ng. They speak of a great many sorts
of devils, but all malicious, and disposed to hurt them, if they had
not such great and powerful paters among them, who had a superior
power, and could catch, and bring them into subjection. It is not
difficult for the sorcerers thus to impose upon the poor ignorant
people, for they really do possess superior cunning, and astonishing
dexterity, being the most expert jugglers on earth. Every one who has
visited the East Indies, well knows, with what unaccountable
exhibitions and slight of hand tricks the jugglers endeavour to amuse
the people; but in the Nicobar islands, these arts being applied to
what they consider as religious exercises, the deception is so great,
that I have myself often stood astonished, being unable to account for
what I saw.

[7] An appellation borrowed from the Portuguese Missionaries.

I went once purposely into a house, where a sorcerer was about to
perform as doctor, and to cure a woman, who lay very ill. I was
determined to watch him as narrowly as possible. Both doctor and
patient were stark naked. After a series of most horrible grimaces, the
sorcerer produced a very large yam, which he held up, pretending that
he had _limpt_ it, (for thus they call this species of legerdemain),
out of the body of the woman, and that it had been, by witchcraft, the
cause of her disorder. When he entered, I particularly noticed that he
had nothing in his hands, or about him, nor did there appear any
possibility of a substance of that size being concealed in the empty
room. At another time, I saw a sorcerer under similar circumstances, on
a sudden exhibit three large stones, which he pretended to have
extracted from the patient's body. To the first of these patients, he
afterwards administered a decoction of herbs, and she recovered. The
cure was probably owing to his skill in preparing the potion, but was
of course ascribed to the incantation, and the seizure of the enchanted
yam.

After I had resided five years in the island, my legs began to inflame
and swell to a prodigious size[8]. A suppuration took place, and till
the discharge commenced, I suffered excruciating pain. During this
dreadful illness, several paters called upon me, and in the most
friendly manner, expressed their pity, offering me their assistance,
and assuring me, that if I would submit to their mode of cure, I should
soon recover. At last I thought, that as their skill in various
medicinal a