A VOYAGE TO BORNEO.

*33

to come one day, when Mr. Becher was delirious, and perceiving him to be veryearned: in fpeaking, he afked us what he talked of? We told him, he was feila, thatis, light-headed $ and we explained to him what extravagant things he faid. Where-upon he told us, that he was poffeffed with the devil, and that it was not he that fpoke,but the devil that was within him. He begged that we would carry fome fowls, riceand fruit, and offer it to the devil in the woods, where they have certain places forthat purpofe, and that then the devil would leave him ; for, fays he, what fignifiesthe expence? We anfwered him, that we knew better things, and that his illnefs didnot proceed from what he imagined ; that we Chriftians feared not the devil, forthat he had no power to hurt any, but thofe that put their truft in him, and notin God .' The old man laughed at our notions, and faid, that their Sultan was ofour opinion, but that for his own part he knew otherwife by experience. The nextday he came to fee him again; and upon his enquiring how he did, Mr. Becher (beingthen fenfible) anfwered him, that he was fomething better, but that he had a great painacrofs his ftomach. “Aye,” fays the old man, “ I told you yefterday what the matter was,but you are fools, and would not believe me, nor be ruled by me; for though thedevil is gone, he has fmote you on the ftomach ; and without you follow my directions,you will certainly die in a very little time.” Then he defired that his wife might gpand make fuch offerings; but Mr. Becher anfwered, that fhe might do what fhepleafed, but not on his account; for that he would rather lofe his life, than bebeholden to the devil for it.

The manner of thefe offerings is thus: when any perfon is very ill, efpecially inthe condition Mr. Becher was, imagining him to be poffeffed, they buy the aforefaidprovifions; and having dreffed them with as much care as if they were to make afplendid entertainment, they carry this banquet into the woods to a certain houfe orflied, built always under the largeft trees near the water fide, where they leave it.As to what ceremonies of prayer, &c. they ufe on this occafion, I know not parti-cularly ; only that they invite the devil very kindly to it, affuring him that it is verygood, and well dreffed, and begging him to accept it. Now thefe woods are fo fullof monkies, that if never fo much was left at night they would devour all beforemorning, which thefe ignorant creatures believe to be eaten by the devil ; and if theperfon recovers, they think themfelves very much obliged to him for his civility andgood nature, and by way of thanks they fend him more: but if the perfon dies,then they rail againft him, calling him a crofs ill-natured devil ; that he is often a-deceiver, and that he has been very ungrateful in accepting the prefent, and thenkilling their friend : in fine, they are very angry with him. I faw one of thefehoufes on the banks of the narrow river, where we paffed almoft daily, under a vafttree, which is called the devil’s tree. They have befides, feveral other ways ofmchanting away diftempers, and fixing them fometimes on other perfons, as theythink. One particular manner is thus : they make a thing in the form of a boat, butto little, that one may carry it in his hand ; into this they put fome offerings, andmt it on the water, and let it go adrift; but woe be to him, as they imagine, thattakes it up. I was once going to take up one of thofe diabolical ftore-ftips as it floateddown the river ; but the natives cried out immediately, charging me not to touch it,mr that I ffiould inftantly die, the devil would be in that rage with me, for interceptinghis provifions. I often enquired of them, whether they ever faw the devil ; and beinganfwered in the affirmative, I offered to go any where with them to fee him ; but theyrerufed to go purpofely on that account, by reafon he would be very angry at it, and

they