Fetichism in West Africa; forty years' observation of native customs and superstitions . em. In cuttingthe white man from their ivory, they had cut themselves fromthe white mans rum. A judicious expenditure of demijohnsin proper quarters generally enabled Ukuku to revoke hisown law. Then, perhaps, the white man would make someslight concession. I had an experience of this kind in the Benita country in1868. I had been there several years. There was growth inthe desire for the good things that money can buy, but wagesand prices had remained unchanged. I was obtaining all Ineeded of both labor an
Fetichism in West Africa; forty years' observation of native customs and superstitions . em. In cuttingthe white man from their ivory, they had cut themselves fromthe white mans rum. A judicious expenditure of demijohnsin proper quarters generally enabled Ukuku to revoke hisown law. Then, perhaps, the white man would make someslight concession. I had an experience of this kind in the Benita country in1868. I had been there several years. There was growth inthe desire for the good things that money can buy, but wagesand prices had remained unchanged. I was obtaining all Ineeded of both labor and food without difficulty. Had I hadany difficulty, I should naturally have offered more induce-ment. I was not aware that there was any discontent. Noneof my employees had asked for a rise, nor had people, in sell-ing their produce, complained of the price I gave. Suddenly, one morning, a company of about twenty men,led by an ambitious heathen whose manner had always beendictatorial to me and to whom I had shown no favor, filedinto the pubUc meeting-room of our mission-house. I knew. FETICHISM —A GOVERNMENT 149 them all; none were in my employ, nor were any of themChristians. As if they thought it was hopeless to attempt toobtain anything from me by petition or respectful request,they seemed to have decided to stake all on a demand andthreat. They suddenly and harshly began, We ve come toorder you to change prices. Naturally I felt nettled and re-phed that I saw no reason why I should take orders fromthem. They rose in a rage and said, Then we 11 put Ukukuon you — (1) no one shall work for you; (2) no one shall sellyou food or drink; (3) you shall not go yourself to yourspring; and with a savage yell they left the house. In-stantly a great terror fell on the native members of my house-hold. Those who were heathen dropped work and went to theirvillages. Those who were Christians came to me distressed,saying that tliey desired to obe}^ me, but they feared the inter-dict. I r
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Keywords: ., bookcentury1900, bookdecade1900, bookpublishernewyo, bookyear1904
