590 
PROCEEDINGS OE SECTION F. 
the abstract power. They believe that the claw of a leopard worn on 
the arm or the neck is a safeguard against the dangers of the forest, 
because it is part of a beast that all things in the forest fear, and the 
sight of it inspires terror in anything that sees it. The tooth of a 
crocodile is a powerful charm against the dangers of the water, for 
the same reason ; but it is not believed that the claw or the tooth 
possesses any real power within itself, only that it suggests the 
strength and ferocity of those creatures to anyone who beholds it. 
I brought home with me a fetish which is known as the most 
potent of any among them. It is the tusk of a young elephant, in the 
cavity of which is some hair from the head of a white man, a bit of 
human flesh, also said to be that of a white man, some large snake 
teeth, the point of a leopard’s claw, a fragment of the tooth of a 
crocodile, a few small seeds of the plant from which they make the 
poison for arrows, all mixed in a kind of paste, which is said to contain 
certain properties that impart great strength to man. To these is 
added a little gunpowder, and a few drops of poison from a small 
snake w r hose bite is always fatal. This gruesome compound is all held 
in the cavity of the tusk by a fragment of glass broken from the side 
of a gin bottle. The efficacy of this “ medicine” is largely enhanced 
by its being visible through the glass, and the sum of the matter is 
that the combined efforts of this fetish can subdue the terrors of the 
jungle ; but the power of the charm resides in the things from which 
the parts are taken, and are all natural powers. Each one of these 
things can inspire terror in something else ; but when combined there 
is nothing that would not fear them. In the native philosophy it ia 
supposed that all these things unite their strength in one common 
effort of attack or defence. The result would be that the strength of 
the elephant, the stealth and venom of the snake, the ferocity of the 
leopard, the invulnerability of the crocodile, and the wisdom aud 
prowess of man, with his arrows and gunpowder, are all combined in 
a single being ; the idea is to combine and include all these things in 
one. What could hope to contend with success against a foe having 
all these powers combined ? 
AVhen the hunter goes into the forest he swings this fetish under 
his arm, with the open end of the tusk forward, so that anything 
observing bis approach may see the contents of this nibuiri . 
The tribes differ slightly in the extent of the power they attribute 
to these things ; but in no case do they believe in a being higher than 
man, nor any other than a natural physical power. 
In every tribe that I visited, I found a belief in some mystic 
power, by means of which crime could be detected, sickness warded, 
off, and death averted, and this secret is often brought into requisi- 
tion. The power itself and the person in whom it is vested are 
jointly called by some name which implies m buiri or mystery, and 
the same term is used to imply “ power over witchcraft.” 
In some tribes the name is Yassi , in some nibuiri, in others comely 
and so on. JMo one is believed to possess the power within himselt, 
hut with the aid of the “ medicine” anyone can perform the same 
feats. One of the chief functions of this incarnation of mysticism is 
to detect criminals ; the manner in which it is done is both interesting 
and logical. 
