It is true that their Archbishop forbids the
practice to the best of his ability; but 'tis all to no purpose, for they
insist that their forefathers followed it, and so must they also. I will
give you a sample of their enchantments. Thus, if a ship be sailing past
with a fair wind and a strong, they will raise a contrary wind and compel
her to turn back. In fact they make the wind blow as they list, and
produce great tempests and disasters; and other such sorceries they
perform, which it will be better to say nothing about in our Book."
Speaking of Chung-li (Somali Coast), Chau Ju-kwa writes, p. 130: "There
are many sorcerers among them who are able to change themselves into
birds, beasts, or aquatic animals, and by these means keep the ignorant
people in a state of terror. If some of them in trading with some foreign
ship have a quarrel, the sorcerers pronounce a charm over the ship, so
that it can neither go forward nor backward, and they only release the
ship when it has settled the dispute. The government has formally
forbidden this practice."
Hirth and Rockhill add, p. 132: "Friar Joanno dos Santos (A.D. 1597) says:
'In the Ile of Zanzibar dwelt one Chande, a great sorcerer, which caused
his Pangayo, which the Factor had taken against his will, to stand still
as it were in defiance of the Winde, till the Factor had satisfied him,
and then to fly forth the River after her fellowes at his words.
