124 DISCOVERIES OF THE PORTUGUESE. 
young man had been thus prohibited from eating 
the flesh of a wild hen ; which, however, it so 
happened, that he one day did eat, supposing it 
that of a tame one. Four years after, he came 
to the same house, when a wild hen was again 
produced, which he decHned on account of the 
prohibition. His host laughed, and assured him 
that he had formerly eaten the very same food ; 
an information which acted so powerfully on the 
mind of the young negro, that he died in twenty- 
four hours. 
Another frequent form of superstition, was that 
of the women binding their children with cords, 
which the magicians supplied as a preservative 
against all mischief ; and to which, by way of 
double security, they added Agnus Deis, medals, 
and Catholic relics. Whenever any child was 
brought to be baptized, the missionaries made 
diligent search for these cords ; and if any were 
found, instead of baptism, a smart whipping was 
administered. One poor woman being thus de- 
tected, began, with great simplicity, to excuse 
herself by saying, that of four cords which had 
been round the child, she had carefully taken off 
three, but had unluckily forgot the fourth. The 
amusement which this apology excited in the as- 
sembly, induced the missionary to remit the usual 
chastisement. 
MeroUa finding his utmost efforts to put down 
