The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1896-06-28

! The sl<iff was turned down this cana
and rowed softly for about mile
| when it was concealed in the rushe
under a thick stunted tree, and tht
twain got out on the muclly bank and
| lighting cigars, awaited developments
Thenight and the surroundings wert
well suited to the weirdest of dramas
High above the palmetto bushes
wan eibbous moon CLEANED sullenl,
| behind a veil Of misty clouds, and re
sonantly through the thin forest o
| cypress trees came the sound of thu
| Indian lake breaking among the rush
es. A solemn and awful chorus o
frogs punctuated by the occasiona
hoarse below of an alligator, ros'
up from the marsh, and swarms of 81
gantic swamp mosquitoes buzzed inces
sanity.
PREPARING FOR THE CEREMONY
After a half-hour's waiting, the
splash and rattle of oars were heart
down the canal, and presently a skit'
hurried by bearing an ancient negro
crone. rowed Ivy two stalwart mulat
toes. About the same time, the uncer
tain light of pine torch was seer
CHANGING among the trees from the op'
posite bank Of the canal, some distance
down. and presently when lights and
skiff came together the crorc stood
up. and presently stepped out on shore
Another sl<iff followed from the same
direction shortly afterward, bearing a
silent. mysterious party of blacks, and
then another, and another, until seven
skiffs had been counted. Meanwhile
e., 4 l,,,r moi
walls on foot from the direction of the
lights, until at something before II
O'Clock forty negroes and mulattoes of
both sexes and ages varying from
twenty-five to the extreme of sensili-
ty were gathered on a clearing be-
meath a gigantic cypress.
Preparations for the ceremonies
were now actively made, the utmost
silence being in the meanwhile main
tanned. Under the circumstances the
physician and the reporter, taking
advantage of the high rank weeds
growing in the alluyial deposit ON the
edge of the canal, made their way
warily to a point opposite the scene OF
the preparations, where a covert was
found in a thick clump Of circle bush
es.
A bedquilt was laid upon the ground.
and upon this the crone, who appeared
to be the Queen, took her seat. She
was dressed in a loose-ftting calico
gown of gaudy pattern, with a red
Madras handkerchief arranged in the
form of a tignon upon her head. Her
face was eXpressionless and her eyes
gazed yacantly into the black shadows
of the swamp.
Meanwhile the rest of the party
busted themselves with getting out the
contents Of the slliffs. A vast pile Of
kindling wood was brought out of
one skiff and laid upon the shore,
where it was augmented by the wood
picked up in the swamps. A huge
china bowl. a number of glasses and
bottles. a drum, an old bell, basket
of provisions, a soap box perforated
with auger holes and number Of mys-
terious packages completed the pro-
perties that were unpacked from the
skiffs and arranged in regular order
upon the damp soil of the shore.
The fire was heaped up ready for
lighting, the packages We're laid open.
and then the party stood ipactiye as If
waiting for something TO happen. Sud
denly d commotion was heard in the
bushes, and presently the form OF
huge negro, clad in a breechcIoth
strung with alligator teeth. with
necklace of bones round his neck
and shells in his ears, burst
upon the scene. He looked
ed round him with fierce command,
muttered some cabalistic words and
then proceeded rapidly from one pack
age to another, throwing them open
From one package he produced
tripod, which he placed over the hre,
and to which he hung caldron. into
this one of the other negroes pour
cd a bucket of water from the canal,
and then the King struck match ana
lit the fire.
HIDEOUS ORGIES.
A circle of animal skulls and bones
we're then placed around the fire, and
the King lifted bottle IN his mouth,
and took long pull. The effect OF the
iiouor seemed to be powerful and in-
mediate. for in the light of the hre
which was now blazing brightly the
king reached for the soap-boN, ana
with one wrench Oh HIS 3tluSCui'ii ihthN''7
broke off the lid and produced a black
cat. which for one moment he heid
cIawing, scratching and sSng, ana
then with fierce twist bronc its neck.
Literally tearing the cats head from
its body. he sucked the blood from the
mangled trunk, and then threw both
head and body quivering into the now
boiling cauldron.
This seemed to be THE signal for a
species of go-as-y ou-please orgie, for
the moment the body of the eat sunk
to the Bottom of the cauldren the en-
tire party laid aside their reserve and
began jumping this way and that, get
ting up steam for the grand dance,
round the fire. One got hold Of drum
another of a bell. and several others OF
what appeared to be the skeleton heads
of oxen. Upon all of these the voodoos
began beating at once, stopping every
now and then to rush to one OF the bas-
kets and take long drafts from bottles.
The old crone sat placidly in her
place until some thoughtful member
of the band passed her bottle when a
number OF good ''swigs" seemed to put
life into her, and she presently leaped
to her feet and joined the now thor
oug'hly demoralized crew round the fire
Moment by moment the enthusiasm