Miscellanea Curiosa, Vol. 3 · Royal Society
_SIR_,
I told them, if any thing in the World would save his Life, I judged it must be the former Vomit of Volatile Salts; they could not tell what to do, nevertheless such is the Malignancy of the World, that as soon as it was given, they ran away and left me, saying, he was now certainly a dead Man, to have a Vomit given in that condition. Nevertheless it pleased God that he shortly after cried, _This Fellow in the Black has done me good_, and after the first Vomit, came so to himself, as to know us all. I vomited him every other day with this Vomit for three times, and made him in the Interim to take Volatile Salt of Amber, and the aforesaid Powders, and to wash his Hands, and Sores in a strong Salt Brine: to drink Posset-drink with Sage and Rue, and by this course, and the Blessing of God, his Life was saved, and he perfectly cured, for it is now four Years since, and he had had no Relapse. I have cured several others by the same Method.
Coll. _Spencer_, the Secretary of State in _Virginia_, a very Serious and Ingenious Gentleman, told me, that his Servant brought him word once that a Sow having farrow'd, a Rattle-Snake was got into the Den, and had kill'd the Piggs. The Colonel went to see the Snake, which they said was still coyl'd in the Den; there followed them two or three Mungrel Curs, and they sat one of the Dogs at the Snake, which was too quick for the Dog, and snapt him by the Nose, whereupon he set a howling, and run immediately into the adjacent River, and died very shortly after. Another of the Dogs upon the like attempt was bit by the Snake also, and fell a howling, and frothing, and tumbling; but being he died not so soon as the other Dog did, they fetched some of the Herb which they call Dittany, as having a great Traditionary Vertue for the Cure of Poisons; they pounded it, and adding a little Water, express'd the Juice, and gave the Dog frequently thereof, nevertheless he died within a day or two. The howling of the Dogs he supposed gave notice to the Sow, and made her come furiously bristling, and run immediately into her Den; but being likewise bit by the Snake, she set up a terrible Squeak, and ran also into the River, and there died.
A Gentlewoman, that was a notable Female Doctress, told me, that a Neighbour being bit by a Rattle-Snake, swelled excessively; some days afterwards she was sent for, who found him swell'd beyond what she thought it had been possible for the Skin to contain, and very Thirsty. She gave him _Oriental Bezoar_ shaved, with a strong Decoction of the aforesaid Dittany, whereby she recovered the Person: To the best of my Remembrance, it was he that told me, asking him afterwards, what he felt when the Snake first bit him? He said, it seemed as if a flash of Fire had ran through his Veins. Besides the Rattle-Snake, there is the Blowing-Snake, an absolute Species of a Viper, but larger than any that I have seen in _Europe_; it is so called, because it seems to blow, and spread its Head, and swell very much before it bite, which is very deadly. It is Remarkable there is none of their Snakes there, make any of that hissing noise that ours in _England_ make, but only shoot out their Tongues, shaking them as ours do, without any noise at all; this is a short thick sort of Snake. There is another sort of deadly Snake, called the _Red-Snake_; I once narrowly escaped treading on the back of one of them: They are of an ugly dark brown colour, inclining to red; their Bellies are of a more dusky white, with a large streak of Vermillion Red on either side; this too is of the Viper kind, but is not so short, but its Tail is more taper and small. The _Horn-Snake_ is, as they say, another sort of deadly Snake; I never saw any of them, unless once, shortly after my Arrival in that Country, which I cannot attest to be the Horn-Snake, for I could not distinctly view it, being in a Thicket of _Sumach_, it was perch'd up about two Foot high in a _Sumach_ Branch, its Tail twisted about the Shrub, and about a quarter of a Yard stood bolt forward, leaning over the forked branch thereof: I could not see the Horn, which they say it has in its front, wherewith it strikes, and if it wounds, is as deadly as the Rattle-Snake's bite. The Gentleman that was with me, told me it was a Horn-Snake, but being in hast, and on Horse-back, and the Snake in a Thicket, I could not see the Horn; but had I thought I should never have seen more of them, I should have took a little pains to have been better satisfied. This I think may not improperly be referr'd to the _Dart-Snakes_.
