82 
MISSIONAEY LIFE 
They suppose these will keep off disease, and the in- 
tended injuries of enemies; preserve from poison- 
ous serpents, and wild animals; keep off all evil, 
and secure all good. 
Gregrees are so common that few persons are 
without at least one; and sometimes ten, and even 
twenty are found upon the same individual. Or- 
dinarily each one has a particular office to fill, in 
the way of averting evil and producing good; 
but some of them, like patent medicines of fhis- 
country, ave good for everything. Confidence in 
them is most degrading to the intellect ; and be- 
sides, it gives great scope to the impostures of 
those who make them. Exorbitant prices are 
demanded ; sometimes the value of several slaves 
for one. Once I asked an intelligent heathen 
what good he derived from his gregrees. He 
said those on his ankles would keep snakes from 
^^bite’^ him, and those on his wrists and neck 
would keep ^^bad sick from catch him.’’ 
At Baily, after staying over night, the com- 
pany consisting of four missionaries, the head-man 
of the town asked us to give him a piece of silver. 
He had treated us kindly, had given us presents, 
and we could not well deny his request. After we 
had given him the silver we inquired what he in- 
tended to do with it. He told us he wanted to 
make ‘Gvar sarica” with it— which is a charm that 
