136 THE NORTHERN MOUNTAINS. 



continued as dry land during ages wliich have seen the 

 whole of Europe, and Eastern and Southern Asia, sink more 

 than once beneath the sea: then it is possible, and even 

 probable, that during these long ages of the Negro's history, 

 creed after creed, ceremonial after ceremonial, may have 

 grown up and died out among the different tribes ; and that 

 any worship, or quasi-worship, which may linger among the 

 Negros now, are likely to be the mere dregs and fragments 

 of those older superstitions. 



As a fact,'Obeah is rather to be ranked, it seems to me, 

 with those ancient Eastern mysteries, at once magical and 

 profligate, which troubled society and morals in later Eome, 

 when 



" In Tibeiim defluxit Orontes." 



If so, we shall not be surprised to find that a very important, 

 indeed the most practically important element of Obeah, is 

 poisoning. This habit of poisoning has not (as one might 

 well suppose) sprung up among the slaves desirous of re- 

 venge against their white masters. It has been imported, 

 like the rest of the system, from Africa. Travellers of late 

 have told us enouoh and too much for our comfort of 

 mind of that prevailing dread of poison as well as of magic 

 which urges the African Negros to deeds of horrible cruelty ; 

 and the fact that these African Xegros, up to the very latest 

 importations, are the special practisers of Obeah, is notorious 



