OF NORTH CAROLINA. 347 



these wretches are inclinable to believe. I suppose 

 these doctors understand a little better themselves, 

 than to give credit to any such fooleries ; for I 

 reckon them the cunningest knaves in all the 

 pack. I will therefore begin with their physic 

 and surgery, which is next : 



You must know that the doctors or conjurers, to 

 gain a greater credit amongst these people, tell 

 them that all distempers are the effects of evil 

 spirits, or the bad spirit, which has struck them 

 with this or that malady, therefore none of these 

 physicians undertakes any distemper but that he 

 comes to an exorcism to effect the cure, and ac- 

 quaints the sick party's friends, that he must con- 

 verse with the good spirit, to know whether the 

 patient will recover or not, if so, then he will drive 

 out the bad spirit, and the patient will become 

 well. I^Tow, the general way of their behavior in 

 curing the sick, a great deal of which I have seen, 

 and shall give some account thereof, in as brief a 

 manner as possible, is, when an Indian is sick, if 

 they think there is much danger of life, and that 

 he is a great man or hath good friends, the doctor 

 is sent for. As soon as the doctor comes into the 

 cabin, the sick person is set on a mat or skin stark 

 naked, lying on his back and all uncovered, ex- 

 cept some small trifle that covers their nakedness 

 when ripe, otherwise, in very young children, 

 there is nothing about them. In this manner the 

 patient lies, when the conjurer appears, and the 

 kino- of that nation comes to attend him with a 





