Extracts from Dr. Winterbotloni's Travels. 



The origin of amulets or charms is lost in deep anti- 

 quity, the Jews had their Phylacteries, the Greeks their 

 Atropara, and the Romans their Anvuleta; in Europe, at 

 the present day, the superstitious practice of wearing- 

 amulets still prevails and great faith is reposed in them, 

 when hung round the necks of children to preserve them 

 from diseases. 



In the Bnllum and Timance towns, greegreesare placed 

 to prevent the incursion of evil spirits or witches, these 

 consist of pieces of rag- like streamers, attatched to a long- 

 pole, and it would give great offence to remove or even to 

 touch them. Grecgrees are often placed in plantations, 

 to deter people from stealing, and a few old rags placed upon 

 an Orange Tree, will generally, though not always, secure 

 the fruit as effectually as if guarded by the Hesperides. 

 This superstitious dread of witchcraft, which may properly 

 be considered as a mental disease, like many of those which 

 the body is subject to, appears to acquire additional vigour 

 by being transplanted from one country to another. Accor- 

 dingly we find that in the West India Islands the belief in 

 witchcraft is the occasion of as much if not more terror to 

 the natives of Africa, where it is known by the name of Obi, 

 notwithstanding all the efforts made to counteract it. 



According to the vulgar prejudice entertained by the 

 lower classes in England, the blacks are said to have natu- 

 rally a very deleterious poison growing under their nails, 

 with which they frequently destroy those who offend them. 

 This opinion may have originated from the method practised 

 by a tribe of Indians in Guiana, who sometimes conceal 

 under their nail part of the kernel of a nut, which they 

 secretly mix with the drink of any one they hate, and 

 which proves, slowly, but certainly fatal. Capt, Stedman 



