CHAPTER XVII

NATIVE ORDEALS

TEHLANG (CAUGHT  NOSE)

This is one of the principal fetish swears known
throughout the Mendi country, and is practised by the
Tor-Tor Behmor, or country fashion man. It is a fetish
medicine alleged to be made from some part of the
head of the elephant, and mixed with country made
snuff. When the time for swearing arrives the medicine
man, called the Shundu-Moi, or swear man, builds a
miniature shed with a few sticks supporting a palm leaf
roof, in the town where the ceremony is to take place.
The medicine is kept in cow's horns, the horns being
stuck into the ground within this little shed ; generally
a couple of horns are used, and the persons to be sworn
give a fowl each and one or two kola nuts to the
medicine man. The throats of the fowls are then cut
and the blood is dropped upon the ground in front of
the horns. The kola nuts are then split and thrown
up to see which sides fall upon the ground ; if they
fall in pairs, that is upon the two inner or two outer
sides, the medicine man  may   give  at   once  a   decision