back to our house we looked about for wood suitable to
form paddles, not wishing to trust entirely to those with which Iguma
might supply us. We had no difficulty in finding an ample supply of
material for our purpose, although we thought it prudent not to begin
working it up until darkness should prevent the risk of what we were
about being discovered. We were thus employed when we heard a
tremendous noise proceeding from the house in which the king's wife lay
sick. On looking out we saw it surrounded by people, who were singing,
and shouting, and shrieking, and dancing, with all their might; some
beating tom-toms and drums; others blowing horns and shaking rattles,
all uniting in a hideous chorus. The object of this, Aboh told us, was
to drive out the evil spirit which was making the queen ill.

"It was a signal," he said, "that the fetish doctor, who had been so
long coming, was about to arrive, and that his canoe was probably seen
descending the river."

As we thought it prudent to keep out of the way of the people, we
remained in the house, although we would very gladly have got to a
distance to escape from the uproar. We had cooked our dinner and were
eating it, when Aboh, who had been to the door, came back and told us
that the doctor had arrived, and was beginning his incantations. As we
were curious to see what he was about, we went a short distance from the
house, where, remaining concealed behind a fence, we could observe what
was going forward without ourselves being seen. The doctor had dressed
himself up to look as hideous as possible. On his head he wore a huge
and lofty plume of black feathers drooping down on all sides; his face
was painted white, with red stripes over his eyes, and others in
different parts of his face. A case was suspended by a piece of rope
round his neck, which was also adorned by a necklace of human bones,
while a girdle of a similar description was fastened round his waist, to
which was suspended a sort of apron. He had taken his seat on a stool,
round which were hides and the horns of several animals, a leopard's
skin, and more cases containing charms. In one hand he held a rattle,
and in the other a wand. Near him stood two attendants, one beating a
small drum, and the other a couple of sticks. For sometime he continued
uttering all sorts of gibberish, which I do not think was intelligible
to any even of his hearers, while his attendants played on their
instrument