Page:Folk-lore - A Quarterly Review. Volume 15, 1904.djvu/108

92 He is unable to read or write, but he is always to be seen with a memorandum and a piece of black lead marking some strokes, saying he is writing a letter from God.

In order to see the so-called duppy on the patients when they are approaching, he ties long pieces of white calico all about his yard to let the duppy appear upon them as the image of a magic lantern upon the screen. He is always heard saying, "Wet up the calico. Lord."

He works with a spirit calls "Cudjoe," saying, "Reap! stretch and set my 'Cudjoe' dia." He drills the people to perform all sorts of motion saying, "Stamp me the letter." If they fail to stamp the letter to his taste he gives them a stroke saying, "Stamp me the letter! Massa God say gi you a lick."

He believes that there is obeah in many people, especially in women. To eradicate this obeah, he performs what he calls the "balm" when he beats the patient with wet calico and rams the abdomen with clenched fists.

He is a great hypocrite, pretends to love prayer, but during that time, if he hears the least noise, he jumps out and swears, speaking all bad words, and if possible punishes the offenders.

Boil few neighbours [sic] pot water with your own putting in a silver threepence. As the boiler begins to boil the person will begin to swell.

If the ground is wet, and the foot prints be left on the sod, dig up the foot-printed sod, and suspend it over the fire.

Take some of the refuse of the stolen things and cast into the sea; as the sea is rolling, so the person's intestines will roll.

Plant the "guinea yam" with a short stick to support the sprout, and a silver threepence in the sod, and in the case of larceny, flog off the leaves. Take care that in flogging off the leaves none drop on you, or else you will share the same fate.

Plant "pain-cocoa" or "dum-cane" with a silver threepence and in the case of larceny beat off the leaves.

If you suspect a person to be the thief, try the broom-weed gallows.

Burn a plant called "Wangra" and the person's skin will strip off.