i3i 



Sorcerers. 



They boaft 

 their Extra &. 

 from Heaven. 

 Th;ir ft range 

 Relation con- 

 cerning it. 



As alfo of 

 the Creation, 

 and Souls of 

 theDccesfed. 





Strange 

 Rock. 



Thunder.' 



Tltkahtt k. an 

 Idol. 



Xuncral'Fcaft 





A M E%^I C A. Chap. I. 



face of the Earth to be overfiow'd. Mefiou afterwards let a Raven flie to fetch a 

 Clod of Earth, but in vain, for all the Land lay drown'd in Water • at laft a Rat 

 diving to the bottom, brought a lump of Earth , out of which Mejfou reftor'd the 

 World • (hot Arrows into Trees, which became fruitful Branches. Here alfo re- 

 fide an innumerable many Sorcerers, caWdPtllotoas, which fometimes being pof- 

 fefs'd with a Frenzy, fcourge themfelves in a terrible manner, infomuch that the 

 Blood runs down by their fides : Thefe People are held in great efteem, for they 

 boaft themfelves to have their Original from Heaven upon this occafion, a>/<. 

 Jtaenfic, a certain great Queen or Goddefs, refiding above the Stars, had a fick Huf- 

 band, who Dreamt that he fliould be reftor'd to his former health fo foon as he 

 could but tafte of the Fruits which grew on a Tree , whereby the Family of Hea- 

 ven were kept alive, but that the Tree muft needs be cut down, which Ataenfic 

 obeying, gave onely two blows, when the Tree, to her great amazement, fell out 

 of Heaven down to the Earth 5 there being by this means nothing more left to eat 

 in Heaven : Ataenfic foilow'd the fallen Tree, and being big with Child, bare a 

 Daughter, which growing up to years, was Deliver'd of two Daughters, vi^ 

 Taovifcaron and Jouskeba, the eldeft of which flew the youngeft : By thefe Fables wc 

 may difcern their obfeure knowledge of 2fy*fc's Flood, Eve's Fall, and Cains Mur- 

 der. No lefs ridiculous is that which they believe concerning the Creation, Wag 

 That the Waters were inclos'd within a Frog, which Jouskeha caufing to be cut open, 

 all Streams and Rivers ilTuingout, had their Original from thence : This done, 

 Joushha open'd a Pit, out of which came all forts of Bcafts . they afcribe a Bodily 

 ftiape to the Soul, as alfo Immortality, but that they live together in a great 

 Village towards the Weft 5 from which removing fometimes, they knock at the 

 Doors of their former Friends in the Night, and fow deferted Grounds : That the 

 Journey towards the Village in which the Souls refide is very ftrange . the High, 

 way thither beginning at a Rock nam'd Ecaregniendi , where they firft Paint their 

 Faces, which done, they go to a Hut inhabited by an old Man, nam'd Ofotrach, 

 who takes the Brains out of the Souls Head ; after which they walk to a broad Ri- 

 ver, which they crofson a narrow Plank or Bridge, on which a Dog encountring, 

 forces them to leap into the Water, which carries them down to the foremention'd. 

 Village. They acknowledge one Oki for the Governor of the Sea, and feafons of 

 the Year : They alfo Rcligioufly Worfhip the Rock Tfankcbi Arafla, which they 

 believe fome ages ago was once a Man, but afterward Transformed into a Rock, 

 in which a Damon refides, who can make their Journics either fuccefsful or dan- 

 gerous, wherefore they offer him Tobacco. Their opinion of Thunder is like- 

 wife very ridiculous, for they fay that the Devil endeavoring to vomit a horrible 

 Serpent, by draining to evacuate the fame, rents the Clouds, and occafions Thun- 

 der. Laftly,They relate of a Dwarf call'd Tbakabech, who climb'd on the top of a 

 Tree, which by his blowing thereon grew fo high, that it touch'd the Clouds, 

 and Tbakabech eafily ftept into them, where he found all forts of delight and plea- 

 furc ; but having a Sifter on Earth, defcended again along the Tree, and fetching 

 his Sifter, conduded her above the Stars 5 mean while, Tbakabech going in the 

 Night to fee if he had taken any thing in his Net which he had pitch'd , found 

 it full of Fire, and obferving the fame very narrowly, faw that he had taken 

 the Sun, but durft not approach the fame, by reafon of its great heat ; but making 

 a Moufe, fent her to gnaw the Net in pieces, and fet the Sun at liberty. Every 

 twelfth year they keep an extraordinary great Funeral-Feaft •, for on the Set.time 

 they fiock from all parts to the appointed place, every one carrying thither the Bo- 

 dies or Bones of their Deceas'd Friends, wrapt up in Clothes, and hang them over 



their 



