266 An Hijf oricàl Journal of 



with this Chara6ler, which makes them contraél a Kind of League 

 with the Genii, and which procures them Refpeft, till they 

 h^ve prepared themfelves for it by Faftings, which they carry to 

 an uncommon Length ; and during which they do nothing but 

 beat a Drum, cry, howl, fmg, and fmoke. Thje Inftalment is af- 

 terwards made in a %Xr^à of Bacchanal, with Ceremonies fo ex- 

 travagant, and accompanied with fo many furious .Aélions, that 

 one would fay that the Devil then takes PofTelîion of their Per- 

 fons. 



But they are not, nevertheîefs, the Minifters of thefe pretended 

 OftheP'ie^s Deities, but only to declare their Will to 

 / ^ ncj s. Men, and to be their Interpreters ; for if we 

 may give the Name of Sacrifices to the Offerings which thefe 

 People make, to their Deities, the Jugglers are never their 

 Priefts. In the public Çeremonies, they , are the Chiefs • and in 

 private Ceremonies it is generally the Father of the Family, or 

 the chief Perfcn of the Cabin. The, chief En^ployment of the 

 J^ggl^S; pratleafl that by which they get rnofl, is Phyfick : They 

 praftife this Art on Principles, founded on the Knowledge of 

 Simples, en Experience, and on Circumftances, as they do in other 

 Places ; but they moil commonly alfo join with thefe Principles, 

 Superftition and Impofturc, of which the Vulgar are always the 

 Dupes, " 



TJierq are perhaps no Men in the World who are .more the 



cT-; -p.- Dupes of fuçh Impoftoj-s than the Savages, 



I te common L^t- ^^^^^^ ^^^^ ^^^^^ ^^^^ ^^^^ ^-^^^ p^^^ 



J^^î^^^ tbc ba^ ^^^j^^ They are nctonly almoil all of a healthy 

 and ilrong Conftitution, but they have never 

 known the greateft Part of the Diflempers v/hich we are fu4>jeél 

 to, but fmce they converfed v;ith,us. T^^y knew not what the 

 Small-Pox was, when they took it from.j|iy^; and we mufl: attri- 

 bute! the great Ravages it has made amongjO: them to this Igno- 

 rance. The Gout^ the Gravel, the Stpnèytvthe Apoplexy, and 

 many other Difeafes, fo common in ^^^r^^^ Jlave not yet reached 

 this Part of the New World, among the/^aitural Inhabitants of 

 the Country. * ' 



^Tis true, that thçir ExcefTes in -their Feafls, and their immo- 

 derate Falls, make them fubjed to- Fains and WeakneiTes of the 

 Stomach and Breafl, which defê-oy ,a great .Number of them : 

 Aifov many young Perfon s ^.^è'f the Phthifick^ and they fay that 

 thds:is' the Effed of the |y;&t Fatigues and violent Exerciies to 

 which they expofe lheoij^y-es from their Childhood, -before they 

 arefirong enoogh-to' f^^port^them. 'Tis a, Folly to believe, as. 

 feme do, that their ^ood is colder than our's, and to attri- 

 bute to- this Cauf# their ; Infenfibility ^ in Torments-; but 

 tfeir Blood is extî^êmeîy balfamic ; and this arifes, without 



Doubt, 



