ing light or
the fungus, as distinguished from that of entering into or haunting
it, is a difficult one to grasp, especially as regards the flickering
light. I tried to get to the bottom of this question when I was at
Mafulu; but the belief as to actual _becoming_ was insisted upon, and
I could get no further. I cannot doubt, however, that there is much
room for further investigation on the point, which is of a character
concerning which misapprehension may well arise, especially in dealing
with such simple and primitive people as are the Mafulu natives.

The foods of these ghosts in both their forms are the ghostly elements
of the usual native vegetable foods (sweet potato, yam, taro, banana,
and in fact every vegetable food) and the ghostly elements of the
excrement of the still living natives; and the ghosts come down from
the mountains to the villages and gardens to procure these foods. Here
again the difficulty as to meaning above referred to arises, as they
can hardly imagine that the flickering lights cease to flicker in their
mountain glades, or that the fungi cease to exist in their mountain
habitats during these food-seeking incursions; and yet, unless this
be so, the superstitious difficulty is increased. A ghost is also
sometimes for some reason or other dissatisfied with his mountain
abode; and he will then return to the village (not apparently in the
visible form of a flickering light or a fungus).

As the intentions of the ghost towards living humanity are always
evil, his visits, whether for procuring food or in consequence of
dissatisfaction with his habitat, are feared by the people; but I
could not ascertain what was the nature of the injuries by the ghost to
themselves of which they were afraid, nor could I hear of any actual
instance of a disaster or misfortune which had been attributed to the
machinations of such a ghost. When sleeping in their dark enclosed
houses, however, the people fill up all openings by which the ghost
might enter (this does not apply to the _emone_, the entrance openings
of which are not closed at night; but perhaps the fact that a number
of men are always sleeping together there gives them confidence);
and when the Mission Station at Mafulu was started the natives were
amazed at the missionaries daring to sleep alone in rooms with open
doors and windows, through which the ghosts might enter.

Having by the shouting prior to and at the dead man's funeral wholly
or partial