Rutland herald. [volume] (Rutland, Vt.) 1823-1847, 1845-07-03
From ne Ma nal Iaisnisenetv
Superstition Of lhr ScmiROlcS

lNtlA4Nu VI itt' httNiN -
THE PROCESS OF uNJuRATioN
Ilo,atnnc hre chcf OF the Seminole IA
ton, nephew to Micanopy, their pre.rn'
King, and heir apparent 10 ,usceed hun
returned tn Florits from Arkansas m the
summer ofis4O, and remained there about
two Yeas cndeavoring zcalously and h,h
/ fully Ia effect bv pcacrabe means the re-
movaI Of his rcj brdhrrcn Sometimes,
when his pacific overIurcs failed. he took
the field with the troops rs q guide TO tho
fa,tnc.s Of the hos,ilcs but he MAS nevctex.
pcc,cd to ION in comba, against them except
in s.f dcf,nce
On his return from one of,hc,c expeditions
IN January. 1912 he WINS ,nk' sIck -
When inquiries were made a. Ia the nature
Of the sickness, be informed the mcd'cn
officer that hr b., lievcd he was made sick hy
the cuuiuraiions Of the "Prophe,." or Hot
uico. hadoo. the chief Of the hostflcs-thtn
supposed to be perhaps fifty miles d's,nn, N
The southern part Of tho Big Cypress
Swamp" bordering on the mangroves
lloloioochec Is n very indignant Indiun und,
like most Of the Scmnolcs, waggish and
fond Of Joke and his Statement, did not fail
10 ttCW' Tue UIED w NV OliINcfs, VIM WIN
incrcdulous TO the sincerity OF his statement
Blu, he answered m that he was not jea,t.
ing TINT he firmly believed i, ,hA, whno
fn-n yc-r cr''ro'" dincrcr' from rr1 mrn
IVA, 'lu, were d fiitu, fcsh and blood and
told US that We were welcome to our FREED,
our manners and our philosophy, that they
mus, also be- allowed Ia cherish undisurb'd
their own manners md p'cuIInr lnith.
On being asked IN what vnv the prophet
Z so fr di,uu, was ntle to make him SICK
he Explained the process nud cctcmonios 81
tho cunjurnton as follows
Il i: n, night only thu, the copjurcr can
: acquire power over his victim. When
n an trdlnn sleeps his body alone sleeps
his sprli IS roaming abroad over the face
. of the e1uh and il docs not return 10 his
0 body until the morning star risos II be.
i fore that star rises the conlurcr cnn BY hrs
7 spell attract the spirit Of his enemy Up to
his campfire. he may then Torment and
: oflic hum To do thls be places n keulc
i, OF water on the FIRE. puts IN certain herbs
a possessing viznrd charms, and we'll might
this sylvan conurer then cxclnim us did
c the witches IN Macbeth
u Double, doubc--lnl ADD trouble,
Ere uutn and CualdIuu bubble
lie then makes statue Of the victim,
- upon the heart OF which Is placed tobnc-
). 90 leaf and a spIlniet f1rl n tree rivrn by
e lightning This s'n''' Is first placed ut d
l. distance from tie FIRE, mud n finln stages
a. ,dc COMPUTATION is 10 ug advanced rur
. scprfotc times toward: The cnmp.frr, which
; rs the centre Ofiheso and many other wild
" lncaniatIoEs Al each scpcrnte approach Of
. the stnlue nm Invocation Is made TO the ,pr.
!. II OF the victim, and u. when the fourth in
n vocation is complctA the mofung star has
II not yet rscn. the spri, Of the unhappy vic.
y tim ny.if the ialcS have frowucd upon him,
d he brought up wibh The influence Of the
s conluref.
It's, generally, certain oil mcn, c,peci.
/ ally the "mcdlcine men Of the Tube who
I. posscssc, these powers Of couluralion. They
e are pracllccd most IN tunes OF war, as II
m mode OF tormenling the ,n,my ia war,
e Indians very souls arc mndr up a ara,agcm
10 and d,crl How untlrlug aud sie' plc.s is
= ms Vengeance, and how hriilc IN eHp'dlcnc.
Thus while the ftd WARRIOR VI the forest,
+ having undergone the toils and dangers Of
Of the dav, under cover Of the night lies down
T. before hps camp Ere TO rcpose from his la
/ hors, nod 10 seemingly burned in swecl sleep
y his spIul roaming 10 dreams over The face
D. the brnuI lous eauh, perrh0nce hsunilng
= Ihr ivorte hunting grounds Of bic youth
hlf rnrmy, not alone satisfied with the or.
n binary ara Of war, pu, lh'se Wild coujurn.
10 nuns 10 rtquisnlon Bat, a. before stated
re every power OF incnntitIon eenscs the ~.
ID slant The morning rar fscs The tpifil iu
'e "auuy '' - 70 ''r protection n Is
''ly '.tn % supposed :" La,r sympa.
b, lh,l,d 90 aIi }Ac troubirs ofthc OhctlsI -.
P" ,ente 1hlt belu,fui star D, lhcn not only
10 a harb"ngcr oiIhc god cfdiy. spuoundcd
u Nrh az the plorrs Of Ihr morn. dspcl
\, lng lhc mist NJ duan'.s, md shedding joy
luI grarr over thr earth. but o. these wan
DO I'uug sP'uu itspndS most Welcome
ae tud SUDDEN rrl~as- from the charms ofihc
u conJur"T. Is Hth'n, wonderful that the red
~ man should somctimrs wofshp this bught
~ N'Dus this sweet diseuctpuirr, tbs lovely
a.. companlon Of The sun. the 6W faint gllmcr.
a. lngs Of whose SILVER beams are signal Of
he ~ much J9y 10 the dreamer
D. Who Is di,royrrd.or b'her"d that
a. such arts are beng resoI'd 10 O." me camp
90 II .hc hou,r,. the old meo Of ne uIDo
d Dot their head, together 20 dr'iir scheme
% of saEty This conilHt 20 oul-oooJpnng
~ the encmy Thu, there are what may b"
;, callcd d,tuste e0DJUfauoni, ~hieh cons"
ic ,T,r..o canfne the wandering Of the
a. sprrtl lt. rI7Lbofhood Of their own
Of. ~-gr. o. . prfssancs - ofbai Ib71H