of the Pintados a small house at the entrance of the village with only the roof and ground floor, which served as a place where sacrifices are performed.  But, after all, it was not the general practice to have any common place of worship, as did the ancient Pagans, or to come together to any one place for solemn rites, or to have public and general sacrifices offered in the name of the community.  Individuals, however, made offerings, each one for his own intention or need, and in his own house or other private place; but they chose jointly their own priest, male or female (of whom there were many), according to their own devotion and taste.  In Mindanao I saw many houses furnished on the outside with small platforms made not unskilfully, of cane, and on these stood some little wooden idols very poorly carved; and in front of the idols was an earthen pot containing some hot coals and a little of some disagreeable aromatic, which must have been a sacrifice to the idols.  But although those people had no temples, they had, in the second place, priests and priestesses, whom the Tagalos call Catolonan, and the Bissayans Babailan.  They vied with each who could best contrive with the Devil (who deceived them) to take advantage of the blindness of the people, to deceive them by a thousand frauds and artifices.  Father Antonio Sedeno related how, at the time when he was living in Florida, he undeceived the Indians concerning one of these impostors of their own nation.  This man pretended to heal diseases by applying a tube to that part where the sick man felt most pain, and then with his mouth at the other end sucking the air from within:  after this operation, he spat from his mouth three small pebbles, which he claimed to have extracted from the body of the patient. [84] The father, by a very efficient means, once made him spit the pebbles out of his mouth before applying the tube, and thus his deception was revealed.  In like manner these priests practice many deceptions upon those blinded infidels—­especially in cases of sickness with which the latter are afflicted, which so oppress them that they seek at once a remedy, and whomsoever gives or promises it to them they revere and worship, and give him their all.  Indeed there are some of these priests who have a special compact with the Devil, who lends them signal aid and assistance, Almighty God permitting this for his own hidden purposes.  The Devil communicates with them through their idols or anitos, playing the role of the dead man whom they are adoring; and often he enters into the person of the priest himself, for the short space of the sacrifice, and makes him say and do things which overwhelm and terrify the onlookers.  This divine fervor is also attained (the duties of the office being taught) through special friendship, or kinship, or as a legacy.  This inheritance is highly esteemed by them, in their blindness—­and through cupidity, for, besides the renown and honor with which all look up to them, those infernal ministers obtain rich offerings (that is, the third part), all of which are for them.  For no one will be present at the sacrifice who does not make an offering—­gold, cotton, a fowl, or other things.