10 



among several branches of laurel, is placed 9. 

 large bough of cinnamon, to which is suspended 

 the magical drum ; near it is a sheep ready for 

 sacrifice. The Machi directs the women who 

 are present to sing with a loud voice a doleful 

 song, accompanied with the sound of some little 

 drums which they beat at the same time. In 

 the meantime, he fumigates three times with 

 tobacco-smoke, the branch of cinnamon, the 

 sheep, the singers, and the sick person. After 

 this ceremony, he kills the sheep, takes out the 

 heart, and after sucking the blood fixes it upon 

 the branch of cinnamon. He next approaches 

 the patient, and by certain charms pretends to 

 open his belly to discover the poison that has 

 been given him by the pretended sorcerer. He 

 then takes the magical drum, which he beats, 

 and sings, walking round with the women ; all 

 at once he falls to the ground like a maniac^ 

 making frightful gesticulations and horrible con- 

 tortions of his body, sometimes wildly opening 

 his eyes, then sliutiing them, appearing like one 

 possessed of an evil spirit. During this farcical 

 scene, the relations of the sick interrogate the 

 Machi upon the cause and seat of the malady. 

 To these questions the fanatical impostor replies 

 in such a manner as he believes best calculated 

 to promote the deception, either by naming, as 

 the cause of the malady, some person whom he 

 wishes to jfevnge himself of, or by expressing 



