In the year 1765, an old physician, or prophet, almost drunk with spirituous liquors, came to pay me a friendly visit: his situation made him more communicative than he would have been if quite sober. When he came to the door, he bowed himself half bent, with his arms extended north and south, continuing so perhaps for the space of a minute. Then raising himself erect, with his arms in the same position, he looked in a wild frightful manner, from the south-west toward the north, and sung on a low bass key _Yo Yo Yo Yo_, almost a minute, then _He He He He_, for perhaps the same space of time, and _Wa Wa Wa Wa_, in like manner; and then transposed, and accented those sacred notes several different ways, in a most rapid guttural manner. Now and then he looked upwards, with his head considerably bent backward;—his song continued about a quarter of an hour. As my door which was then open stood east, his face of course looked toward the west; but whether the natives thus usually invoke the deity, I cannot determine; yet as all their winter houses have their doors toward the east, had he used the like solemn invocations there, his face would have consequently looked the same way, contrary to the usage of {176} the heathens. After his song, he stepped in: I saluted him, saying, “Are you come my beloved old friend?” he replied, _Arahre-O_. “I am come in the name of _OEA._” I told him, I was glad to see, that in this mad age, he still retained the old Chikkasah virtues. He said, that as he came with a glad heart to see me his old friend, he imagined he could not do me a more kind service, than to secure my house from the power of the evil spirits of the north, south, and west,—and, from witches, and wizards, who go about in dark nights, in the shape of bears, hogs, and wolves, to spoil people: “the very month before, added he, we killed an old witch, for having used destructive charms.” Because a child was suddenly taken ill, and died, on the physician’s false evidence, the father went to the poor helpless old woman who was sitting innocent, and unsuspecting, and sunk his tomohawk into her head, without the least fear of being called to an account. They call witches and wizards, _Ishtabe_, and _Hoollabe_, “man-killers,” and “spoilers of things sacred.” My prophetic friend desired me to think myself secure from those dangerous enemies of darkness, for (said he) _Tarooa Ishtohoollo-Antarooare_, “I have sung the song of the great holy one.” The Indians are so tenacious of concealing their religious mysteries, that I never before observed such an invocation on the like occasion—adjuring evil spirits, witches, &c. by the awful name of deity.[77] ARGUMENT XIX.