NORTHERN OCEAN. 
while at the fame time they are indefatigably in- 
191 
177k. 
duftrious and perfevering in their eflorts to relieve -~—~ 
them. Being naturally not very delicate, they 
frequently continue their windy procefs {fo long, 
that I have more than once feen the doctor quit 
his patient with his face and breaft in a very dif 
agreeable condition. However Yaughable this 
may appear to an European, cuflom makes it ve- 
ry indecent, in their opinion, to turn any thing 
of the kind to ridicule. 
When a friend for whom they have a particular 
regard is, as they fuppofe, dangeroufly ill, belide 
the above methods, they have recourfe to another 
very extraordinary piece of fuperftition; which 
isno lefs than that of pretending to {wallow 
hatchets, ice-chiflels, broad bayonets, knives, and 
thedike; out of a fuperftitious notion that un- 
dertaking fuch defperate feats will have fome in- 
fluence in appeafing death, and procure a refpite 
for their patient. 
On fuch extraordinary occafions a conjuring- 
houfe is erected, by driving the ends of four long 
fall fticks, or poles, into the ground at right 
angles, fo as to form a {quare of four, five, fix, 
or feven feet, as may be required. The tops of 
the poles are tied together, and all is clofe cover- 
Augatt, 
ed with a tent-cloth or other fkin, exadtly in the © 
fhape of a {mall {quare tent, except that there is 
no vacancy left at the top to admit the light. In 
the middle of this houfe, or tent, the patient is 
laid, and is foon followed by the conjurer, or 
conjurers. 
