434 Manners and Cuftoms of the Inhabitants of Congo. June i, 
arranged, and may at all times be vifited 
by the fudents, M. Gottlimg is Pro- 
feffor of Chemifiry. His experiments re- 
lative to the fhining of phofphorus, and 
his Elements of Chemiftry, will enfure 
him a lafting ‘reputation. Profeffor Vogt 
has an excellent apparatus for the eluci- 
dation of natural philofophy. He edits a 
Phyfical Fournal, in which all the new 
diicoveries in Germany, and other coun- 
tries; are carelully recorded. 
eae 
For the Monthly Magazine. 
A DESCRIPTION of the MANNERS and 
customs of fhe INHABITANTS of thofe 
PARTS of CONGO that aré FREQUENT-~ 
ED by EUROPEANS.* 
HE people wko inhabit the coaft of 
Africa, from Cape Lopez-Gonzalo 
to the Cape of Good Hope, are idolators. 
Chriftianity has attempted in vain to pe- 
netrate this traé&t of country. The love 
‘of novelty at firft induced the Blacks to 
admit the Miffionaries, but their fuccefs 
das been very trifling. The Portuguefe, 
notwithftanding their advantages, by hav- 
ing fettlements in the country, have fo 
much the lefs fucceeded in propagating 
their faith, as the natives have conceived 
an averfion or diftruft of them. 
The inhabitants have their great and 
{mall idols. The protection of the former 
is entrufted to prielis, who are called 
Ganga’m Lambi. Lambi is the Divinity, 
and Ganga’m is the prieft or jugler. 
Thefe ifnages vary in their proportions ; 
their height is from one foot to two and a 
half, and the (culpture is very fuperior to 
any thing that could te expected from 
people fo far from a ftate of civilization. 
‘Thefe divinities are always armed with a 
lauce, or blade of a knife, withour the 
fhaft ; the head is covered with a high- 
pointed bonnet, and they feem to repre- 
dent avenging deities. 
There is a remarkable circumftance at- 
taching to thefe images, which, if it could 
be properly invettigated, would certainly 
Jead to a more accurate knowledge of the 
hiftory of the country: they are not made 
to refemble the African figure; their nofe 
is exceflively large, and of an aquiline 
‘fhape, a character that is totally different 
‘from that which diftinguifhes the people 
of this quarter of the world. 
The priefis, famous for the art of 
* Voyage a la cOte occidentale D’ Afrique 
fait dans les années 1786 et 1787. Par L. 
Degrandpre, Officier de la Kiarine Frangaife, 
ornes de yues, cartes, et du Pian de la Cita- 
Melle dy Cap. An, ix.—I8o1, : 
juggling, contrive to keep the people in 
perpetual dread of their deities, whom 
they reprefent as terrible and revengeful, 
and whofe anger can be only appealed by 
prefents which, though offered to the idols, 
the priefts convert to their own ufe. 
The fmaller idols are the heufehoid 
gods, which the natives denominate K7fy, 
and are very fimilar to images of the fame 
defcription made ute of in many ‘other 
parts of the glose. Of thefe they havea 
great number, which prefide over all the 
concerns of life, and particulariy at their 
meals. The height of the image is never 
greater than fix, nor lefs than three, inches. 
The face is the only part of the idols that 
can be looked on without difeutt., They 
are drefled with a high-crowned bonnet, 
ornamented with a confecrated feather ; 
many fmail pieces of dirfy cloth are at- 
tached to the neck, making a fort of gar- 
ment, and the whole is encrufted with a 
red powder or paint. 
When a Black eats or drinks, his fer- 
vant firft taftes the food, a precaution 
which every matter takes againft the jea- 
loufies- of his domeftics. He then begins 
his repaft, and to fortify -himfelf againtt 
the fpells of fecret or foreign enemies, he 
fills his mouth with the food prefented to 
him, and after having well chewed it, 
fpits it againft the idol, which, thus 
daubed, prefides during the whole meal. 
He does’ the fame with his palm-wine, 
and then feels himfelf fecure from the 
effets of poifon. The little image, al- 
ways moiftened in this manner, and never 
clean or neat, is, ‘before the end of the 
repaft, rendered exceedingly filthy, which, 
however, among the Blacks of Congo, is 
not confidered as an unfeemly appearance, 
fince nafiinefs is cherifhed by them. Thefe 
idols are thought to have confiderable in- 
fluence over the health of their devotees : 
the care of them is committed toa juggier, 
called Ganga’m Kiffy, who, among thefe 
people, bears a fimilar character to that of 
a phyfician among Europeans. 
They confult the great gods on all im- 
portant occafions—on the approach of 
imminent danger—for fafety during along 
voyage—and on the trials of acculed per- 
fons. In criminal caufes they fometimes 
make ufe of the fame methods as were 
formerly employed by our anceftors to 
come at the truth. When a great offence 
has been committed, he who lies under 
fulpicion, goes before the priefts, and in 
the prefence of a great number of people, 
demands the trial by poifon, which they 
denominate {wallowing the idol. This re- 
queft is immediately granted, anda cocoa- 
cups, 
% 
ie 
