212 A JOURNEY TO THE 



.1771. soon followed by the conjurer, who, after a long preparatory 

 6th! discourse, and the necessary [193] conference with his familiar 

 spirits, or shadows, as they call them, advanced to the door 

 and asked for the bayonet, which was then ready prepared, by 

 having a string fastened to it, and a short piece of wood tied 

 to the other end of the string, to prevent him from swallowing 

 it. I could not help observing that the length of the bit of 

 wood was not more than the breadth of the bayonet ; how- 

 ever, as it answered the intended purpose, it did equally well 

 as if it had been as long as a handspike. 



Though I am not so credulous as to believe that the con- 

 jurer absolutely swallowed the bayonet, yet I must acknowledge 

 that in the twinkling of an eye he conveyed it to — God knows 

 where ; and the small piece of wood, or one exactly like it, was 

 confined close to his teeth. He then paraded backward and 

 forward before the conjuring-house for a short time, when he 

 feigned to be greatly disordered in his stomach and bowels ; 

 and, after making many wry faces, and groaning most hideously, 

 he put his body into several distorted attitudes, very suitable 

 to the occasion. He then returned to the door of the conjur- 

 ing-house, and after making many strong efforts to vomit, by 

 the help of the string he at length, and after tugging at it 

 some time, produced the bayonet, which apparently he hauled 

 out of his mouth, to the no small surprize of all present. He 

 then looked round with an air of exultation, and strutted into 

 the conjuring-house, where he renewed his incantations, and 

 continued them without intermission twenty - four hours. 

 [194] Though I was not close to his elbow when he per- 

 formed the above feat, yet I thought myself near enough 

 (and I can assure my readers I was all attention) to have 

 detected him. Indeed I must confess that it appeared to me 

 to be a very nice piece of deception, especially as it was 

 performed by a man quite naked. 



Not long after this slight-of-hand work was over, some of 

 the Indians asked me what I thought of it ; to which I answered. 



