, 1874-08-12
lating a story which illustrates the power and

Iound himself involved, by the dishonesty Of a
man win whom be was connected, in pecuniarv
dlt1cultles, from which he was unable to extri-
cate himself, and he failed for the large sum
OF one million francs. Unable to make a true
exhibit of his affairs without involving a person
whom he was unwilling to drag before the
public, he determined to sacrifice himself, and
fled from the island without attempting to
justify himself to his creditors. Criminal pro.
ceedIngs were commenced against him. He
was summoned to appear at court, and on his
failure to do 50, be was pronounced guilty,
and sentenced to be burned in effigy in the
pubic square. This sentence was carried into
effect His sister, the beautiful and fascinat-
ing Adele, knowing him to be guiltless,
br)oded long over the disgrace and sorrow
which had clouded the honor of the family,
and at length she determined to make an effort
to clear her brothers character. Obtaining an
interview with the governor, she sank upon
her knees before him, and made an impassion-
ed appeal for clemency toward the fugitive,
who, she urged, had never been heard in his
own defence. Moved by her beauty, her elo-
quence, and sIsterly devotion, the gallant old
governor, whose heart was still young, gently
raised her from the ground and promised a full
pardon for her brother if on a new investigation
it should appear that he had been too severely
dealt with. In a few week. she had the happi-
ness to send her brother a full pardon, and per-
mission to return to the island Nor was the
old governor content with this sim pie act of jus
tice, He gave the young man a post of honor
and responsibility under government, which he
held for many years. But after the tragical
death of his sister his own life was destined to
end under a cloud. He held a position in the
Treasury, and on one occasion when required
to produce a large amount Of gold, he discovered
to his horror that the money had been stolen
from the vault in which it had been stored.
Stung to desperation, and knowing too well the
old story would be revived, he shot himself
through the head. A short time afterward the
real thief was discovered and brought to pun
ishment. The memory Of the beautiful Adele
and her unfortunate brother is still tenderIy
cherished in Martinique.
Sorcery, or obeah, is extensively practlsed
by the creole and negro population OF all the
West India Islands, in spite of all the efforts
of the civil and religious authorities for its
suppression. The sorcerer is generally some
person superior in cunning and other quail
ties to the mass of the negro population, and
is held in great dread and veneratioa by
those over whom he is supposed to hold a
mysterious power for good or evil. Under
the protection of this dark superstitious fear,
he is able to commit or i~nstigate the most
atrOciOus crimes, as no negro, aud few white
people, will voluntarily testify against an
obeah man, lest he or his accomplioes should
take summary vengeance upon them. These
soreerers are employed by persons who have
grulges against their neighbours; and as
inquests on the bodies Of negroes are rare
occurrences in Martinique, it is the easiest mat
ter in the world for the obeah man to furnish
a customer with the poisous he wants, in order
to get rid Of some one who may have Wronged
or offended him. But such is the terror in-
spired by these s~orcerer5 in the minds OF these
ignorant negroes that it is not always neces-
sary to resort to actual poisoning. A word,
a sign, a look, from the obeah man is enough
to strike his victim with moral horror, under
the Influence Of which many a poor creature
has piued away into the grave 1t is said
that s~oreerers are not only very skIltuI 10 pre-,
pairing pojsous to be administered with food
or drink, but that some of them carry a small
gIobuIo ofserpent's venom under a sharPened
fnger-nail, by which they can inlet death
with a slight puncture of the flesh. These are
dangerous customers, and they are rarely
meddled with. The sac of charms and love-
powders is also a part of their business.
Strange as it may seem, these obeah men
are frequently employed by whites who wish
to get rid of an obnoxious person. The name