Thomas County cat. [volume] (Colby, Kan.) 1885-1891, 1886-04-15
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Tho Tricks Employed by Repulslvs
Looking Female Exorciser.

Tho Tricks Employed by y Repulsivs
Looking Female Exorciser.
Major General Bisset gives the fol-
lowing account of an African witch
doctor. and the secret of her art. A
rich kaiir residing at British Kaffraria
believed himself bewitched He was in
great pain all over his body. but partic-
ularly between the shoulders. Several
native doctors treated him in vain, and
the English physician went to see him.
and pronounced his afilictiOn acute
rheumatism. But the man would be
treated by no one except celebrated
witch-doctor from the interior. for he
said he was devoured by animals and
reptiles internally. She was sent for.
This witch was most -epulsive-looking
creature. Her eyes were snake-like. her
hair a tangled mass of close clotted
wool, with fishes bladders and the in
sides of reptiles tied here and there.
This bag first commenced to ''smell
out" the bewitching matter. This she
did in variety of ways, crawling
round the hut inside and out, burning
charms. by gesticulations and exorciSms
of all sorts. But before doing this, she
demanded ten head of cattle, five to be
paid at once, and the others when the
cure was effected. We were invited to
witness the strange proceedings, and
see her remove the living things Which
she said were in the man. FIRST, the
patient had to be "overhauled' by this
fearful specimen of humanity. He was
in great pain, but she was merciless;
his arms and legs were pulled, his body
pinched and squeezed, he bowling with
pain. At last. she found the tenderest
point-at the extremity of his right shout
der blade; then she began to make fantas-
tic gyrations, and declared that the rep
tiles were there. Then she howled, and
again crawled round the hut, and re-
turned with corn cob, with which she
approached the sick man an rubbed his
shOuld blade. She then applied her
mouth to the spot. and sucked till
stream of blood followed. She then ran
from the house to a little rivulct close
by, but soon returned and again applied
her mouth to the open wound, and
brought forth renewed stream of
blood. She now desired every one to
search her, and assure YOU she had
very little clothing on in which she could
hide any thing; but she made us look
into her mouth, and even into her ears.
She then re-applied her mouth to the
sick mans wound, and spat out
grasshopper!
There" said she, lis the monster:
but there are morer'
And she again proceeded to suck the
wound. and this time srat out black
beetle! She again acted the vampire"
and out came lizard. a long. narrow.
crawling reptile! The sick man was eN-
cited, and declared he fel: better. Again
applying her mouth to the wound, she
spat out Il matted clot of hair. This she
said was the bewitching matter. Here
was mystery which we determined to
unravel. We offered the h: g five
pounds to tell us how her tri,n was
done. She refused. Then we convert
ed it to silver. and again tempted her,
but to no avail. Next we turned it to
copper. and though this seemed like un-
told wealth to her, she was still OBJ
durate. But when we turned it to
beads, knickknacks, looking glasses,
ETC., it was too much. After making us
promise solemn secrecy, she told Us.
She had collected the reptiles in Il
calabaSh. When she ran down to the
water, she gorged herself with fluid. and
then swallowed IT,, creatures we saw
her produce; and she had the UNUSUAL
power. by an effort OF nature. to oring
these living creatures back into her
mouth. The Kaiir was cured by the
counter-irritation and by his imagin-
alton, and he and his benighted breth-
rem still believe that the living creatures
were taken from his bod, .-louth's |
Companion.