The Bamberg herald. [volume] (Bamberg, S.C.) 1891-1972, 1912-04-11
WEST INDIAN WITCHCRAFT.
Obeah Doctor Wrought Demonstra.
ton That Convinced.

dies at tnlS season or Lne year
hoping to escape the rigors of our
winter climate, will not find on the
announcements of the tourist agen-
cies one of the most interesting at
tributes of those balmy islands.
While everybody who has been to
the ISLANDS has heard of the "jum-
bies" mentioned, it is only those who
have stayed for some length of time
and become acquainted with the ma
tives who will have had chance to
see their Obeah doctors with their
offensive personalities, which, once
seen, are never to be forgotten.
The owner of a large sugar cane
plantatiop-a very sensible, well in
tentioned Englishman-had very lit
tie faith in the superstitions of the
blacks, although he frankly admitted
that he was at a loss how to con-
fute them. One morning, an hour af-
ter his help had gathered in the
fields, he sought out traveller whose
acquaintance he had made, and to
whom he had spoken of some of the
peculiarities of farming as practiced
in that section.
"You are familiar with Obeahism
and it's practices already" he began,
"and you know that our 'quashees
call persons who have had the jum-
bies set upon them very dangerous to
have around or to be made associates.
Well, let me tell you the predicament
that 1 find myself in this morning
through my determination to ignore
our local superstitions and act ac-
cording to the mandates of white
mans nature.
"Some time ago a woman came to
me with pitiful story. She said she
had become the victim of some un-
known enemy, and that the Obeah
doctor had set the jumbies upon her.
Everywhere she went misfortune ac-
companied her. All with whom she
came in contact Stunned her, so that
she could obtain no work on the is
land and was in danger Of starving.
Almost against my judgment hired
her, thinking that perhaps among
the large number of 'quashees' that
/ employed in my fields that she
might not be noticed.
"This morning l discovered my er-
ror, for I was waited upon by dele
CATION of my laborers, who told me
strange stories of what was going on
in my fields. According to their re-
citals, which I did not then wholly be-
lieve, snakes were jumping out of the
cane brakes in alarming numbers,
the sickles were turning in the hands
of the cane cutters and injuring
them; queer insects, some deadly
poisonous, were hopping about the
ground, and showers of stones were
rising from the earth at intervals
and bombarding them.
'The story seemed preposterous,
but the annoyance had assumed
alarming proportions, and they be-
lieved it to be wholly due to the
hoodooed woman whom they had dis
covered to be working beside them.
with a desire to see for myself
what condition my hands were in l
mounted my horse and rode around
the fields trying to calm the blacks,
who had stopped work and were lott
ering in groups on the edge of the
cane talking over the situation. Three
or four times my horse SHE'D as a
snake sprang out of the brakes, and
twice he pricked up his ears as a
creature entirely unknown to me, but
resembling an iguana, ran across his
path.
"Then, to my surprise, was hit on
the back by stone that rose directly
from among the cane, and as it fell
to the ground I sprang off my horse
and picked it up. 1t was a round
rock, not indigenous to this country,
and as I raised it several drops OF
water exuded from it and trickled
down my fingers. I turned it over,
and on one side was a rude cross
made by a piece of chalk apparently
but it could not be efaced even by
energetic rubbing.
"What did you do after that very
practical demonstration? asked the
planters tourist friend.
"Discharged the woman! There
was no help for it. I had to get my
'quashees' back into the field and my
can cut. Now all is peace. The
snakes and insects have disappear
ed. My hands heaped the mystic
stones in a. pile at one corner of the
field from whence they have not
Jumped. I turned my attention to
finding the Obeah doctor, who was