Abambo.
3. Beings something like dryads, who resent intrusion into their
territory, on to their rock, past their promontory, or tree. When
passing the residence of one of these beings, the traveller must go
by silently, or with some cabalistic invocation, with bowed or bared
head, and deposit some symbol of an offering or tribute even if it
be only a pebble. You occasionally come across great trees that
have fallen across a path that have quite little heaps of pebbles,
small shells, etc., upon them deposited by previous passers-by.
This class is called Ombwiri.
4. Beings who are the agents in causing sickness, and either aid or
hinder human plans - Mionde.
5. There seems to be, the Doctor says, another class of spirits
somewhat akin to the ancient Lares and Penates, who especially
belong to the household, and descend by inheritance with the family.
In their honour are secretly kept a bundle of finger, or other
bones, nail-clippings, eyes, brains, skulls, particularly the lower
jaws, called in M'pongwe oginga, accumulated from deceased members
of successive generations.
Dr. Nassau says "secretly," and he refers to this custom being
existent in non-cannibal tribes. I saw bundles of this character
among the cannibal Fans, and among the non-cannibal Adooma, openly
hanging up in the thatch of the sleeping apartment.
6. He also says there may be a sixth class, which may, however only
be a function of any of the other classes - namely, those that enter
into any animal body, generally a leopard.
