€ H A I enquired of an old negro, why they" paid fuch particular
, ; reverence and veneration fö' this'growing piece óf timber.
“ Thi-s" proceeds (faid-he) tnaffera, frofcp the'-following
“ caufe: having no churches* ho#»places "built for public
« worfhip (as .you have)' on the'.Coaft'{of Guinea,-ï*and
«( this tree being the largeft -and molt beautiful-growing
t( there* our people, aflemblirig-under; its branches» wheh
they are going to be inftruóledj are defended. t\y it from
“ 'fheheavyrains and foorchirig fun.» Unden ijhis free,our
(i gadoihan, or prieft, 'deliver’s Ms l^ït’ures;;-;ahd. for this
“ ‘Teafón our common people/ have fbfmuch veneration
« 'for it, that they will not cut it -down upon any*acr
i( count whatever.”
No_ people can be more fuperftitious than, theygsne-
■ üégroèè^ and thèlr^E9rw»«s ör»^feèteaded .prophets,,
find thëifinterefl: in encuuragingithis ft^erftt^QPy
by lehirig thetn obias or amulets, as l^iave- already jmn-
tioned, and as fome hypocrites fell abfolution in Europe,
for a comfortable living. Thefe people hav,e;aIfcr,fmongft
them a kind o f 5%#, who deal in oracles« -th©f&j fage
matrons dancing and whirling round in the middl&of, an
affemhly, with amazing rapidity* until they foam at- the
mouth, and dróp down as convulfed. Whatever the pro-
phetefs orders to be done during this.'paroxifm* is meft
facredly performed by the furrounding multitude; which
renders thefe meetings extremely dangerous,, |sfhe frequently
enjoins them to murder their mailers, or defqrt to
the woodsupon which account this" feene o f exceflivé
fanaticifm is forbidden by law in the colony of S urinaria,
upon
updn pain of the moffc rigorous puniihment f yet it is c h a p .
often pna'&ifedf in private,places,, and,,is very common
amengtfti the Owca and; Seramica negroes,. where captains
Fredertoy and Van; Gëurick told me they had feen it performed
It is here called tl&e:mnty.-$lay,oT the dance of
£he, mermaid,;and has>exifted from time immemorial'; as
even the claffic authors make frequent mention o f thisex^
'fraordinary praéiice. Virgil, in his fixth book; makes Eneas
vifit the Sibybof Guma: ;■ and Ovid iuKo mentions the fame
fuby©£t,‘ lib. 14. where Eneas wifhes -to yifit.the. »ghofl. of
h'rs father. *
11 But*-what - is»’ ftill 'more dranger, thefe unaccountable
-women'' by •their’Wqïtóiknbw how ftqieharm the ammo-^
'êyiès, * övpqpaw ferpent, down- from $b© rifee.y? This is
a h ' abfölute s&6tr;. üóriêé this fnake, eyer*killed or hurt b y „
the negioes, who,.'son; the;deon1jrary,' ;efteem it a£; their
friend and- guardian, and are happy to fèteS it enter their
hut's; When ‘th efe fib^lshavé "charmed orcobjured; down
the* ‘arriihodytes fêrpent from "the tree, it i^eoHhmpn' to fee
this reptile* twine and wreathe about" their arms-,: -neck
and bread, as if the creature took delight in hearing -her
Voice, white- the woman Rrokes tanid eareffesft with her
hand. The faerfed; Writers v'fpëak 'öf the; charmingdof
adders and ferpenfs ‘in m place sv which I mention
*' This creature* is from» three lianfcy |>f. its , colours may be_.ariother
feet long, [Slid' péifeéily harmlefs ;• it'has inducement for the;-adoration-[■ of the
trot the j ’f
tven by man; while the unparalleled briL-; 11
only