The Local Preachers' Magazine and Christian Family Record: For the Year ...

food, and the cooking of food, the superlative of noa. The idea now, for the first time, darted with irreresistible force into the mind of Romatane; and he perceived at once the excessive folly of making a god and cooking food of one and the same tree, thus uniting two opposite extremes, the moa and the noa. The astonished chief appeared for some time lost in wonder. At length he retired, and spent the whole night in conversation with the teachers and chiefs from Aitutaki about the wonderful truths he had heard, frequently rising up and stamping with astonishment that he should have been deluded so long, and expressing his determination never again to worship his idol gods. 'Eyes, it is true,' said he, they have; but wood cannot see; ears they have, but wood cannot hear.'

"Very early the following day, the teachers came to us with this pleasing intelligence; and in a subsequent conversation with the chief, he expressed to us his full determination to demolish his maraes (temples), to burn his idols, and to commence immediately erecting a house for the worship of Jehovah.". Williams's Missionary Enterprises, pp. 84-86.

AFRICAN MAGICIANS.

Of paramount consideration is the power held by the magician (Mganga), who rules the minds of the kings as did the old popes of Europe. They, indeed, are a curse to the traveller; for if it suits their inclinations to keep him out of the country, they have merely to prognosticate all sorts of calamitiesas droughts, famines, or wars-in the event of his setting eyes on the soil, and the chiefs, people, and all, would believe them; for, as may be imagined, with men unenlightened, supernatural and imaginary predictions work with more force than substantial reasons. Their implement of divination, simple it may appear, is a cow's or an antelope's horn (uganga), which they stuff with magic powder, also called uganga. Stuck into the ground in front of the village, it is supposed to have sufficient power to ward off the attacks of an enemy.

By simply holding it in the hand,

the magician pretends he can discover anything that has been stolen or lost; and instances have been told of its dragging four men after it with irresistible impetus up to a thief, when it belaboured the culprit and drove him out of his senses. So imbued are the natives minds with a belief in the power of charms, that they pay the magician for sticks, stones, or mud, which he has doctored for them. They believe certain flowers held in the hand will conduct them to anything lost; as also that the voice of certain wild animals, birds or beasts, will ensure them good luck, or warn them of danger. With the utmost complacency our sable brother builds a dwarf hut in his fields, and places some grain on it to propitiate the evil spirit, and suffer him to reap the fruits of his labours, and this too they call their uganga or church.

These are a few of the more innocent alternatives the poor negroes resort to in place of a "Saviour." They have also many other and more horrible devices. For instance, in times of tribulation, the magician, if he ascertains a war is projected by inspecting the blood and bones of a fowl which he has flayed for that purpose, flays a young child, and, having laid it lengthwise on a path, directs all the warriors, on proceeding to battle, to step over his sacrifice, and ensure themselves victory. Another these extra-barbarous devices takes place when a chief wishes to make war on his neighbour, by his calling in a magician to discover a propitious time for commencing. The doctor places a large earthen vessel, half full of water, over a fire, and over its mouth a grating of sticks, whereon he lays a small child and a fowl side by side, and covers them over with a second large earthen vessel, just like the first, only inverted, to keep the steam in when he sets fire below, cooks for a certain period of time, and then looks to see if his victims are still living or dead; when, should they be deal, the war must be deferred, but, otherwise, commenced at once.

are not

These extremes, however, often resorted to, for the natives are usually content with simpler means, such as flaying a goat, instead of a

child, to be walked over; while, to prevent any evil approaching their dwellings, a squashed frog, or any other such absurdity, when placed on the track, is considered a specific.

As his father ever did, so does he. He works his wife, sells his children, enslaves all he can lay hands upon, and, unless when fighting for the property of others, contents himself with drinking, singing, and dancing like a baboon, to drive dull care away. A few only make cotton cloth, or work in wood, iron, copper, or salt; their rule being to do as little as possible, aud to store up nothing beyond the necessities of the next season, lest their chiefs or neighbours should covet and take it from them.

Slavery, I may add, is one great cause of laziness, for the masters become too proud to work, lest they should be thought slaves themselves. In consequence of this, the women look after the household work-such as brewing, cooking, grinding corn, making pottery and baskets, aud taking care of the house and the children, besides helping the slaves whilst cultivating, or even tending the cattle sometimes. Captain Speke's Journal of the Discovery of the Source of the Nile; Introduction.

