Be OPO PB Ne VI) Sl) axa5, SUN Rr.. 
‘netic extacy *, and appears epileptic. If he gives a wrong an- 
fwer, he lays the fault on the evil principle, who, he fays, had de- 
ceived him by not coming in perfon, but only fent one of his 
flaves. At thefe times the great people affemble about the 
cabin, from whence the oracle is to be delivered, waiting its re- 
port with great anxiety. 
Ir a Cazique dies, or any public calamity happens; for exam- 
ple, in particular, when the fmall-pox had made great ravages 
among the tribes, the priefts are fure to fuffer, for the misfor- 
‘tune is prefumed to have happened through their neglect in not 
deprecating the evil; in thefe cafes they have no other methed 
-of faving themfelves, but by laying the blame on others of their 
‘brethren. 
Prissts are chofen from among the young people, the moft 
effeminate they can find; but thofe that are epileptic have al- 
sways the preference, and thefe drefs in a female habit. 
Tue Puelches have anotion of a future ftate, and imagine that 
after death they are to be tranfported to a country, where the 
fruits of inebriation are eternal, there to live in immortal drunk- 
ennefs, or the perpetual chace of the oftrich. 
Wuen a perfon of eminence dies, the moft refpectable wo- 
man in the place goes into the tent, clears the body of all the 
inteftines, and fcrapes off as much of the flefh from the bones 
as poffible, and thea burns very carefully both that and the en- 
trails: when that is done, the bones are buried till the reft of 
the flefh is quite decayed; they are taken up within a year ; 
* The pretenders to fecond-fight, in the Hebrides, and the Awenyddion, or the 
Jnfpired, among the Welch, are {eized with the fame extafies. 
and 
