STEVENSON] WITCHCRAFT 399 



bewitchod. Thc}'^ had the culprit in custody and th(> i-ourt was assem- 

 bled to try him. There was nothiny left for tlie writer to do hut to 

 leave the priest witiiout formality and accompany the oiiiiuii'ather. 

 Not a word was spoken when the house was entered, 'i'hc nicinhei's 

 of the court and the others bowed their heads in oreetin<i-. Near 

 the east end of the loni>- room five members of the Bow priesthood 

 formed a semicircle. The accused, a handsome youth, sat slightly 

 back with a warrior on either side of him. The patient lay on a 

 pallet on the opposite side of the room, every member of hei- body in 

 violent motion. Her mother attempted to keep the head (juiet, while 

 the brother clun"' to her lej^s. The poor little arms were thrown 

 wildly about until an aunt essayed to control them. The writer 

 passed to the pallet and sat by the sufferer. The custom of trying the 

 accused in the presence of the afflicted is barbarous, and is likely to 

 have a most unhappy effect on the patient. In the ])resent case the 

 result was most disastrous. A theurgist of the Galaxy f ratei-nity sat 

 on a low stool, some 1.5 feet west of the oroup of warriors, and faced 

 east. He sprinkled a line of meal 3 feet in lenjifth before him, then 

 placed his mi'li (see page 416) at the east end of the line, and deposited a 

 crystal about 2 inches hig-h midvva}' down the line. A medicine bowl and 

 a basket of sacred meal were by his side. A woman of the household 

 deposited a vase of water and a gourd at the right of the theurgist, who 

 lifted a gourd of water as he began his prayers, in scarcely audible 

 tones, and emptied it into the medicine bowl. Six gourds of water 

 were poured into the bowl as prayers were addressed to the Beast (iods 

 of the six regions to give the theurgist, who is simply the agent of these 

 gods, power to see the disease and heal the patient. Medicine was after- 

 wards sprinkled into the water, six fetishes were dropped in, and a 

 cross, signifying the four regions, and a circle, the world symbol, 

 were formed on the surface of the water with sacred meal. After 

 the water had been consecrated, the theurgist rose and dipped ashes 

 from the fireplace with the eagle plumes and deposited them near 

 the meal line and north of it. In a moment he lifted some of the 

 ashes with the two plumes and sprinkled them to the north; again 

 dipping ashes, he sprinkled them to the west; and then continued the 

 spriid<ling to the four regions for physical purification. Then he 

 dipped the feather ends of his eagle plumes into the medicine water 

 and put them to his lips. Again dii)ping them into the water, he 

 sprinkled the invalid, who was h<dd in sitting posture by her father, 

 whom she had asked to stay ))y her in this trying ordeal. The ten- 

 derness of those about the little sufferer was most pathetic. The 

 faces of both parents bore evidence of intense mental suflering. The 

 theurgist rub))ed the girl's body with the m(>dicine water and prayed. 

 He then placed his lips to her breast, pretending to draw material from 

 her heart; this he deposited on the floor and covered with th<' meal. 



