Umkululu, the first man, had his origin in a valley of this world, where there was a bed of reeds. He sprung from the bed of reeds, and a woman (a wife) sprung from the same bed of reeds after him. They had but one name, that of Umkulunkulu; and men sprung from Umkulunkulu by generation. All things, as well as Umkulunkulu, sprung from a bed of reeds; everything, both animals and corn coming into being with him. He looked upon the sun when it was finished, and said: “There is a torch which shall give you light, that you may see.” He looked on the cattle, and said: “There are cattle; be ye broken off, and let the cattle be your food; eat their flesh and drink their milk.” He looked on wild animals, and said: “That is such an animal; that is an elephant; that is a buffalo.” He looked on the fire, and said: “Kindle it, and cook, and warm yourself, and eat meat when in has been dressed by the fire.” He looked on all things, and said: “So-and-so is the name of everything.” Among the Basutos there is a legend that men and animals came from the interior of the earth, out of an immense hole. GOOD AND BAD SPIRITS. Between the Supreme Being and man, the Africans believe that there are a vast number of spirits. They are not afraid of God, but they have an intense dread of these spirits. They believe that God is too far off to hurt them much, but they believe that the world of spirits is around them. Even when God does send lightning or thunder, for instance, it is because the spirits bring them down. To their imaginations these spirits people the darkness with hideous shapes, poison the light with their presence, sweep over the plains in the forms of wild beasts, fill the forests, inhabit trees, live on the tops of the mountains, and in the secluded recesses of caves and valleys; make their homes in the sea, the lakes and the rivers; the air is full of them, the earth teems with them; fire is not free from their presence, and human beings are possessed by them. To them, also, they attribute the sorrows and the sufferings, the misfortunes, and, in most cases, the deaths of mankind. [Illustration: THE PRIESTS’ TRICK OF RAISING AN IDOL OUT OF THE EARTH.] As elsewhere, there are men who take advantage of the superstitious condition of their fellow countrymen, and make gain of it. Three priests once assured their followers that they could raise an idol out of the ground, and would do it the next day. During the night they dug a hole, in which they placed a lot of dried peas and an idol’s head and shoulders. They covered all up carefully. Just before daylight they took some water and poured it upon the peas. The people gathered early in the morning to see the priests keep their promise. They came forth, and, as the peas gradually swelled, began their incantations and murmurings, and, of course, very soon the idol appeared, and the deluded people were abundantly satisfied. THE SPIRIT IN THE INSECT.