1802.3 
cup, filled with the confecrated liquor, is 
given him. If it produce no effeét, he is 
acquitted ; if, on the other hand, he finks 
under it, the firft fymptom produced by 
the poifonous liquor is a fignal for the 
multitude to fall upon the devoted vitim, 
and to tear him in pieces. Thisis the 
only method of punifhment made ufe of in 
Congo. The fcattered limbs are after- 
“wards colle€ted, and faftened to a palm- 
tree, where they remain till they are de- 
voured by birds of prey. 
The priefts refufe, if they think proper, 
this fort of trial, and fubftitute in its 
{tead that by fire, which confifts in hold- 
ing in the hand a burning coal: if it 
leaves no trace behind ‘it, the accufed goes 
away in triumph; he is led to his houfe 
with great folemnity, and there is carried 
before him the idol by which it is fup- 
pofed he was protetted. The method 
made ufe of by the priefts to preferve the 
fkin from the a&tion of the fire, is not 
known ; but it is certain that they have 
the art of rendering it incombuttible by 
means of fome previous preparation, 
which, in the cafe of thofe whom they are 
cifpofed to favour, is always recurred to; 
while others, who are objects of their 
hatred, are devoted to a cruel death. 
It fometimes happens, that a man is 
‘obliged to fabmit to trial for a crime com- 
mitted at the diftance of twenty leagues or 
more from the place of his refidence, 
although he is able to give fatisfac- 
tory proofs of an alibi. Such is their 
fuperftition, that they are firmly per- 
fuaded, a perfon may difpatch an evil 
wind, or f{pirit, and by it be guilty of the 
death of a perfon at any given place. All 
fudden deaths afford grounds to the priefts 
for putting perfons on their trial, by which 
they either fatisfy their avarice, in the 
prefents taken from thofe whom they ac- 
quit, or their revenge, in the death of 
others who are objects of their hatred. 
Whenever a man of certain rank or for- 
tune dies, his children are obliged to fub- 
mit to trial, to wafh away the fufpicion 
of having, by any means, contributed to 
his death. - 
They confult the Gangas when they 
ftand in need of rain or wind The 
former is feldom wanted, the earth being 
fupplied with moifture by the abundant 
dews: but they have often recourfe to 
their deities to obtain wind, to hafien the 
arrival of their veffels. 
On thefe occafions the prieft fhuts him- 
felf in his ftvraw-built hut, to which he 
communicates a fort of tremulous motion, 
while he lights a fire within, the fmoke 
MonrHiy Mac, No. 87. 
Manners and Cuftoms of the Inhabitants of Cong. 
435 
of which paffes through the joinings of the 
building. He then returns to the gaping 
multitude, whofe admiration leads them 
to believe, that the motion and fmoke 
were the effects of a fupernatural power, 
The impoftor takes care not to expofe 
him(elf and -his art: he never makes his 
divinity give an anfwer till he has care- 
fully confulted the afpet of the atmofpherey 
and never promifes wind or rain till there 
is almoft a-certainty that they will happen. 
For his pains he receives valuable pre- 
fents, and gives, in return, to his em- 
ployer, a confecrated feather taken from 
the tail of a parroquet. 
The huts of thefe people are fimple, 
and, though devoid of almoft all the con- 
veniences .of life, they are not difagree~ 
able, being made of varnifhed ftraw or 
reeds. ‘The roof is compofed of dried 
leaves of the palm-tree, which are impe- 
netrable to the rain. The houfes of the 
rich have wooden-doors, but windows of 
any kind are rarely feen. 
Few of the Blacks know the ufe of 
tables or chairs. They commonly fit on 
a carpet, fpread on the ground, if their 
fortune will enable them to go to the ex- 
pence of it. The rich have feverai cote 
tages: one is devoted to culinary pur- 
pofes: to each of the women a feparate 
houfe is allotted for herfelf and children; 
feveral are kept for the ule of the mafter, 
The women’s apartments are feparated 
from the reft, into which nobody but 
themfelves are allowed to enter. 
Thefe habitations, although very fimple 
in their conftruction, and deftituie of all 
ornaments, are neverthelefs well adapted 
for the purpofes to which they are ap- 
plied, and to the climate of the country, 
They ferve as a fhelter againft the rain 
and wind, and are made fufficiently ftrong 
to be converted into wareboufes for all 
kinds of European merchandize. 
The Congoefe do not reckon more than 
one city in their kingdom, which they call 
Banze, or Banza; it is the capital of the 
country. Jn {peaking of other cities, they 
fay Banze-Malembe, Barze-Loango ; by 
.this they mark the refidence of the King 
of thofe realms. They have many vil- 
Jages, which are nothing more than aflem- 
-blages of the fame kind of huts that have 
been. defcribed. » Thefe are commonly 
fituated in the mia of large woods of 
palm trees; near lakes or confiderable 
rivers: they have no wide ftreets, but 
narrow roads, or mere paths, which lead 
from one habitation to another. 
The Blacks of Congo go almot naked, 
but the few articles of drefs which they 
3L make 
