Stories of the gorilla country : Narrated for young people / By Paul Du Chaillu.

  • Paul du Chaillu
Date:
1897
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: Stories of the gorilla country : Narrated for young people / By Paul Du Chaillu. Source: Wellcome Collection.

Provider: This material has been provided by the Harvey Cushing/John Hay Whitney Medical Library at Yale University, through the Medical Heritage Library. The original may be consulted at the Harvey Cushing/John Hay Whitney Medical Library at Yale University.

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    ceremony of the mbola ivoga. Then the mourning be. gins. I think you will agree with me that the nchougou is a most extraordinary custom. After Ishungui had died, it became necessary to dis- cover the persons who had bewitched the dead man; for the Commi said, How is it that a young man, generally healthy, should die so suddenly? This \hey did not believe to be natural; hence they attributed his death to sorcerers, and were afraid that the sorcerers would kill other people. A canoe had been dispatched up to Lake Anengue to bring down a great doctor. They brought down one of Damagondai's sons, a great rascal. He had been fore- most in selling me the idol, or mbuiti of the slaves, of which I spoke to you, and he was an evident cheat. When all was ready for the trial, I went down to look at the doctor, who looked really diabolical. I never saw a more ugly-looking object. He had on a high head-dress of black feathers, ffis eyelids were painted red, and a red stripe, from the nose upward, divided his forehead into two parts; another stripe passed around his head. The face was painted white, and on each side of the mouth were two round red spots. About his neck hung a necklace of grass, and also a cord, which held a box against his breast. This little box is sacred, and contains spirits. A number of strips of leopard's skin, and of skin of other animals, crossed his breast, and were exposed about his person; and all these were charmed, and had charms attached to them. From each shoulder down to his hands was a white stripe, and one hand was painted quite white. To complete this horrible array, he wore around his body a string of little bells.