Some Affirm,
That There Is A Smell Of Brimstone In The Cabins, When They Are Conjuring,
Which I Cannot Contradict.
Which way it may come, I will not argue,
but proceed to a Relation or two, which I have from a great many Persons,
and some of them worthy of Credit.
{Indian Robbery.}
The first is, of a certain Indian, that one rainy Night, undermin'd a House
made of Logs, (such as the Swedes in America very often make,
and are very strong) which belong'd to Seth Southwell, Esq;
Governor of North-Carolina, and one of the Proprietors.
There was but one place the Indian could get in at, which was very narrow;
the rest was secur'd, by having Barrels of Pork and other Provisions
set against the side of the House, so that if this Indian
had not exactly hit the very Place he undermin'd, it had been impossible
for him to have got therein, because of the full Barrels that stood
round the House, and barricadoed it within. The Indian stole
sixty or eighty dress'd Deer-Skins, besides Blankets, Powder, Shot and Rum,
(this being the Indian Store-House, where the Trading Goods were kept.)
Now, the Indian had made his Escape, but dropt some of the Skins by the way,
and they track'd his Foot-steps, and found him to be an Indian;
then they guess'd who it was, because none but that Indian
had lately been near the House. Thereupon, the Governor sent
to the Indian Town that he belong'd to, which was the Tuskeruro's,
and acquainted them that if they did not deliver up the Indian,
who had committed the Robbery, he would take a Course with them,
that would not be very agreeable. Upon this, the Indians of the Town
he belong'd to, brought him in bound, and deliver'd him up to the Governor,
who laid him in Irons. At the same time, it happen'd,
that a Robbery was committed amongst themselves, at the Indian Town,
and this Prisoner was one of their Conjurers; so the Indians came down
to the Governor's House, and acquainted him with what had happen'd
amongst them, and that a great Quantity of Peak, was stoln away
out of one of their Cabins, and no one could find out the Thief,
unless he would let the Prisoner conjure for it, who was the only Man they had
at making such Discoveries. The Governor was content he should try
his Skill for them, but not to have the Prisoners Irons taken off,
which was very well approved of. The Indian was brought out in his Fetters,
where were the Governor's Family, and several others of the Neighbourhood,
now living, to see this Experiment; which he perform'd thus:
{Conjuring for stoln Goods.}
The Conjurer order'd three Fires to be made in a triangular Form,
which was accordingly done; then he was hoodwink'd very securely,
with a dress'd Deer-Skin, two or three doubles, over his Face.
After he had made some Motions, as they always do, he went directly
out of one of the three Gaps, as exactly as if he had not been blindfolded,
and kept muttering to himself, having a Stick in his Hand,
with which, after some time, he struck two Strokes very hard upon the Ground,
and made thereon a Cross, after which he told the Indian's Name
that had stoln the Goods, and said, that he would have a Cross on his Back;
which prov'd true; for when they took and search'd him, there appear'd
two great Wheals on his Back, one cross the other; for the Thief
was at Governor Southwell's House, and was under no Apprehension
of being discover'd. The Indians proffer'd to sell him as a Slave
to the Governor, but he refused to buy him; so they took him bound away.
Another Instance, of the like Nature, happen'd at the same House.
One of the Tuskeruro Kings had brought in a Slave to the same Governor,
to whom he had sold him; and before he return'd, fell sick
at the Governor's House; upon which, the Doctor that belong'd
to this King's Nation, was sent for, being a Man that was held to be
the greatest Conjurer amongst them. It was three Days,
before he could arrive, and he appear'd (when he came) to be
a very little Man, and so old, that his Hair was as white as ever was seen.
When he approach'd the sick King, he order'd a Bowl of Water
to be brought him, and three Chunks of Wood, which was immediately done.
Then he took the Water, and set it by him, and spurted a little on him,
and with the three Pieces of Wood, he made a Place to stand on,
whereby he was rais'd higher; (he being a very low statur'd Man) then he took
a String of Ronoak, which is the same as a String of small Beads;
this he held by one End, between his Fingers; the other End touch'd
the King's Stomach, as he stood on the Logs. Then he began to talk,
and at length, the By-standers thought really, that they heard somebody
talk to him, but saw no more than what first came in. At last,
this String of Beads, which hung thus perpendicular, turn'd up
as an Eel would do, and without any Motion of his, they came all up
(in a lump) under his Hand, and hung so for a considerable time,
he never closing his Hand, and at length return'd to their pristine
Length and Shape, at which the Spectators were much frightned.
Then he told the Company, that he would recover, and that his Distemper
would remove into his Leg, all which happen'd to be exactly
as the Indian Doctor had told. These are Matters of Fact, and I can,
at this day, prove the Truth thereof by several substantial Evidences,
that are Men of Reputation, there being more than a dozen People present,
when this was perform'd; most of whom are now alive.
Enter page number
PreviousNext
Page 87 of 106
Words from 89675 to 90682
of 110081
