The Helena independent. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1875-1943, 1893-10-23
MAGIC IN JAMAICA.
Mysterious Rites Practiccd by Indian Fa-
kris and African Sorcerers.

Mysterious Rites Pr0ct1ccu ny Anuiah ia
kris and African Sorcerers.
In Jamaica I found the blacks, although
many Of them were from African races
noted for their magic arts, possessed only
OF such skill as came from their Obeah
practices, says n correspondent OF the st.
Louis Republic. The Obeah, or snake wor-
ship, is an all pcrvading superstition among
them, and in carrying it on some of the more
shrewd of the priests, or Obimen, rs they
are called, have acquired q fair amount OF
skill. How / cannot say, as they are loath
to let the whites into their condolences con
cerning Obeah, but that some of them can
duplicate the performances ascribed to the
priests of Pharaoh in Exodus vii, 12, when
they appeared to turn their walking stafls
into serpents, | am assured on the very best
authority.
There is in the British West Indies, how
ever, IN element known as "the coolies"
men and their families brought out from
India, Ceylon, lower China and Burmah
under 10 year contracts to aid in tilling the
sugar and fruit plantations. These for the
most part come from races far in advance
of the Africans, in the human scale, and 1t
h but natural that they should be possess
ed in n remarkable degree with the won
derful powers that are known to belong to
some of the fakirs of the east.
I 1t is not ms Intention to retell the mar
wells that have been witnessed and testified
to by so many travellers IN India, but am
certain that in the West Indies may be
found not Il few of those who can appear
to cut off a victims head in open daylight,
stab a shrieking boy to death in a sack,
throw n sword into tho air never to come
down again. or feign death and undergo
burial for a month or two. But of one per-
formance, which differed FROM anything
that | navy ever seen told of in print, l
want to speak.
This performance was in broad davlighG
aud under the direct glare of the tropical
sun. The performer was an elderly, hin
Cingalese, with onlya breechcloth and tur-
ban as wearing apparel, and without any
assistant whatever. There were four OF
us who Witnessed his trick, and we all
agreed afterward in IL accounts of what
we saw. The Cingalese magician, Bal
IIindra Singh, l think he was called,
stepped into the most open part of the
court in front of the overseer's house emp
.ty handed, turned quickly around three or
four times and placed a fair sized rattan
cage on the ground, from which he took a
long, yellow brown snake. The reptile was
about : feet long, but not thicker than a
garden hose at the thickest part.
After the usual passes and gestures so
dear to all snake charmers, the Cingalese
placed the snakes head in his mouth and
closed his lips tightly upon it, at the same
time notifying us by gestures that he pro-
posed swallowing the creature. I'M that it
would go into his stomach. Then began
the most remarkable set of Gyrations that
] have ever seen. l have watched a puppy
chase his tail unit. he dropped with ex-
haustion, or a ballet dancer spin on one
foot until she took on the appearance of a
human top, but never before or since have
/ seen any creature revolve SO rapidly.
. 1t was very difficult to see just what was
going on, but as the serpent extended from
his mouth like a spoke of a wheel and his