Africa
The Bassa Tribes
One of our missionaries has furnished the following
article on the government, laws and customs of the Bassas. It
affords shocking evidence of the degradation of this people, among
whom we are endeavoring to introduce the gospel of the
Redeemer: —
Government and Divisions
The Bassa tribes are divided into petty kingdoms, each
governed by a king and chief, who exercises the office of Chief
Magistrate. These kingdoms are again divided into small districts,
which are governed by petty chiefs, who are also magistrates, and
allowed to decide all petty cases occurring within their districts.
Matters of importance are taken to the big town or capital, to be
decided by the chief magistrates, the petty chiefs sitting as
associates. The kings and headmen, are generally very tenacious
of their rights, and will not by any means suffer them to be
infringed. Before a man can be regarded as a citizen, or allowed to
hold any office, he must be initiated into the devil bush, which is
equivalent to taking the oath of allegiance.
Laws
There are no regular sets of laws, excepting those
governing devil matters, or capital offences. Petty offences are
decided by precedent, or according to the circumstances of the
case.
There are some customs among these tribes, for the
violation of which, a fine may be levied, but these cannot be
strictly regarded as law, unless it be, that they be regarded as law
growing out of custom; as for instance, if a man meets another, and
presents his left hand, he subjects himself to a fine; or should be
salute a king without bowing upon one knee, or coming into an
assembly, (if he be a stranger,) without bowing upon one knee, and
wait to be invited to draw near, or hand a king or chief a pitcher or
jug of spirits, without tasting it first, in the presence of the chief,
and many other customs, for the violation of which, fines may be
imposed. But these we pass over, in order to notice more
particularly the devil laws, as they are styled:
