siOBX; - Smithsonian Institution

SwANTON] CHOCTAW SOCIAL AND CEEEMONIAL. LIFE 239
by many men, not for things that were reasonable but on account
of what he was called to do. He was called for great things in this
world and the time has come when he must do them. When he is
able to stand it I will separate the impure part of his blood from the
right blood and he will be a well man," Then he said to him,
" Seven days from to-day come to my house and I will do the Avork
for you." After that he told one of the children to dip up a pail
of water at the spring and bring it straight to him without playing
with it. As soon as this was provided, he dipped his fingers into it
and sprinkled Simpson's face and head with it and it gave Simspon
a peculiar sensation. Then he went to his feet alid sprinkled them
and he sprinkled his hands in the same manner, rubbing the joints
of his hands and fingers as well. Then he said, " You may have
one more spell like this, but that will be about all you will ever
have," And in fact he did have one more attack of the kind and it
was the last for a long time.
Belief in witches, which seems to have been an overshadowing
horror to so many peoples, was equally rampant among the Choctaw,
The native name for them (hatak holhlmnna) has already been
given." In 1731 Du Koullet records that the Choctaw believed the
English and Chickasaw had killed many of their people " by means
of a medicine which they had spread among them," ^^
In 1742 " the chief of the Mobiliens [a small tribe closely related
to the Choctaw] had two of the warriors of his village killed, one of
them a medicine man who had treated a Choctaw who had afterward
died. An accusation of sorcery was given as the reason for sacrific-
ing them." ^^
Bossu says:
The Clmctfis have great faith in sorcerers or wizards, aud when tliey discover
one, they knock off his head without ceremony."
I saw a savage belonging to this nation who had been baptized a short time
before, and who, because he did not succee