twenty fathoms of net and put it across the entrance they would save thousands upon thousands of fish; but instead of that, when they saw the fish, from a high ledge on one side, having the barnacles like a calf would have the teat of a cow in its mouth, they all got afraid, and said they were Sheeogues, and then ran away, except one old man. At the time the log struck the shore about 400 of the fish jumped on dry land, and were hopping about on the shore, so that some of them got into the water again, while others died and were carried away by the next tide, except two that the old man took home with him. When the old man came home, and his wife and sons saw the fish, they would not allow him to take them into the house, as they never saw the like before; they were no fish, but Sheeogues resembling fish. It was from this man that Mr Costello got them. When the log dried it appears the fish turned away to sea and scattered about. A man was fishing about half a mile from the shore in a canoe with hand-lines a few days after, and was looking out over the side, as the day was bright, and saw one of these fish swimming about THE BURIAL OF THE ATTA OF IGARALAND, AND BY CHARLES PARTRIDGE, THE Igaras are an important pagan race living on the left bank of the Niger, their territory extending formerly from the Anambra Creek (opposite Asaba) up to the Benue. They have never been conquered by any of the great tribes of Northern Nigeria, but for some generations they have profited by the civilising influences of Mohammedan traders-Nupes, Hausas, and Yorubas- - who have taught them, among other things, the use of clothes and musical instruments. Many of the Igaras profess both paganism and Mohammedanism, observing the feasts and fasts of both these religions. The people of Igaraland used to be on friendly terms with the people of Benin. At the death of an Atta ("Father"), or King of the Igaras, his eunuchs used to be sacrificed at the funeral, and the new Atta, having chosen six young men from among his people, used to send them over the river to Benin, where they were made eunuchs, the King of Benin keeping three, and sending three back to the Atta. Wives and slaves were also sacrificed at a royal funeral, the belief being that their spirits attended that of the deceased king on his entry into the next world, The present royal family are "strangers," but they have held the throne for many generations. The older race is represented by the Asadu, a hereditary title signifying Prime Minister. The Asadu calls himself "the Atta's Wife," and is a great landowner, having as much power as, if not more than, the Atta himself. Long ago, the older race voluntarily made over the throne to these "strangers." The first Atta was a woman named Ebblejjono, but her rule was so unsatisfactory that the Salic law was instituted, and still prevails.1 The royal The 1 In his 'British Nigeria,' pp. 283, 284, Lieutenant-Colonel Mockler-Ferryman tells an interesting "Romulus and Remus" legend of the first Atta. Igaras, I found, know this story, and some of the chiefs wear a small piece of leopard's skin sewn on to their gown or cap. VOL. CLXXVI.-NO. MLXVII. Y family is divided into four branches, each of which provides an Atta in turn. The capital is Idah, a town standing on а cliff about three hundred miles up the Niger, and commanding a magnificent view of river and forest-bush, extending to a serrated range of hills in the northern distance. Idah has been called "the Key of the Niger." The large Igara district, on the western boundary of which the town stands, is also called Idah. The district and town are always occupied by the reigning branch of the royal family, while the three other branches, not being permitted to live there, retreat into the interior. At the death of an Atta, then, a sort of "double twilight" takes place -the late reigning family, with all their chiefs, followers, and slaves, have to leave the homes in which many of them have been born and brought up, and immigrate to towns in the "bush," which they know only by name. At the same time, the new reigning family "come in," and their people settle in the compounds occupied by their forefathers four reigns ago. This division of power may have been arranged by the older race (the Asadu's family) in order that the "strangers should not become too powerful. At any rate, the system works well for the older race, for they always enjoy the same level of power, whereas the "strangers" are split up into four sections, jealous of one another, and powerful only when their turn comes round to provide an Atta. Besides their jealousy of the other branches, each separate branch is a hotbed of internal strife, for there are several candidates for the Attaship, and they wage war and depredations among themselves until the strongest or richest gains the throne. The following list of Attas was taken down in April 1902 from the lips of an aged chief, brother of the reigning Atta (Osejji Onapa) :— 1. Ebblejjono, a woman. No. 7. father of 4. Osheimi1 Obogo. 5. Amatsho, father of No. 9. 6. Akogo, father of No. 10. 7. Todadoga, father of No. 11. 8. Edoko Degbi. 9. Onoshei Mamei, father of No. 13. 10. Ekell Aga, father of No. 14. 11. Am Osejji, father of No. 15. 