[Purchas adds in a marginal note:
“He told me in a conference with him that one of these Pongos took a negro boy of his, which lived a month with them, for they hurt not those which they surprise at unawares, except they look on them, which he [the boy] avoided. He said, their height was like a man’s, but their bigness twice as great. I saw the negro boy.
“What the other monster [the Engeco] should be he hath forgotten to relate, and these papers came to my hand since his death, which otherwise, in my often conferences, I might have learned. Perhaps he meaneth the Pigmy Pongo-killers mentioned.”]
[Hunting Dogs.]
The Morombes170 use to hunt with their country-dogs, and kill many kinds of little beasts, and great store of pheasants. But their dogs be dumb, and cannot bark at all.171 They hang wooden clappers about their necks, and follow them by rattling of the clappers. The huntsmen have Petes [whistles], which they whistle their dogs withall. These dogs, in all this country, are very little, with prickt ears, and are for the most part red and dun. The Portugal mastiff dog, or any other great dog, are greatly esteemed because they do bark. I have seen a dog sold up in the country for thirty pounds.
[The Maramba Fetish.]172
In the town of Mani Mayombe is a fetish called Maramba, and it standeth in a high basket made like a hive, and over it a great house. This is their house of religion, for they believe only in him, and keep his laws, and carry his reliques always with them. They are for the most part witches, and use their witchcraft for hunting and killing of elephants and fishing, and helping of sick and lame men, and to forecast journeys, whether they shall speed well or evil. By this Maramba are all thefts and murders tried, for in this country they use sometimes to bewitch one another to death. And when any dieth, their neighbours are brought before the Maramba; and if it be a great man that dieth, the whole town cometh to swear. The order is, when they come before Maramba, to kneel and clasp Maramba in their arms, and to say: Emeno, eyge bembet Maramba, that is, “I come to be tried, O Maramba.”173 And if any of them be guilty, they fall down stark dead for ever. And if any of them that swear hath killed any man or child before, although it may be twenty years past, he presently dieth. And so it is for any other matter.
From this place, as far as it is to Cape de Lopo Gonsalves, they are all of this superstition. I was twelve months in this place, and saw many die after this sort.
These people be circumcised,174 as they are through all Angola, except the kingdom of Congo, for they be Christians. And those that will be sworn to Maramba175 come to the chief Gangas, which are their priests or men-witches, as boys of twelve years of age, and men and women. Then the Gangas put them into a dark house, and there they remain certain days with very hard diet. After this they are let abroad, and commanded not to speak for certain days, what injury soever they be offered, so that they suffer great penury before they be sworn. Lastly, they are brought before Maramba, and have two marks cut upon their shoulders before, like a half moon, and are sworn by the blood that falleth from them, that they shall be true to him. They are forbidden some one kind of flesh and some one kind of fish, with many other toys [trifles]. And if they eat any of this forbidden meat they presently sicken, and never prosper.176 They all carry a relique of Maramba in a little box, and hang it about their necks, under their left arms.
The Lord of this province of Mayombe hath the ensign or shape of Maramba carried before him, and whithersoever he goeth; and when he sitteth down it is set before him; and when he drinketh his palm-wine the first cup is poured at the foot of the Mokiso or idol, and when he eateth anything, the first piece he throweth towards his left hand, with enchanting words.
[Sette.]
From Cape Negro northward is a great Lord called Mani Seat,177 which has the greatest store of elephants’ teeth of any Lord in the kingdom of Longo, for his people practice nothing else but to kill elephants. And two of these negroes will easily kill an elephant with their darts. And here is great store of logwood.
[Mani Kesock.]178
There is another Lord, to the eastward, which is called Mani Kesock, and he is eight days’ journey from Mayombe. Here I was with my two negro boys to buy elephants’ hairs and tails. And in a month I bought twenty thousand, which I sold to the Portugals for thirty slaves, and all my charges borne.
From this place I sent one of my negro boys to Mani Seat with a looking-glass. He did esteem it much, and sent me four elephants’ teeth (very great) by his own men, and desired me to cause the Portugals, or any other ship, to come to the northward of the Cape Negro, and he would make fires where his landing place is, for there was never yet any Portugal or other stranger in that place.179
[Pygmy Elephant-Hunters.]
To the north-east of Mani Kesock are a kind of little people called Matimbas,180 which are no bigger than boys of twelve years old, but are very thick, and live only upon flesh, which they kill in the woods with their bows and darts. They pay tribute to Mani Kesock, and bring all their elephants’ teeth and tails to him. They will not enter into any of the Marombos181 houses, nor will suffer any to come where they dwell; and if by chance any Maramba, or people of Longo [Loango], pass where they dwell, they will forsake that place and go to another.
The women carry bow and arrows, as well as the men, and one of these will walk in the woods alone, and kill the Pongos [gorillas] with their poisoned arrows. I have asked the Marombos whether the elephant sheddeth his teeth or no, and they say no! But sometimes they find their teeth in the woods, but they find their bones also.
[Poison Ordeals.]
When any man is suspected of any offence he is carried before the king, or before Mani Bomma [Mamboma],182 which is, as it were, a judge under the king. And if it be upon matter that he denieth, and cannot be proved but by their oath, then the suspected person is thus sworn: they have a kind of root which they call Imbondo [mbundu].183
This root is very strong, and is scraped into water. The virtue of this root is, that if they put too much of it into water, the person that drinketh it cannot void urine, and so it striketh up into the brain, as though he were drunk, and he falleth down, as though he were dead. And those that fall are counted as guilty, and are punished.184
[Purchas adds, in a marginal note:—
“He told me that this root makes the water as bitter as gall (he tasted it), and one root will serve to try one hundred. They which have drunk and made water are cleared, before which, if dizziness take them, they cry: Undoke, Undoke,185 and presently execute them. See my Relations, b. 7 c. 10, which I writ from his mouth.186 Neither may this be ascribed to the virtue of the herb, but to the vice of the Devil, a murderer and his instrument, the Ganga or priest.187 And therefore that conjecture seems unprobable. For how could an ordinary trial of life where are so many so perilous; and therefore curious (more than) spectators, nor perceive this in so long and frequent experience, which costs so many their dearest friends their dearest life? I think rather that this was the transcriber’s conjecture. I remember no such scruple in his narrations to me. Who knows not the Devil’s ambition of Deity, and cruel misanthropy or man-hating? This is his apish imitation of Divinity, and those rites prescribed for trial in the case of jealousy, Numbers, v.188 In Guinea like trial is made by salt, and also by the Fetisseroes pot. In Benomotapa by