MUSCLE. 
571 
and regale themselves with toddy, a species of liquor 
distilled from the palm-tree, till they are no longer 
able to stand at their devotions.” 
It appears that these conjurors are an artful set of 
people, and that while they are deluding the poor 
divers, they are not unmindful of their own inter- 
ests, but endeavour, by every means in their 
power, to steal the pearls. Of course the superin- 
tendant of the fishery, who is well aware of their 
intentions, looks upon them with a jealous eye; but 
from the great attachment of the people towards 
these men, he is obliged to conceal his suspicions, 
and acknowledge their power over the sharks. The 
artful manner in which these fellows recover their 
credit with their superstitious votaries, when by any 
chance they have failed in their predictions, is thus 
related by Mr. Percival : 
tc Since the island came into our possession, a 
diver at the fishery one year lost his leg, upon 
which the bead conjuror was called to an account 
for the disaster. His answer gives the most striking 
picture of the knowledge and capacity of the people 
he had to deal with. He gravely told them, 4 that 
an old witch, who owed him a grudge, had just 
come from Colang on the Malabar coast, and effect- 
ed a counter-conjuration, which for a time rendered 
his spells fruitless : that this had come to his know- 
ledge too late to prevent the accident which had 
happened, but that he would now show his own 
superiority over his antagonist by enchanting the 
sharks and binding up their mouths, so that no more 
