SACRED LAKE OF LIFE.

Dominion, Volume 6, Issue 1716, 5 April 1913, Page 14

SACRED LAKE OF LIFE.

—■ —«■ VISIT TO ABODE OF THE "FACE OF LOVE," WEIRD NIGERIAN SCENES. Heuter's Agency has received from Southern Nigeria news of a remarkable discovery made by Mr. P. Am amy Talbot, a District Commissioner, of what is known as the "Sacred Lako of Life," on which, according to popular belief, the e.xistenco of a hundred thousand people depends. When, some months ago, Mr. Talbot returned to this country from extensive travels in unknown' parts of Nigeria, ho announced us one of tho most interesting discoveries tho finding of tho Lake of the Dead in tho Oban country. This he visited after great difficulty and in spito of the fact that porters and carriers refused, to proceed to the. dreaded spot. The scene about tho lake, ho said, was full of mystery and dread. The surface of tho water was absolutely still, and round about wero 10ft. high bushes bearing what looked like great tufts of creamy Mowers. These, however, proved to bo nests of tree frogs. The .place was a sanctuary for all wild' things, for no hunter would daro to penetrate thp bush to this fearsome place. As Mr. Talbot stood at the edge, gazing out over tho water, its quiet was suddenly broken by a broad ripple, and little fish' were seen to spring agitatedly above the surface. A great python was crossing, and this, it was learned, shared with tho crocodiles the guardianship of tho Sacred Lake. Nothing was allowed to troublo the water or oven to touch its outer edge for famine and pestilence ensuing. Hither, tho natives believed, came by night the ghosts of long dead Ekoi, to drift in sad companies, hopeless and wailing, oyer tho surface of the water. On Mr. Talbot's return to Nigeria, ho found that tho news of the discovery 'of tho Lake of tho Dead had brought to light the fact that another sheet of water lo.v/hichmysterious powers were ascribed existed in tho neighbourhood of Ikot-Obo, tho chief town of tho Ibibios. and one afternoon Mr. Talbot and Mr. Eakin, accompanied by Mrs. Talbot and her sister, set out to endeavour to locate it. Hitherto tha knowledge of the lajto. has been kept a jealously guarded secret from all Europeans,, and not even tho natives, with the ono exception of the high priests, had been allowed to. approach t'lis sacred water—the dwelling-placo of tho greatest deity of .the race. Access to the lake was through a sacred grove so cunningly contrived'" that a stranger might pass within a few yards, yet never find the holy pool. Mr. Talbot and his party, guided to the spot, found that the water was full of great fish, on tho welfare of which depended tho life of the Ibibio race. > The fish wore \so tame' that they fed from the hand of the reigning: High Priest, the only niitivo human being allowed to look upon thp water.. Formerly, 'many victims wero annually sacrificed here, though at the present (lay human life is not permitted to bo taken. Countless legends had grown up round the spot. It was said to be pln'ced by its first guardian, tho Thunder God, under' tho care of a python aiul a leopard, who ceaselessly kept watch and ward, and destroyed anyone rash enough to seek to penetrate its mysteries. It is specially sacred as the dwcllingplaco of tho most powerful Deity—the Great Mother—lsu-Ma (the Face of Love), whoso symbol is a holy rock facing-the entrance. Near by the travellers found a second pool, ancillary to the lake itself. In .five centre of'this is a palm-tree, near which, in tho water,, are Stationed 'a man, n girl, and'a boy, Vr'ho bear thn name of tho Goddess, as tliev were granted to the parents in dircct answer, to prayer.