FL661374

attacked them. This of course [word crossed out implies
the belief in [wods crossed out] witchcraft. But then
they have their doctors (as they usually call
them in English) a sort of sorcerer or conjurer
- Nguagin in their language - who is in commu-
nication with some of their demons as I would call them
[words crossed out] who may have conciliated at least one [word crossed out]
more of them [word crossed out] so as to have him [word crossed out]
[words crosssed out] at his bidding & command; it
may be to do evil or good, to retaliate by
inflicting an evil or to relieve by counter-
acting the evil done by another demon.
By what means they accomplish this by
what charm or conjuration or conciliation
is a deep mystery which they are never dis-
posed to reveal, either to the uninitiated among themselves
or to Europeans. As these sorcerers, which in [indecipherable]
ever be their art or power sometimes employ
natural means to relieve sick persons we will
adopt the usual term doctor for them. The
office or power, as far as I could discover
does not seem to be hereditary, but the shrewdest
amongst them are initiated, who if such may
be the offspring of a doctor. They among other things
pretend to the power of causing rain to come when