differs considerably from that found in the Koran. The date at 
which it was reduced to writing I was unable to ascertain, but it is 
certainly more than 300 years old. Some parents set apart their 
sons to be priests, and send them to be educated while still very 
young. The puggees are the teachers of all who wish to learn, but 
the instruction they give is very meagre ; only a little reading and 
writing are taught, and a few prayers from the Koran. The schools 
are held in the evening after the work of the day is over, and are 
conducted by firelight. The puggees have a great deal of influence 
over the sultan and chiefs, who consult them much, and generally 
follow their advice. They take precedence over the chiefs, and 
nobody is allowed to eat with the sultan but the priests. Chiefs are 
sometimes priests too. There are three ranks of priests ; they wear 
little white caps, the embroidery of which tells their status. Al- 
though each puggee is under no practical obligation to obey those of 
higher rank, still they do defer to their opinions, and are ready and 
willing to receive instruction from them. The difference in rank is 
caused by age and experience \ those men too who have been a pil- 
grimage to Mecca are naturally more respected, and hold a higher 
