DISCOVERIES OF THE PORTUGUESE. l£l 
instantly began a prosecution against these two 
persons, who, being warned, made their escape ; 
but were so closely pursued, that they fell into 
their hands and were delivered bound to the 
Count. That prince, unwilling to proceed to the 
extremities on which the fathers were bent, caused 
them to be privately sent off to an island in 
the Congo. This drew upon him a violent invec- 
tive from Merolla, who reminded him of the glo- 
rious example of his predecessor, Count Stephen. 
That prince, whenever a wizard was discovered in 
the country, had his head " lopt off without fur- 
" ther ceremony.' 9 It does not appear, however, 
that the missionary ever obtained possession, for 
this purpose, of the two persons in question. 
Besides these medical wizards, there was a 
higher class called Scingilli, who boasted the power 
of dispensing rain at pleasure* to whom prayers for 
that blessing were regularly addressed, and who 
claimed a portion of the fruits which their influ- 
ence produced. Several of these persons openly 
defended to Merolla the usefulness, and even 
necessity of their vocation ; demanding, what 
would become of the country, if there were no 
one who could administer that beneficent element ? 
The head, or king of these magiciaus, is a person 
called Ganga Chitorne, or God of the Earth, to 
whom, accordingly, its first fruits are regularly 
paid. This person holds it impossible that he can 
