of North Carolina. 369 



reporteth, ' That the Savages in Cap id, an Island near Mor 

 ' nila in the West Indies, have a very strange Custom amongst 

 ' them, which is this, every Man and Male Child hath a 

 ' j^ail of Tin thrust through the Head of his Private Mem- 

 ^ ber, being split and rivited at the lower End, this is done 

 ' whilst they are young, and the place groweth up again 

 ^ without any gTeat pain to the Child, this Xail they can 

 ^ take out and in as there is occasion,' And the same Author, 

 as a Confirmation of the Truth hereof, says, ' We ourselves 

 ' have taken one of these Kails out of the Private Member 

 ^ of a King's Son, who was ten Years old.' This Custom 

 he likewise says, was granted at the Request of the Women 

 in that Country, who finding their Men to be given to 

 Sodomy^ desired some Remedy against that Mischief, and 

 obtained this of the Magistrates. 



They are very great Conjurer's, of whom there are several 

 strange Stories related who perform their Exorcism, after 

 the following Manner. The Sorcerer apparells himself in 

 a clean dres'd Deer Skin; they make a large Fire in the 

 middle of the Plantation, the Indians all sitting round it; 

 the Conjurer is blindfolded very secure, and surrounds the 

 Eire three times ; leaving the Company at the Fire, he went 

 some distance into the Woods, where he stayed a short time, 

 at his Return he surrounded the Fire as before, and leaving 

 them a second time, he went into the Woods, where he re- 

 mained about half an Hour, he performed this Exorcism 

 the third time, after this he made a very strange and fright- 

 ful Howling, which being finished, an Indian immediately 

 caught hold of him, and led him to the Fire; by this time 

 he was so feeble and weak that he could not stand alone, 

 being all over in a Sweat, and as wet as if he had fallen into 



24 Aaa the 



