ngs
they see, are, in their opinion, populated by supernatural beings. I
need hardly say that not all the innumerable spirits in whom they
believe have the same importance in their minds and therefore are not
all venerated to the same extent. In the animist's cult fear reigns over
every other sentiment, such as gratitude, trust, devotion, etc., and the
spirits that inspire the most fear are those invocated with the most
fervour; in this way the bad spirits are installed in the place of the
good ones".

We see then that the Sakais form no exception to this summary
description of Mr. Wilken's.

They believe that only their sorcerers have the faculty of beholding
spirits which satisfactorily explains to them the strange fact that they
are always invisible to other eyes. For the rest, though, the Sakais,
like all those on the same par in intellectual capacity, do not trouble
their heads at all over whatever natural phenomena.

He feels deep veneration for the sun and water as being the two great
sources of Life; he venerates also the moon and the stars without
however applying any sacred rites to this sentiment but they do not care
in the least to know of what these luminaries are composed, where they
come from or where they go when they are not in sight. When the day
arrives for the Sakai to put such questions to his brain he too will
enter triumphantly into the vortex of civilization, impatient to find
out the reason of everything he sees around and above him.

From force of habit he does not wonder at the change of day into night
and the different phases of the moon but he is seized with great terror
when an eclipse of the sun or moon takes place. He weeps and despairs,
making horrible noises to put to flight the accursed spirit that is
devouring one or other of the heavenly bodies, and as soon as the
eclipse in over, he seems mad with joy that the _mahgis_ (sun) and
getcheck (moon) have got the better of their enemy.

He is equally overcome with fright at the appearance of a rainbow, or at
a shock of earthquake.

* * * * *

The Sakais have no idols of any kind, but they have great faith in the
amulets which they make themselves by incising upon their combs and
hair-pins (as before written) the form of certain plants, fruits, leaves
and roots that they are fully persuaded are possessed of prodigious
virtue.

In fact when a storm is approaching and the wind begins to agitate the
f