When hard pressed in war, and in danger of being utterly overthrown, in some parts of Africa, the people--like the king of Moab, who sacrificed his own son when the battle went against him, in order to move the compassion of his adversaries, or to inspire them with terror, or as a sacrifice to offended gods--will make horrible fetiches of human beings. Perhaps the most astounding instance of such a practice occurred in West Africa. The king of Bonny having been defeated in battle, retreated to his principal town, and finding that it was in imminent danger of being attacked, called together his magicians in order that they might aid him in repelling his enemies. They were equal to the emergency. The people were assembled in front of the principal gate of the town. Two holes were dug in the ground close to each other. The wizards then begun their operations, and when the people had been wrought up by their proceedings to a pitch of unreasoning excitement, so that they were ready to perpetrate any act no matter how horrible, the chief of the wizards pointed to a girl who was standing amongst the spectators. She was instantly seized, and, under his direction, her legs were thrust into the holes that had been prepared for this purpose, which were then filled up with earth so that she could not extricate herself from them. Then a number of men brought lumps of wet clay, which they built around her body in the form of a pillar, kneading them closely as they proceeded, until she was entirely covered over. This device produced the desired effect, for so terrified were the hostile tribes at what they regarded as an invincible fetich--or greegree, as the fetich is called in West Africa--that they dared not attack the town, and, like the kings of Israel and Judah, after the sacrifice of the king of Moab’s son, they withdrew from the further prosecution of the war, and returned to their homes. The clay pillar, with the body of the girl within it, stood for several years where it had been erected, and served effectually to preserve the town from being again attacked or in any way troubled by its enemies. STANLEY AND THE AFRICANS’ FEAR OF FETICH.