Connecticut western news., 1873-01-03
InCantatiOns in Algiers.

We were anxious, while in Algeria, to
 see all we could of the customs peculiar
 to the different nationalities which so
 greatly contribute to the picturesque
 ness of the country; and, accordingly.
 one Wednesday morning, started early
 for grotto by the sea-shore, which,
 from time immemorial, has been devo-
 ted to what is called the Progresses
 sacrifice" This grotto is situated on
 the road to St. Eugene, and. early as it
 was, we passed number of women and
 children, on foot or on mules, all wend- ind their way in the same direction, fol- lowed by servants carrying under their | arms or ill baskets quantity of black or white fowls. When we arrived at the spot indicated by our driver, and had got out of the carriage, we discov- | cred flight of steep steps cut in the rock, leading down to a path by the sea-shore. This path turned suddenly to the right behind the projecting cliff, and disclosed semicircrfar cave, be- hind which was spring called Seba- Aioun, or the Seven Fountains. Ln the centre of this cave sat an old negress, | ugly as demon, dressed in a white turban and great scarlet cloak; while, before circular space was traced in the sand, Tn the centre of which was kind l of rude stove on which simmered vari- ous little earthen pots of incense and benzoln. Presently an Arab lady came up; crying bitterly, saying "that her husband had ceased to love her, and had taken fancy to some one else. '
 She took from her maid two white and two black hens, which she presented to the negress, who first incensed both her and the fowls, then swung the birds by the lggs three times over the lady s head, and all about her, and then slow ly and only partially cut their throats, letting the blood flow into little metal basin, with which she anointed the pa tlent's hands and feet, between the eyes and on the forehead, all the while re- citing prayers or rather incantations, the lady crossing her hands backward and forward i'll token of submission
 The wretched birds were only half killed, and by the way they futtered it was de- | clded whether the charm had or had not been successful. If they f1uttered toward the sea it was considered all right, and the negress set up shrill Lii ! Lii p of Rfumph. If, on the other hand, the unhappy fowls strug- gled, Ill their death-agonies, toward the rock, the charm had failed, and the whole thing had to be done over again. Then the patient was made to drink of the spring, and to wash in it three times, while she was again ineensed by the ne gress. The same thing was repeated | for each patient as he or she came up to the negress's caldron, until the sand was strewed with dying fowls and blood, to degree which was positively sicken- ing Other negresses were in atten- dance on the principal guezzanates, as they are called, dressed in the blue check haik of their race. and all equally revolting in manner and appearance. This sacrifice dates from the early Roman times, and is, in fact, remnant of the old pagan superstitions. The curious and painful thing to me was that, not only Jewesses but even French Christians came to be cured, and sub- mitted Co all these horrible rites and incantations. I spoke to one woman whom had seen in the morning at the cathedral, and asked her chow she could reconcile it to her conscience tS seek relief in such manner ?" She re- piled: "I believe in the cures effected by the negresses, and, if theirs is a bad agency, at any rate it is overruled for good. God is in heaven and we on earth, and He can bless whatever means we use. ---Lddy Her6ert's "14lgeria."