EELIGION. 
199 
such of them as are settled near the coast, there are 
three divisions of labour — hunting, palm-nut and wine 
gathering, and fishing ; the jam planting being com- 
mon work for all the tribe. 
Each town and village has a chief, or Eri-c5-co-n6, 
whose authority depends on the number of his sub- 
jects, paying merely a nominal deference to each other 
according to that standard. 
The religion of this strange people is paganism, 
while at the same time they believe in, and worship 
as the supreme object of their adoration, an unknown 
Great Spirit, whom they call Rupi, and whom they 
assert to be the Almighty Ruler of the world. The 
intermediate idols are called the Mohs; there are 
two officiating priests to each tribe ; the chief 
priest who chants at the great religious festivals, or 
B6ta-kim-6; the other is the gods’-man, or Biiyeh- 
riipi. These parties possess unlimited confidence ; 
whether in health or sickness, peace or war, their 
councils prevail over all others ; and whenever dis- 
putes occur, the issues depend more on their influence 
than that of the head men or chiefs, to whom civil 
matters are referred. 
The Mohs or idols are rude wooden or earthen 
figures, mostly under the charge of priests, who offer 
to them such portions of cooked venison, fowls, — if 
white, so much the better, — ground rat, and palm 
wine or topi, as the people bestow on their objects of 
worship. 
