Book 1. land of BARBADOS. ce 
too ufual Cuftom of a few of the white Inhabitants here, as well as the 
almoft univerfal Cuftom in moft Northern Countries, which not only 
prevents the free Circulation of the Blood, but is often the Caufe of unna- 
tural Diftortions of the Body. 
The Negroes in general are very tenacioufly addicted to the Rites, Negroes 
Ceremonies, and Superftitions of their own Countries, particularly in fronsly a4 
their Plays, Dances, Mufic, Marriages, and Burials (19). And even er Sa 
fuch as are born and bred up here, cannot be intirely weaned from thefe monic of 
Cuftoms : They ftand much in Awe of fuch as pafs for Obeah (20) Negroes, gate 
thefe being a fort of Phyficians and Conjurers, who.can, ‘as they believe, 
not 
(19) There are but few Negroes who believe that they die a natural Death, but rather that they are 
fafcinated, or béwitched. The Bearers, in carrying the Corpfe of fuch a one to the Grave, when they 
come oppofite to, or in Sight of the Houfe of the Perfon who is fuppofed to have bewitched the Deceafed, 
pretend to ftagger, and fay, that the Corpfe is unwilling, and will not permit them to carry it to the 
Grave, until it is fuffered to ftop near, or oppofite to, that Houfe : After this is complied with for a few 
Minutes, the Corpfe is, as they think, appeafed, and then the Bearers, without Difficulty, carry it to the 
Grave. If likewife, in digging a Grave, they find a Stone which they cannot eafily get out, they imme- 
diately conclude, that the Deceafed is unwilling to be buried there ; therefore they dig elfewhere, until 
they find a Place more propitious to the fuppofed Inclination of the Dead. Moft young People fing and 
dance, and make a loud Noife with Rattles, as they attend the Corpfe to its Interrment: Some Days after, 
efpecially on their Feafts, they ftrew at Night fome of the drefled Victuals upon the Graves of their 
ceeeatea: Parents, Relations, or Friends. Something like this Cuftom was obferved by the Romans, in their 
Feafts called Silicernia, at which Times there was a Repaft prepared for the Dead, at leaft in Honour of 
them, and laid on their Graves. ‘This appears from the following Words of Ovid de Fa/tis, Lib. IL. 5339 
&e. 
Eft honor & tumulis. Animas placate paternas, 
arvag; in extinétas munera ferte pyras. 
Parva petunt manes. Pietas pro divite grata eft 
Munere. Non avidos Styx habet ima Deos. 
Tegula projeétis fatis eft velata coronis ; 
Et fparfe friges, parcag; mica falis. 
Tombs have their Honours too 3 our Parents crave 
y Some flender Prefent to adorn the Grave. 
: Slender the Prefent, which to Ghofts we owe : 
Thefe Pow’rs obferve not what we give, but how: t 
No greedy Souls difturb the Seats below. 
They only ask a Tile with Garlands crown’d, 
And Fruit, and Salt to fprinkle on the Ground. 
(20) Thefe Obeah Negroes get a good Livelihood by the Folly and Ignorance of the reft of the Negroes. 
I fhall here infert one Inftance of their pretended Method of curing the Sick, which was performed upon 
a Negro Woman ; who, being troubled with Rheumatic Pains, was perfuaded by one of thefe Obeah 
Doétors, that fhe was bewitched, and that thefe Pains were owing to feveral Pieces of Glafs, rufty Nails, 
and Splinters of {harp Stones, that were lodged in the different Parts of her Body ; adding, that it was 
in his Power, if paid for it, to cure her, by extracting thefe from her through her Navel. Upon the 
Payment of the ftipulated Pramium, he produced his Magical Apparatus, being two Earthen Bafons, a 
Handful of different Kinds of Leaves, and a Piece of Soap. In one of thefe Bafons he made a ftrong 
Lather, in the other he put the bruifed Herbs ; then clapping thefe with one Hand to the Navel, and 
pouring the Suds by Degrees upon them, he ftroked the Parts moft affected with the other Hand, always 
ending towards the Navel: In a fhort time after, thrufting his Finger and Thumb into the Cataplafm of 
Herbs, he produced feveral Pieces of broken Glafs, Nails, and Splinters of Stones (which he had before 
artfully conveyed among the bruifed Herbs). As fuch a great Number extracted, was looked upon as an 
extraordinary Inftance of the Doétor’s great Skill, he unluckily demanded a farther Reward than what was 
ftipulated : But as the Woman’s Husband was one of thofe very few, who had no Faith in fuch pretended 
Cures, being accidentally knowing in fome of their Secrets, inftead of an additional Reward, he made 
him by Threats refund the Money he had already received, bidding him, if he was a Conjurer, find 
out by his Art fome Means of getting it again reftored to him. 
Their Method of clearing themfelves from imputed Crimes hath a near Affinity to the bitter Water 
ufed among the ‘feos. In the latter Cafe, the Prieft took fome of the Duft of the Floor of the Taberna- 
cle ; and, mixing it with Water, he gave it to the Woman fufpected of defiling her Husband’s Bed, faying 
unto her, If thou haft gone afide to Uncleannefs with another, inftead of thy Husband ; then this Water, 
that caufeth the Curfe, fhall go’ into thy Bowels to make thy Belly’to fwell, and thy Thigh to rot: And the 
Woman fhall fay, Amen, Amen.- In like manner, the Negroes take:a Piece of Earth from the Grave of their 
neareft Relations, or Parents, if it can be had ; if not, from any other Graye. This being murals rere 
ater, 
