I have before remarked that the natives of this part of Africa are extremely cleanly.  This necessary habit of decency was with us a part of religion, and therefore we had many purifications and washings; indeed almost as many, and used on the same occasions, if my recollection does not fail me, as the Jews.  Those that touched the dead at any time were obliged to wash and purify themselves before they could enter a dwelling-house.  Every woman too, at certain times, was forbidden to come into a dwelling-house, or touch any person, or any thing we ate.  I was so fond of my mother I could not keep from her, or avoid touching her at some of those periods, in consequence of which I was obliged to be kept out with her, in a little house made for that purpose, till offering was made, and then we were purified.

Though we had no places of public worship, we had priests and magicians, or wise men.  I do not remember whether they had different offices, or whether they were united in the same persons, but they were held in great reverence by the people.  They calculated our time, and foretold events, as their name imported, for we called them Ah-affoe-way-cah, which signifies calculators or yearly men, our year being called Ah-affoe.  They wore their beards, and when they died they were succeeded by their sons.  Most of their implements and things of value were interred along with them.  Pipes and tobacco were also put into the grave with the corpse, which was always perfumed and ornamented, and animals were offered in sacrifice to them.  None accompanied their funerals but those of the same profession or tribe.  These buried them after sunset, and always returned from the grave by a different way from that which they went.

These magicians were also our doctors or physicians.  They practised bleeding by cupping; and were very successful in healing wounds and expelling poisons.  They had likewise some extraordinary method of discovering jealousy, theft, and poisoning; the success of which no doubt they derived from their unbounded influence over the credulity and superstition of the people.  I do not remember what those methods were, except that as to poisoning:  I recollect an instance or two, which I hope it will not be deemed impertinent here to insert, as it may serve as a kind of specimen of the rest, and is still used by the negroes in the West Indies.  A virgin had been poisoned, but it was not known by whom:  the doctors ordered the corpse to be taken up by some persons, and carried to the grave.  As soon as the bearers had raised it on their shoulders, they seemed seized with some[F] sudden impulse, and ran to and fro unable to stop themselves.  At last, after having passed through a number of thorns and prickly bushes unhurt, the corpse fell from them close to a house, and defaced it in the fall; and, the owner being taken up, he immediately confessed the poisoning[G].