12. Aku Diba. 15. Osejji Onapa. An examination of this list shows how the quaternary system works. It has been compared with the evidence of other Igaras, but is probably incomplete and not quite accurate. After these prefatory remarks, I propose to describe the funeral of Atta Am Aga, 1 According to the rules of the Royal Geographical Society, the dipthong ei represents the sound of ei in the English eight or ey in the English they. and the "coronation" of his successor, Osejji Onapa. On 10th August 1901 I found myself in charge of the subdistrict of Idah, embracing, on the left bank of the Niger, as much of Igaraland as lies within Southern Nigeria, and, on the right bank, a similar portion of Kukurukuland. It was a new station, having been a political residency only since the preceding November. My two predecessors had been in charge nearly three and nearly seven months respectively. I was destined to spend nine months there. When I "took over," the political situation was as follows: Atta Am Aga had been dead many months (eighteen, it was said); his embalmed body was lying concealed in the royal compound at Idah, and his only son, Aku Agaru, had retreated inland to Keffi with most of his people. There had been several candidates for the throne, and fighting would have ensued had no British Commissioner been there. The election was in the hands of the PrincessRoyal, a clever old woman named Akwina, the eldest child of Atta Am Osejji, who would herself have been Atta but for their Salic law. The principal candidates were Osejji Onapa, Ondoma Korobad, and Aku Neddi. All bribed Akwina heavily, and at last, having got all she could out of them, she fixed upon Osejji Onapa. He was a fine, good-looking man, and the wealthiest of them all. Her choice had been ratified by the Government, and the disappointed candidates had been induced to come in from the bush and settle under the Commissioner's eye at Idah. Osejji Onapa could not, however, enjoy the title or power of Atta until after the burial of his predecessor; for the Igaras say, "We cannot have two kings above ground at the same time." During this interregnum, Osejji Onapa was called Adukina (Prince). He, too, had of course come in, and was living about a mile from the royal compound, being forbidden to enter until the dead body had received burial. The royal compound1 (a collection of huts surrounded by a wall) stands within stands within a large open space protected by earthen rampart and mud wall, and approached by two principal entrances-one from the waterside and the other from the Igara hinterland. Having been vacant for so many months, it presented a most dilapidated appearance: houses and walls and their thatched roofs were broken in many places, and the little courtyards and big open enclosure were overgrown with rank weeds and rushes. My instructions were to keep the political situation as quiet as possible on account of the then pending Aro expedition, but to endeavour to bring about the burial of the late, and the peaceful accession of the new, Atta. It was added that the Igaras would probably try to offer human sacrifices at the funeral. 1 Illustration given in 'Up the Niger,' by Captain A. F. Mockler-Ferryman, 1892, p. 223. The first point was to make Princess, and then the chief, friends with the principal knelt down and took a solemn chiefs. This was done gradu- oath of mutual peace, and then ally they called on me, and I ate the kola-nut. Then we returned their calls, squatting all placed our right hands on on a small stool in their com- the Koran as witnesses. pounds, chewing the (bitter!) kola-nut of friendship, and exchanging compliments and little presents. Of course they often lied and prevaricated, and probably they would have liked to relapse into slavedealing when my back was turned; but I learned really to like some of them, and look upon them as friends. It was important to be on good terms with Akwina, the old PrincessRoyal. I presented her with a large coloured portrait of Queen Victoria, sent out framed from home, and she was delighted with the blaze of orders and jewels, and her people gratified her by saying she was like "the great white Queen.' The next point was to make peace between Akwina and Ondoma Korobad, the most powerful of the disappointed candidates, and then to induce him and Aku Neddi to acknowledge the Atta-elect. On 14th On 14th October I spent an hour and a half squatting in Akwina's little audience - room, together with Ondoma Korobad and a few other natives, my orderly acting as interpreter, and eventually they agreed to "swear ju-ju" together. Akwina's Yoruba husband produced a beautifully illuminated copy of the Koran, which was laid in our midst on a goatskin, and a kola-nut broken up into small pieces was placed on the top. First the old Aku Neddi soon afterwards made private submission to Osejji Onapa, but Ondoma Korobad's affair was publicly done. On the morning of 17th October the procession started from my house, I riding my little black horse and accompanied by orderly and horseboy, and Ondoma Korobad riding his white horse gaily caparisoned, and attended by at least 100 followers, many armed with long trade-guns, and others beating drums and shouting. The chief wore Я tobe of alternate broad stripes of scarlet and yellow, and on his head a huge white turban latticed with black cloth and stuffed with numerous ju- ju charms. We rode about three miles in straggling procession along the narrow road winding through the bush. Crowds of people were squatting inside and all around the compound occupied by by the Atta-elect. He and his chiefs received me in an innermost oblong hut, which was most unpleasantly crowded, and we all sat down, Ondoma Korobad, however, remaining in the courtyard just outside. At first the King was arrogant, and Ondoma passionate and noisy; but a little "parable" made them laugh, and at last the ceremony was begun. ju-ju man traced a sort of triangle on the ground outside, and various ju-ju things be A |