in the Congo River . 
3 21 
The “ great ugly wizards ” are “ sent martyrs to 
the devil ” on all possible occasions. One father 
soundly belabours one of these “ wicked Magi ” 
with the cord of his order, invoking all the while 
the aid of Saint Michael and the rest of the saints : 
he enters the “ hellish tabernacle, arming himself 
frequently with the sign of the cross,” but he 
retreats for fear of a mischief from the “ poor 
deluded pagans,”—showing that he is, after all, but 
an “ unbelieving Thomas.” On the other hand, 
the wizards solidly revenged themselves by killing 
and eating Father Philip da Salesia. And the 
deluded ones must have found some difficulty in 
discovering the superiority of exotic over indige¬ 
nous superstitions. When there is a calm at sea 
the sailors stick their patron against the mast, and 
kneeling before him say, “ Saint Antony, our 
countryman, you shall be pleased to stand there, 
till you have given us a fair wind to continue our 
voyage ! ” A certain bishop of Congo makes the 
sign of the cross upon a “ banyan-tree,” whereupon 
it immediately died, like the fig-tree cursed by our- 
Saviour. A ship is “ sunk in a trice ” for not 
having a chaplain on board her. The missioners 
strongly recommend medals, relics, Agni-Dei, 
and palm-leaves consecrated on Palm Sundays. 
They rage furiously against and they flog those 
who wear “ wizards’ mats,” against magic cords 
fastened round young children as amulets, and 
II. . y 