DUTY OF PREACHERS.

"Take heed of growing remiss in your work. Take pains while you live. Think not that, after a while, you may relax and go over your old stock (of sermons). The scriptures still afford new things to those who search them. Continue searching. How can you expect God's blessing, or your people's observance, if you are careless ? Be studious not to offer that which costs nothing. Take pains that you may find out acceptable words. Let all your performance smell of the lamp. This will engage the attention of your people. Feed the flock of God which is among you. Feed the ignorant with knowledge, the careless with admonition, the wandering with direction, and the mourning with comfort." -Memoirs, &c., of Matthew Henry, by Sir John B. Williams. 1865, p. 150.

Edition

"Study close," said Mr. Henry (in an address to young ministers), "study close; especially make the Bible your study. There is no knowledge which I am more desirous to increase in than that. Men get wisdom by books; but wisdom towards God is to be gotten out of God's book; and that by digging. Most people do but walk over the surface of it, and pick up, here and there, a flower. Few dig into it; they are too lazy. Read over other books to help you to understand that book. Fetch your prayers and sermons from thence. The volume of inspiration is a full fountain, ever overflowing, and hath always something new."—Ibid. p. 293.

"Value your souls, and you will value your time. Whatever you do,

take heed of idleness. That is the devil's anvil, on which he hammers out many temptations. Do not lose the morning."

"And he practised as well as taught. Like his divine Master, he often rose 'a great while before day.' He was commonly in his study at five, and sometimes at four. There he remained till seven or eight. After family worship, and some slight refreshment, he returned till noon; and oftentimes again, after dinner, till four in the afternoon. He then visited the sick, or his friends, or attended to other business. In the evening, after his family were dismissed, and before he yielded himself to sleep, he again retired to his study.”—Ibid. pp. 232—3.

Miscellaneous.

HOW TO STUDY.-Take nothing for granted which you cannot verify for yourself. It may be so or it may not. Investigate, examine, dissect, analyse, and do not rest until you have proved the point. It may consume time in the present but will save time in the future.

THE most essential point in our intercourse with children is to be perfectly true ourselves. Every other interest ought to be sacrificed to that of truth. When we in any way deceive a child, we not only show him a pernicious example-we also lose our own influence over him for ever.

AFRICAN MAGICIANS. Of paramount consideration is the power held by the magician (Mganga), who rules the minds of the kings as did the old popes of Europe. They, indeed, are a curse to the traveller; for if it suits their inclinations to keep him out of the country, they have merely to prognosticate all sorts of calamitiesas droughts, famines, or wars-in the event of his setting eyes on the soil, and the chiefs, people, and all, would believe them; for, as may be imagined, with men unenlightened, supernatural and imaginary predictions work with more force than substantial reasons. Their implement of divination, simple it may appear, is a Cow's or an antelope's horn (uganga), which they stuff with magic powder, also called uganga. Stuck into the ground in front of the village, it is supposed to have sufficient power to ward off the attacks of an enemy.

By simply holding it in the hand,

the magician pretends he can discover anything that has been stolen or lost; and instances have been told of its dragging four men after it with irresistible impetus up to a thief, when it belaboured the culprit and drove him out of his senses. So imbued are the natives* minds with a belief in the power of charms, that they pay the magician for sticks, stones, or mud, which he has doctored for them. They believe certain flowers held in the hand will conduct them to anything lost; as also that the voice of certain wild animals, birds or beasts, will ensure them good luck, or warn them of danger. With the utmost complacency our sable brother builds a dwarf hut in his fields, and places some grain on it to propitiate the evil spirit, and suffer him to reap the fruits of his labours, and this too they call their uganga or church.

