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21
"not seem able to say anything in reply to their questions.
"The old men then proceeded to warm their hands at the
"fire and knead her head, saying that the would soon
"bring her round. After they had done this for a few
"minutes she started up, and began to relate her experiences.
"saying that the spirit of a grandfather had taken her
" away up in the air to a place where a great many spirits
"were assembled at a cannibal feast. She recognised
"the spirits of many of her departed relatives. and friends
"among them, and received their kindly greetings. A
"fierce fight then arose among the spirits, those that were
"strangers to her wanting to kill and eat her,
"and her friends, who objected to that course, defending
"her. While the scrimmage was at its height some of
"the friendly spirits caught her up and carried her
"off, and at her request took her all round the
"district to see the spirits of numbers of her other
"departed relatives. These recounted to her some of the diabolical
"means by which they had accomplished or intended
" to accomplish their evil designs upon her and their
"friends, such as the mysterious neck-twisting etc.
"She mentioned many of the places she was at on her
"journey, some of them thirty and forty miles away.
"It was while she was on this tour she heard the old
"men calling her from the camp, and answered him
"from time to time." When Hislop subsequently taxed the woman with her duplicity, and endeavoured to explain publicly the whole trick, Courangie stuck manfully to her version, while the blacks indignantly repudiated the idea of their having been duped. The influence which this one old woman wielded, and the strange weird stories concerning her intercourse with the spirit-world, were extraordinary.
13. Manes worship. There are no such things as totems; indeed, there is no connection whatsoever between individuals and