and the Mpongwe. 
85 
There is no novelty in the Mpongwe funeral 
rites; the same system prevails from the Oil 
Rivers to Congo-land, and extends even to the 
wild races of the interior. The corpse, being still 
sentient, is accompanied by stores of raiment, 
pots, and goats^ flesh ; a bottle is placed in one 
hand and a glass in the other, and, if the deceased 
has been fond of play, his draught-board and 
other materials are buried with him. The system 
has been well defined as one in which the “ ghost 
of a man eats the ghost of a yam, boiled in the 
ghost of a pot, over the ghost of a fire.” The 
body, after being stretched out in a box, is carried 
to a lonely place ; some are buried deep, others 
close to the surface. There is an immense show 
of grief, with keening and crocodiles’ tears, per¬ 
haps to benefit the living by averting a charge 
of witchcraft, which would inevitably lead to 
“Sassy” or poison-water. The wake continues 
for five days, when they “ pull the cry,” that is to 
say, end mourning. If these pious rites be neg¬ 
lected, the children incur the terrible reproach, 
“ Your father he be hungry.” The widow may 
re-marry immediately after “ living for cry,” and, if 
young and lusty, she looks out for another consort 
within the week. The slave is thrown out into 
the bush—no one will take the trouble to dig a 
hole for him. 
The industry of the Mpongwe is that of the 