These are a few of the more innocent alternatives the poor negroes resort to in place of a "Saviour." They have also many other and more horrible devices. For instance, in times of tribulation, the magician, if he ascertains a war is projected by inspecting the blood and bones of a fowl which he has flayed for that purpose, flays a young child, and, having laid it lengthwise on a path, directs all the warriors, on proceeding to battle, to step over his sacrifice, and ensure themselves victory. Another of these extra-barbarous devices takes place when a chief wishes to make war on his neighbour, by his calling in a magician to discover a propitious time for commencing. The doctor places a large earthen vessel, half full of water, over a fire, and over its mouth a grating of sticks, whereon he lays a small child and a fowl side by side, and covers them over with a second large earthen vessel, just like the first, only inverted, to keep the steam in when he sets fire below, cooks for a certain period of time, and then looks to see if his victims are still living or dead; when, should they be deal, the war must be deferred, but, otherwise, commenced at once.

These extremes, however, are not often resorted to, for the natives are usually content with simpler means, such as flaying a goat, instead of a

child, to be walked over; while, to prevent any evil approaching their dwellings, a squashed frog, or any other such absurdity, when placed on the track, is considered a specific.

As his father ever did, so does he. He works his wife, sells his children, enslaves all he can lay hands upon, and, unless when fighting for the property of others, contents himself with drinking, singing, and dancing like a baboon, to drive dull care away. A few only make cotton cloth, or work in wood, iron, copper, or salt; their rule being to do as little as possible, and to store up nothing beyond the necessities of the next season, lest their chiefs or neighbours should covet and take it from them.

Slavery, I may add, is one great cause of laziness, for the masters become too proud to work, lest they should be thought slaves themselves. In consequence of this, the women look after the household work-such as brewing, cooking, grinding corn, making pottery and baskets, aud taking care of the house and the children, besides helping the slaves whilst cultivating, or even tending the cattle sometimes. - Captain Speke's Journal of the Discovery of the Source of the Nile; Introduction.

DUTY OF PREACHERS.

"Value your souls, and you will value your time. Whatever you do, take heed of idleness. That is the devil's anvil, on which he hammers out many temptations. Do not lose the morning."

Miscellaneous.

food, and the cooking of food, the superlative of noa. The idea now, for the first time, darted with irreresistible force into the mind of Romatane; and he perceived at once the excessive folly of making a god and cooking food of one and the same tree, thus uniting two opposite extremes, the moa and the noa. The astonished chief appeared for some time lost in wonder. At length he retired, and spent the whole night in conversation with the teachers and chiefs from Aitutaki about the wonderful truths he had heard, frequently rising up and stamping with astonishment that he should have been deluded so long, and expressing his determination never again to worship his idol gods. Eyes, it is true,' said he, they have; but wood cannot see; ears they have, but wood cannot hear.'

By simply holding it in the hand,

the magician pretends he can discover anything that has been stolen or lost; and instances have been told of its dragging four men after it with irresistible impetus up to a thief, when it belaboured the culprit and drove him out of his senses. So imbued are the natives* minds with a belief in the power of charms, that they pay the magician for sticks, stones, or mud, which he has doctored for them. They believe certain flowers held in the hand will conduct them to anything lost; as also that the voice of certain wild animals, birds or beasts, will ensure them good luck, or warn them of danger. With the utmost complacency our sable brother builds a dwarf hut in his fields, and places some grain on it to propitiate the evil spirit, and suffer him to reap the fruits of his labours, and this too they call their uganga or church.

These are a few of the more innocent alternatives the poor negroes resort to in place of a "Saviour." They have also many other and more horrible devices. For instance, in times of tribulation, the magician, if he ascertains a war is projected by inspecting the blood and bones of a fowl which he has flayed for that purpose, flays a young child, and, having laid it lengthwise on a path, directs all the warriors, on proceeding to battle, to step over his sacrifice, and ensure themselves victory. Another of these extra-barbarous devices takes place when a chief wishes to make war on his neighbour, by his calling in a magician to discover a propitious time for commencing. The doctor places a large earthen vessel, half full of water, over a fire, and over its mouth a grating of sticks, whereon he lays a small child and a fowl side by side, and covers them over with a second large earthen vessel, just like the first, only inverted, to keep the steam in when he sets fire below, cooks for a certain period of time, and then looks to see if his victims are still living or dead; when, should they be deal, the war must be deferred, but, otherwise, commenced at once.

These extremes, however, are not often resorted to, for the natives are usually content with simpler means, such as flaying a goat, instead of a

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The Local Preachers' Magazine and Christian Family Record ..., Volumes 15-16