they had twice encircled the fire. That done, they
took a bunch of little sticks prepared for that purpose,
continuing still their devotion, and at the end of every song and
oration, they laid down a stick betwixt the divisions of corn.
Till night neither he nor they did eat or drink, and then they
feasted merrily with the provisions they could make. Three days
they used this ceremony, the meaning whereof they told him was to
know if he intended them well or no. The circle of meal signified
their country, the circles of corn the bounds of the sea, and the
sticks his country. They imagined the world to be flat and round
like a trencher, and they in the midst."

Thus far is Smith's story of conjuration concerning himself; but when he
says they encircled the fire with wheat, I am apt to believe he means
their Indian corn, which some, contrary to the custom of the rest of
mankind will still call by the name of Indian wheat.

The latter story of conjuration is this: Some few years ago, there
happened a very dry time towards the heads of the rivers, and especially
on the upper parts of James river, where Col. Byrd had several quarters
of negroes. This gentleman has been for a long time extremely respected
and feared by all the Indians round about, who, without knowing the name
of any governor, have ever been kept in order by him. During this
drought, an Indian, well known to one of the Colonel's overseers, came
to him, and asked if his tobacco was not like to be spoiled? The
overseer answered yes, if they had not rain very suddenly. The Indian,
who pretended great kindness for his master, told the overseer if he
would promise to give him two bottles of rum, he would bring him rain
enough. The overseer did not believe anything of the matter, not seeing
at that time the least appearance of rain, nor so much as a cloud in the
sky; however, he promised to give him the rum when his master came
thither, if he would be as good as his word. Upon this, the Indian went
immediately a pauwawing as they call it, and in about half an hour,
there came up a black cloud into the sky that showered down rain enough
upon this gentleman's corn and tobacco, but none at all upon any of the
neighbors, except a few drops of the skirts of the shower. The Indian
for that time went away without returning to the overseer again, till he
heard of his master's arrival at the falls, and then he came to him and
demanded the two bottles o