The Camden journal. [volume] (Camden, S.C.) 1836-1851, 1840-12-30

old writer, speaking of the inhabitants Of
Soeotra, says that .',hey generally bury
their sick before they breathe their last,
making no distinction between q aidyng
and dead person. They esteem il a d.
| ty to put the patient as soon as possible
out of pain, andmakc the.request of their
friends when they are on a sick bed which
all acute diseases, may be called their
death bed. When the father Of a family
finds himself thus circumstanced, and
has reason to believe his dissolution is ap-
preaching, he assemblies his children round
him, whether natural or adopted, his pa
rents, wives, servants, and all his acauain-
tances, whom he strongly exhorts to a
compliance with the following articles Of
his last will-'never to admit any akera-'
|tion in the customs or doctrines Of their an
cestors, never to intermarry with foreign
ers never to permit an affront done them
or their predecessors, or beast stolen
from either of them, to 60 unpunished
and, lastly, never to suffer a friend to lie
in pain, when they can relieve him by
DEATH They commonly perform the
last request of the dying man by means
of white liquor, of a strong poisonous
quality which oozes from tree peculiar
to this island. Hence it is that legal mur-
ders are more common here than in any
other country in the world; for, besides
the inhuman custom last mentioned, the
other requests of dying men produce
numberless quarrels, and, by taking re-
venge of the injuries done to their ances-'
tors, entail family feuds and bloodshed
upon their posterity for a long series of
years: They have preserved the remen-
brance of singular trial by ordeal, for
merly practised. An individual supposed
to have been guilty Of any heinous crime
was placed, bound hand and foot, on the
summit of some eminence, and there
compelled to remain three days. If rain
| fell during that period on or near him, he
was considered guilty, and punished by
being stoned to death; but if the weather,
on the contrary, continued fair, he was
acquitted. They are, in the more re-
mote parts of the island, said to still re-
main the custom of transferring their
own progeny to another person. 1t is
Ileft at the will of the mother, that the
father may give the child away as soon as
lit makes its appearance in the world. If
her consent is obtained, a fire is lighted
before the door of their cave, to denote
his intention, and the child, as soon ash
lis born, is sent to another family, in
which it is brought up with every tender
ness and attention. Children reared TN
| der this singular custom, retain through
life the title of "children of smoke" 1t
is common for father who thus exposes
his own, to receive in similar manner the
offspring of another of his tribet. Buck
hardt tells us that the scherifs ofthe He'd
| jas have a nearly similar custom. After
the first Ave or six days, the child, if boy,
lis transferred to another tribe, and the
mother is not permitted again to see him
until he attains to mans estate. In this
manner ahommed their prophet was
reared. Some other popular traditions
were related to me, but they appeared go
little peculiar or characteristic as scarcely
Ito be worth transcription" ,ts'.'