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require, and the information submitted by the said Doña Leonor Dominguez, together with [that of] Martin Fernandez, Casilda de Contreras, and the wife of Pedro de Avila, and the husband of the Complainant, all agreed in the aforesaid, in setting forth that it is false, futile and despicable, by reason of which and of the good effects resulting from the said proceedings, I must declare, as I do by these presents declare, the said three Indian women to be free as regards the [matter] produced in the declarations contained in the preceding pages, and be it known that this decree and sentence [judgment] in favor of the above mentioned is signed together with my secretary of the interior and of war, who is ordered to make it publicly known in their persons and certify to its proclamation, dated as above.

Source: Ralph Emerson Twitchell, ed., The Spanish Archives of New Mexico; compiled and chronologically arranged with historical, genealogical, geographical, and other annotations, by authority of the state of New Mexico (Cedar Rapids: The Torch Press, 1914), v. 2, 142–43, 144–45, 146–49, 152–54, 158–60, 162, 163.

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13. Willem Bosman Explains the

Ritual Use of Poison in Guinea, 1704

Willem Bosman was a Dutch trader who worked on the coast of West Africa, at the major slaving entrepot of Elmina, and, after fourteen years there, wrote an account that was published first in Dutch in 1704 and a year later in English. In this excerpt, Bosman describes religious practices for a European audience.

I promised just now to explain the Word Fetiche, which is used in various Senses. Fetiche or Bossum in the Negro Language, derives its self from their False God, which they call Bossum. Are they enclined to make Offerings to their Idols, or desire to be informed of something by them? they cry out, Let us make Fetiche; by which they express as much, as let us perform our Religious Worship, and see or hear what our God saith. In like manner, if they are injured by another they make Fetiche to destroy him in the following manner: they cause some Victuals and Drink to be Exorcised by their Feticheer or Priest, and scatter it in some place which their Enemy is accustomed to pass; firmly believing, that he who comes to touch this conjured Stuff shall certainly dye soon after. Those who are afraid of this coming to such places, cause themselves to be carried over them; for ‘tis the wonderful Nature of this Exorcised Truth, that then it does not in the least affect the Person, nor can it at all affect those who carry him, or any Body else besides him. . . .

If they are robbed they make use of much the same means for the discovery and condign Punishment of the Thief: They are so obstinately bigoted to this Opinion, that if you should produce a hundred Instances of Impotence, ‘twou’d be impossible to alter their Sentiments, they having always something ready on which to charge its contrary Success. If any person be caught strowing this Poison, he is very severely punished, nay, sometimes with Death, though it be on the last account of Thieving, which is here freely allowed. Obligatory Swearing they also call, making of Fetiche’s; is any Obligation to be confirmed, their Phrase is, let us as a farther Confirmation make Fetiche’s. When they drink the Oath-Drought, ’tis usually accompanied with an Imprecation, that the Fetiche may kill them if they do not perform the Contents of their Obligation. Every Person entering into any Obligation is obliged to drink this Swearing Liquor. When any Nation is hired to the Assistance of another, all the Chief ones are obliged to drink this Liquor, with an Imprecation, that their Fetiche may punish them with Death, if they do not assist them with utmost Vigour to Extirpate their Enemy. . . . If you ask what Opinion the Negroes have of those who falsify their Obligations confirmed by the Oath-Drink; they believe the perjured Person shall be swelled by that Liquor till he bursts; or if that doth not happen, that he shall shortly dye of a Languishing Sickness; The first Punishment they imagine more peculiar