130 Timehri. 



the peculiar terror of the [obeah] system is supposed to depend. Now, 

 the nearest dangerously poisonous plant to Georgetown, and the only 

 one available for the purpose other than bitter cassava which would be 

 easily detected and recognised, is the Strychnos toxifera growing on the 

 upper reaches of the Pomeroon and in connection with which a large 

 trade was carried on in the early days of settlement, from which is 

 prepared " curare " or " wurali," etc., of the autochthonous Indians. But 

 the knowledge of its presence here had evidently been lost for many 

 years past both to blacks and bucks until it was re-discovered by a 

 certain Government dispenser, now retired, who had found a fellow negro 

 quite empirically poisoning his dogs with it. The dispenser has, I know, 

 strictly obeyed my orders to hold his tongue concerning the discovery, 

 and what might have proved a terrible danger in murderously-inclined 

 hands has now been averted. The only other secret " poison " remaining 

 available to the obeah man would therefore be ground glass, but I must 

 admit th\t I have neither knowledge nor experience concerning its 

 effects. As however it was once used as a vermifuge it can do little 

 harm. In connection with the cure of disease, I might mention here the 

 practice of abortion. During my twelve years' sojourn in the Guianas 

 I have strongly suspected not a faw young women of consulting these 

 miscreants, but have never received sufficient proof to warrant my re- 

 porting to the police. To buy a love-charm from the obeah-man is 

 nothing unusual ; indeed, the employment of such articles and practices is 

 a well recogni.-ed belief amongst the aboriginal Indians, with their various 

 " binas," from whom the blacks may have obtained no small amount of 

 their information. " Getting one's cards cut " is a common expression 

 for having one's fortune told by the obeah-man — presumably with a pack 

 of cards. 



As to the remuneration received for their services, I know of fees 

 amounting to upwards of $15 being paid, but am given to understand that 

 this may be often exceeded. In one case that came within my personal 

 knowledge where a Portuguese farmer was very anxious for his erratic 

 and erring spouse to return to the marital roof, a fee of $7 was paid to the 

 negro obeah-man first consulted, $10 to the next, a coolie one — but still 

 without results : he accordingly asked God " the favour," the manner in 

 which he himself expressed his action, and presented Him, through the 

 Church-building Fund with the munificent donation of $5 ! The terrors 

 of obeah were evidently greater than the fear of his Lord. 



Being naturally a rogue and vagabond the obeah-man is no fool and 

 takes care that there will always remain some loophole wherewith to save 

 his face when, as not unfrequcntly happens his instructions that arc 

 supposed to have been followed, have not resulted in the effects claimed 

 for them. The loophole is either in the nature of a difficulty, an 

 improbability, or an impossibility. If a certain instruction of his that has 

 to be followed at midnight fails of its purpose, how easy to claim that the 

 time actually chosen was either too early or too late ! If the leaf of a 

 particular plant has to be rubbed on a certain iudividual'8 hammock ropes, 



