. The world's inhabitants; or, Mankind, animals, and plants; being a popular account of the races and nations of mankind, past and present, and the animals and plants inhabiting the great continents and principal islands. BONGO GRAVE. I again by the gabbling of a string of words huddled up one into commencement of a measure will always be with a lively air, andevery one, without distinction of age or sex, will begin yelling, screech-ing, and bellowing with all their strength ; gradually the singing ofthe voices will tone down, the rapid tune will moderate, and the songis hushed int
. The world's inhabitants; or, Mankind, animals, and plants; being a popular account of the races and nations of mankind, past and present, and the animals and plants inhabiting the great continents and principal islands. BONGO GRAVE. I again by the gabbling of a string of words huddled up one into commencement of a measure will always be with a lively air, andevery one, without distinction of age or sex, will begin yelling, screech-ing, and bellowing with all their strength ; gradually the singing ofthe voices will tone down, the rapid tune will moderate, and the songis hushed into a wailing, melancholy strain. Thus it sinks into a verydirge, such as might be chanted at the grave, and be interpreted asrepresentative of a leaden and a frowning sky, when all at once,without note of warning, there bursts forth the whole fury of the negrothroats. Dr. Schweinfurth believes that these orgies are designed toimitate in their violence the fury of the elements. The Bongo have no conception of a creator, or of any beneficial rulingower or spirit. The3^ have a great fear of ghosts, which are believed to 598 THE INHABITANTS OF Biirial. hannt every place, and witches,ReUffious generally old people, whoideas. consequently have a badtime of it. Loma denotes equallyluck and ill-luck, and they use thesame word for the Allah, whomthey hear the Mahometans call have no idea of immortality, orthe transmigration of bury the dead imme-diately after death, the bodies beingcompressed into the smallest compass,and legs brought up to the chin, etc.,and then sewn up in a sack made ofskins. The grave is about four feetdeep, and a side excavation is made atthe bottom to receive the sack, so thatthere may be no pressure of the earth thrown in upon the body. Thegraves close to the huts are marked by long forked branches, carved withnotches, and their points sharpened. The insane are bound hand andTreatment foot, and immersed in the river as a remedial meas
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Keywords: ., bookcentury1800, bookdecade1880, booksubjectcivilization, bookyea
