"he, I assure you is a positive fact"!!!--I find that the indians have recourse to this method also. But you must observe: as is the disease::so is the remedy. Another story just now occurs to me which I shall relate, not so much to multiply these pretended proofs as to shew that our Iroquois, Algonquins &c. &c. are not such complete converts to the Christian faith as most people may complacently imagine, but rather have a mongrel religion like those whom the King of Babylon sent to inhabit Samaria when he carried Reuben & Ephraim captives (In the Bible). This winter an Iroquois (35) told me that one winter he was out a Beaver hunting with many of his friends.--The oldest man of their party proposed one day that a certain number of them should go out a hunting Moose or Buffaloe, & the others Beaver. This one says "I returned at night after "a good success--the old man nothing--he became envious--a quarrel ensued; & after "this many others. One day I fired at a moose as he was running past me, he fell--I "went to him; & just as I was for beginning to skin he rose up, but with my "axe I bro't him down--it was very far from home--I merely opened him & "returned light, trusting to the others of our party; for I had no desire of partaking of the dry "provisions the old fellow had, of his own. Imediately on entering the lodge we had a- "nother severe quarrel, & he told me I should not any more exult in my prowess "as he should take care I should not kill any more animals for _some time_. As we "were coming to _knife work_, I ordered my wife to bundle up all our things & my "lodge, & pitch off--it was then late, & I had not yet eaten. As none of my "friends knew that I had killed, I did not chuse to tell them, but merely said "as I was going off 'Let those who are fond of me, or who chuse, follow me'; but none came, "& I encamped upon my moose. Every day I went a hunting--scarcely a week "passed but I fired 20, 30, & sometimes upward of 50 Shot, upon Buffaloe or Moose, "but could never kill--I would _miss_, or _the ball twisting in the hair would "fall by the animal_ without doing further injury. I starved for a long time-- "& became so weake that I could hardly walk. At last my wife (a woman of "this country) one day that I had been out as usual had prepared some good "strong lye, & on my return washed my Gun with it; filled it, & stopping "both the orifices put it over the smoke where it remained all night. She "also took a number of the balls & boiled them likewise in the lye, telling me she had "seen her uncle do so many years before when he too had been bewitched.--I thought at "all events it could do no harm; & besides I could have done anything, I was so hungry.-- "The next day I went out again,--found another flock or herd of near 20 Buffaloe, "I drew nigh & took all my usual precautions--I fired, one dropped; fired again, "another dropped:--I killed 14 out of that herd; & ever after missed not once"!