Is it not possible that the something, is mesmerism, that the subjects are mesmerized by their own belief in the brujo, or that the brujo himself has acquired the power of hypnotism though unconscious of the source or nature of this power, a “power” that makes him different from other men?
Superstition is a serious menace to the advancement of Cuba.
The Primitive Inhabitants of Cuba
Fortunately for history, most early Spanish expeditions were accompanied by such observers as Las Casas, Cortés, Gomara and Oviedo, who although differing in minor details and unreliably eulogistic of their own expeditions and leaders have agreed on their accounts of the habits of the Indians as found at the time of the discovery.
Bartolomé Las Casas in particular made a study of the Indians and in so far as possible sought to relieve their sufferings.
Separated by but a narrow stretch of water from the other islands of the West Indies, Cuba was inhabited by an entirely different race of men. The Caribes, who infested the smaller islands, were a warlike tribe of anthropophagi who terrorized the shores of Cuba by frequent and bloody excursions, carrying off many captives for their cannibalistic feasts.
The Indians of Cuba were of the Siboneyes tribe, excepting those about Bayamo and Baracoa, who were of the Caribe nation. In these two localities deformed skulls have been found identical with those collected at Guadalupe, the principal seat of the Caribes.
Several hypotheses have been given of the origin of the Siboney Indians. Some writers claim them as descendants of the Mayas of Yucatan, but Bachiller y Morales disposes this on the radical difference of the characters of the two tribes. With the exception of the Floridians and the Araucanians of Chile; the Siboneyes are unlike all other American Indians.
Abbe Don J. Ignatius Molina writing of the Araucanian about the year 1800 says, “The natives of this part of the New World being of a mild character, much resembling that of the Southern Asiatics,” and again: “The features of both (hill or plain tribes) are regular; they have round faces, small animated eyes full of expression, a nose rather flat, a handsome mouth, even and white teeth, muscular and well shaped limbs and small flat feet.”