Home › Contents › Discovering a Witch

Discovering a Witch

HEN Du Chaillu was in round the sick man and beat drums and Africa, among the kettles close to his head; fire off guns tribe called Cam- close to his ears; sing, shout, and dance ma, he had a curi- all they can. This lasts till the poor felous experience low either dies or is better unless the with a doctor who operators become tired out first, for the was celebrated for Camma doctors either kill or cure. detecting evil Ishungui died. He left no property, spirits and healing the sick. and his brother buried him without a He says: Ishungui, the man coffin in a grave in the sand, so shallow who had faithfully taken care that, when I chanced upon it some days of my house, lay at death's door. after, I saw that the wild beasts had been He had gone out on a fishing there and eaten the corpse. The mournexcursion, caught cold, and had ing lasted but six days; and, as there now a lung fever. I knew when were no wives or property, so there was I saw him that he must die, and tried to no feast. The relatives of the deceased prepare his mind for the change. But his slept one night in his house, as a mark of friends by no means gave him up. They respect; and then all that remained was sent for a distinguished doctor, and under to discover the person who had bewitched his auspices began the infernal din with the dead man. For that a young man, which they seek to cure a dying man.

The Camma theory of disease is that Okamboo (the devil) has got into the sick Now this devil is only to be driven out with noise, and accordingly they surman. generally healthy, should die so suddenly in course of nature was by no means to be believed.

A canoe had been despatched up to the lake to bring down a great doctor. They と brought one of the chief's sons, a great about his person; and all these were rascal, who had been foremost in selling charmed, and had charms attached to me an idol, and who was an evident cheat. them. From each shoulder down to his When all was ready for the trial, I went hands was a white stripe, and one hand down to look at the doctor, who looked was painted quite white. To complete literally "like the devil." I never saw a this horrible array, he wore a string of more ghastly object. He had on a high head-dress of black feathers. His eyelids were painted red, and a red stripe, from little bells around his body.

He sat on a box or stool, before which stood another box containing charms. On