A man that I have with me at present, in consequence of some slips of his rib, had frequent and some severe quarrels with her. She began to hate him and wanted to go with her paramour. The husband though vexed and confused did not want to lose her. He began by soothing, coaxing, and caressing her. But she always bawled out as loud as she could that everybody might hear, though it were at midnight, "Thou white dog! Leave me alone. Why art thou fumbling at me?"
The more she became averse the more he coaxed, and she bawling out, "Don't slabber me!" every time he attempted to kiss her. And she was watching a fair opportunity to slip off to her lover (an Indian).
At last he lodged his complaints to me and asked if I could not assist him. I gave him some of this medicine with the usual directions. And [I] told him as soon as he had executed all properly, to come away and leave her and not return to her for a couple of days so that in her turn she might suffer.
He had not long left her 'till she called for him as if wanting something. And like a goose he went immediately, though I done all I could to make him pay her in her own coin. Since that time they live as you see them. But if you doubt of this also, you can easily make the experiment. Chuse any one you please, and let her be ever so coy, and shy, you will bring her as you want!!!
Shortly after this I made some general enquiries of the man latterly in question. But he would not avow [to it], though from his confusion and [the] precipetency with which he answered, I believe there is something in the business.
It is with this medicine (continued the half breed) that the young men do completely and universally succeed with all the women that please them.
[Effecting and Avoiding Spells]
With this also, principally, they succeed in bewitching any one they are averse to, and prevent them from killing such animals as they please. They draw the likeness of the animal or animals they do not chuse the others to kill, put of this medicine (though most commonly mixed with some others in this latter case) upon the hearts, and desire that they may become shy and fly off upon any the least appearance or approach of them. Or they will conjure and desire some of their familiars, one or several, to haunt such a one in all his motions and scare and frighten off and render wise any such and such animals—and let the distance be hundreds of miles off. Their familiars, that are spirits residing in the air, and transport themselves in an instant to any place they [please], and who see all that is going on below, keep all away accordingly.
To evade this is a task that but few can succeed in. They must first conjure to learn who it is that has bewitched them. Then they inquire what is to be done. But here lies the difficulty. Sometimes they are told they must leave the appointed time run out; at others [perform] such and such ceremonies, which is tantamount to the first answer; but at others again, it is easily dispelled. This depends entirely upon the precautions the bewitcher has taken; the power, influence, or number of his dreamed; as also on the other hand, the dreamed, their power; [and on the] influence of the bewitched. But sometimes on a very slight or trivial cause depends the whole.