ne of them very lately
conjured a shower of rain for a gentleman's plantation, in a time of
drought, for two bottles of rum. We are not apt to give credit to such
supernatural events; and, had we not found this in an author who was on
the spot, we should have rejected it as a fable.

Their priests promise fine women, eternal spring, and every pleasure in
perfection in the other world, which charmed them in this; and threaten
them with lakes of fire, and torments by a fairy in the shape of an old
woman. They are often bloody in their sacrifices, and offer up young
children to the devil. They have a superstitious ceremony among them,
which they call _Huskanawing_, and is performed thus: they shut up ten or
twelve young men, the most deserving among them, about twenty years of
age, in a strong inclosure, made on purpose, like a sugar loaf, and every
way open like a lattice, for the air to pass through; they are kept for
several months, and are allowed to have no sustenance but the infusion or
decoction of poisonous intoxicating roots, which turn their brains, and
they run stark mad.

By this it is pretended they lose the remembrance of all former things,
even of their parents, treasure, and language, as if they had drunk of
the water of oblivion, drawn out of the lake of Lethe. When they have
been in this condition as long as their custom directs, they lessen this
intoxicating potion; and, by degrees, the young men recover the use of
their senses; but before they are quite well, they are shown in their
towns; and the youths who have been _huskanawed_ are afraid to discover
the least sign of their remembering any thing of their past lives; for,
in such a case, they must be huskanawed again, and they are disciplined
so severely the second time, that it generally kills them.

After the young men have passed this trial, they are Coucarouses, or men
of quality in their nations; and the Indians say they do it to take away
from youth all childish impressions, and that strong partiality to
persons and things which is contracted before reason takes place.

The Indian priests, to command the respect of the people, make themselves
look as ugly and as terrible as they can; the conjurors always share with
them in their deceit, and they gain by it; the Indians consult both of
them before they go on any enterprise. There are no priestesses or
witches among them. They erect altars on every remarkable occasion, and
have temples bu