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proceed from witchcraft, and pretend to cure them 

 by supernatural means, for which reason they are 

 employed in desperate cases, w^hen the exertions of 

 the Ampives or of the Vileus are ineíFectual. Their 

 mode of cure is denominated machitún, and consists 

 in the following idle ceremonies, which are always 

 performed in the night : 



The room of the sick person is lighted with a 

 great number of torches, and in a corner of it, among 

 several branches of laurel, is placed a large bough 

 of cinnamon, to which is suspended the magical 

 drum ; near it is a sheep ready for sacrifice. The 

 Machi directs the w^omen who are present to sing 

 with a loud voice a doleful song, accompanied with 

 the sound of some little drums which they beat at 

 the same time. In the mean time, he fumigates 

 three times with tobacco smoke, the branch of cin- 

 namon, the sheep, the singers and the sick person. 

 After this ceremony he kiils the sheep, takes out 

 the heart, and after sucking the blood fixes it upon 

 the branch of cinnamon. He next approaches the 

 patient, and by certain charms pretends to open his 

 bdly to discover the poison that has been given him 

 by the pretended sorcerer. He then takes the ma- 

 gical drum, which he beats and sings, walking round 

 with the women ; all at once he falls to the ground 

 like a maniac, making frightful gesticulations and 

 horrible contortions of his body, sometimes wildly 

 opening his eyes, then shutting them, appearing like 

 one possessed of an evil spirit. During this farcical 

 scene, the relations of the sick interrogate the 

 Machi upon the cause and seat of the malady. 



