Not only did the wind and the rain have their gods but each river and precipice, and each tribe and family and person, a tutelary spirit.

These might be kept benevolent by appropriate fetish ceremonies; they might be used for evil by persons having specially great powers over them.

The proper course for common-place persons at ordinary times was to follow routine fetish observances; but when beset by witch-work the only escape lay in the services of witch-doctors or priests.

Sacrifices were called for, and on the greatest occasions nothing short of human sacrifice was acceptable.
As to diet, vegetable food was generally abundant, but the negroes were not willingly complete vegetarians.

In the jungle game animals were scarce, and everywhere the men were ill equipped for hunting.