379 



ttiul arrow, and the ball and thong ; to the Spaniards, fire- 

 arms and swords, and then sent them above ground. Animals 

 were created in like manner in these subterraneous caves ; 

 those who were the nimblest came out first ; but when the bulls 

 and cows were coming out last of all, the Indians were 

 frightened at the sight of their horns, and stopped up the 

 mouth of their caves. The Spaniards were wiser, and thus 

 they explain why they had no kine till the Spaniards intro- 

 duced them. It is their opinion that all the animals who have 

 been created below are not yet come out. 



All the evil which happens either to man or beast they at- 

 tribute to evil spirits, who are conthmally wandering about 

 the world ; even fatigue is attributed to their agency. Each 

 of their priests, or rather jugglers, is supposed to have two of 

 these spirits as his familiars, and tiieir souls after death are 

 associated to them, and perform the same works of mis- 

 chief. The jugglers are of both sexes, but it seems as if it 

 were thought an occupation unbefitting a man, for the wizards 

 are compelled to dress like women, and restricted from mar- 

 riage. Witches are under no such restriction. They are 

 generally chosen while children : those who are most eflfemi- 

 nate are selected, but all who are aiflicted with epilepsy, or 

 St. Vitus's dance, are considered as essentially marked out by 

 the evil spirit themselves for their service. It is a dangerous 

 service, for if any calamity befal either chiefs or people, the 

 priests are frequently put to death. 



No ceremonies are performed towards the good spirits; 

 and that which is addressed to the evil ones is improperly de- 

 nominated worship by Falkner. To perform it, he says, they 

 assemble together in the tent of the wizard, who is shut up 

 from the sight of the rest in a corner of the tent. He has a 

 small drum, one or two round calabashes, with small sea- 

 shells in them, (the maraca probably of the Brazilian tribes) 

 and some square bags of painted hide, in which he keeps his 

 spells. He begius the ceremony by making a strange noise 



