Fetichism in West Africa; forty years' observation of native customs and superstitions . M. dinner at his boarding-house to hisdwelling-place, observed that a small figure was walking onone side of the road, keeping pace with him. He accostedit, Who are you? There was no answer; only the figurekept on walking, advancing and retreating before him. Also, a few nights later, a Negro clerk of a white tradermet this small being on that very road, and near the spotwhere the Frenchman had met it, and it began to chase theNegro. He ran, and came frightened to his employers oflfice,and told him what ha
Fetichism in West Africa; forty years' observation of native customs and superstitions . M. dinner at his boarding-house to hisdwelling-place, observed that a small figure was walking onone side of the road, keeping pace with him. He accostedit, Who are you? There was no answer; only the figurekept on walking, advancing and retreating before him. Also, a few nights later, a Negro clerk of a white tradermet this small being on that very road, and near the spotwhere the Frenchman had met it, and it began to chase theNegro. He ran, and came frightened to his employers oflfice,and told him what had happened. His employer did notbelieve him, laughed at his fears, and told him he was nottelling the truth. The very next night the Frenchman, thetrader, and other white men and Negro women were sit-ting in conversation. The trader told the story of his clerk,whereupon the Frenchman said, Your clerk did not lie; hetold the truth. I have myself met that small being two orthree times, but I made no effort to catch it. The womentold him of the comb-ornament which Asiki were believed to. TALES OF FETICH BASED ON FACT 301 wear, and of the pride with which Asiki regarded it, and thevalue it would be to any one who could obtain it. Then theFrenchman replied, As the little being is so small, the verynext time I see it I will try to catch it and bring it here,so that you can see it and know that this story is actuallytrue. On a subsequent night they two — the Frenchman and thetrader — went out to see whether they could meet the did not meet with it that night; but a few eveningslater the Frenchman went alone, and met the Isiki near theplace where it had first been seen. The Frenchman rantoward it and tried to catch it; but it being very agileeluded his grasp. But, though he failed to seize its body,he succeeded in catching hold of its comb, and snatched itaway, and ran rapidly with it toward his house. It did notconsist of any hard material as a real comb, but was made o
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Keywords: ., bookcentury1900, bookdecade1900, bookpublishernewyo, bookyear1904