The _Black-Snake_, is the largest I think of all others, but I am sure the most common; I have kill'd several of them full six Foot long, their Bite is not deemed Mortal, but it swells, and turns to a Running Sore; they feed upon Lizards, Mice, Rats, Frogs, and Toads, which I have taken out of their Bellies. I was once a Simpling in the woods, on a fair Sun-shine day, when I saw a Snake crawling on a Tree that was fallen, and licking with its forked Tongue as it moved; I stood still to observe it, and saw it lick up small Insects and Flies with wonderful nimbleness, catching them betwixt the Forks of its Tongue. The _Corn-Snake_, most like the Rattle-Snake of all others in colour, but the Checkers are not so regular, neither has it any Rattles: They are most frequent in the Corn-Fields, and thence I suppose so called; the Bite is not so venomous as the Black-Snakes. The _Water-Snake_, a small Snake, I never saw any of them above a Yard long, though I have sometimes seen Forty or Fifty at once; they are of an ugly dark blackish colour: They say, they are the least Venomous of any. _Part of Two Letters from Mr. _J. Hillier_, dated _Cape Corse_, _Jan. 3. 1687/8._ and _Apr. 25. 1688._ Wrote to the Reverend Dr. _Bathurst_, President of _Trinity Colledge, Oxon_; giving an Account of the Customs of the Inhabitants, the Air, _&c._ of that Place, together with an Account of the Weather there from _Nov. 24. 1686._ to the same Day 1687._
_Cape Corse, Jan. 3. 1687/8._ I Thought the Custom of destroying Slaves at the Death of great People had been abolish'd, and I was so inform'd; but we have seen that it is not; for _Oct. 3._ this Year, died _Ahen Penin Ashrive_, King of _Feton_, here at _Cape Corse_, where he had been long sick; the Fetishers had done all they could to save his Life, which was nothing at all to purpose; their Physick scarce extends to any thing but the Flux, and what we call the French Disease; his was a Consumption and an Asthma (if I mistake not the Word) of a great continuance: so they fled to the Aid of their Religion, and according it seems to the Rules of that, they made several Pellets of Clay, which they set in his Room, in Rank and File, all sprinkled with blood; besides the several Muttons which they eat to his good Health.
But that was of too little Force; so the Man died, having delivered his Sword to the Dy, who in the _Interregnum_ was to be the principal Man, for the Kingdom is Elective, contrary to what we wrote before, and commanding him to be constant to the _English_, of whom himself had been a great Favourer, with a Threat, if he was not, of haunting him after his Death; he also appointed one of his Wives, whom he thought worthy of that unlucky Honour, to accompany him to the other World; the next Day he was carried to _Feton_, and buried there, _Nov. 2._ with the poor Woman we spoke of. Presently after, they that were considerable, or had a mind to seem so, sent in them that they had a mind to Murder in Honour of the King: how many there were 'tis hard to say, the highest Account gives 90, the lowest 50, the middle 70; the Blacks do not understand Arithmetick, so the Numbers they give in all Cases are very uncertain. I think there were about Eight from this Town, which will not hold Proportion to the highest rate; but 'tis like near _Feton_ there might be more. They say also, that many more will follow at half a Years distance from his Death. The manner of the Execution of these poor Creatures I have not yet learnt, only that they make them drink and dance, with a great deal of Bravery all the begining of the Day, and towards Night cut off their Heads, but whether by that they mean the common way of their Executions I am yet to seek.
After the Kings Funeral, the next thing was to chuse a Successor; so the People was called together at _Feton_, (I suppose by the Authority of the Dy) without inquiring any thing of their Freehold; they pitched upon Mr. _Dy_, though he was not of the Blood-Royal; the Reason was, as they said, because he had Power enough to do what he pleas'd, and they could do nothing against him; but he refused the Honour because of the Charge 'twould put him to, and propos'd the Brother of the deceased King: So the Business stuck some time, but at last 'twas accorded, and he [King _Ashrive_'s Brother] declared King, _Nov. 18._ his Name is _Ahenaco_. 'Tis Wonder how they could dispatch such a Business, with so little Disturbance; but I suppose there was no considerable Number that dissented; otherwise it would scarce have been determined without Blood-shed; for it would scarce have been possible for them to have taken any Pole. I said it was doubt whether these Sacrifices died after the rate of their ordinary Executions; if you would know that, thus it is, the Creature that is condemn'd, is made to drink abundance of Palm-Wine, and to dance, every Body that will, in the mean time striking or pushing him, when that is over, as is said, he is thrown down, his Face into the Sand, which whether it stifle him or not, I can't tell, then his Legs are cut off below the Knees, and his Arms below the Elbow, afterward his Thigh and his Arms below the Shoulder, lastly his Head.
A Man would not expect any thing more barbarous than this; yet there is a Custom which has something worse; when any one has new Drums or Trumpets, 'tis necessary that they be consecrated with Humane Blood: I have known but one happen of this Kind, that was _Jan. 7. 1686/7._ when after the Man had been executed after the former rate, about Eight in the Morning; at one in the Afternoon, they drank Palm-Wine out of the upper part of his Skull, and this in the sight of all the Factors at _Cape Corse_. I remember for the Unhealthiness of the Place, you proposed to inquire if it were Woody, and if any good might be done to it by cutting down the Woods, as has happen'd in many _American_ Plantations; of that Matter this is what I can say. The Shore lies almost East and West, expos'd to the Sea wholly upon the South, the Country is Hilly, the Hills not very high, but thick, clustering together, the Valleys between extream narrow, the whole in a manner cover'd with certain Shrubs, low, but very thick; what the People Till, comes not to above a Tenth part of their Ground; and where they do Till, it hinders not that within half a Year the Ground is over-grown as before, for they do not root up the Shrubs, but only cut, or sometimes burn them somewhat close to the Earth, so they spring again in a very little time; this is sufficient for their planting the Corn, which they do by making little Holes in the Earth at a competent Distance, and putting Seeds into them.
It may be that if those Shrubs were destroyed, the Matter might be mended, which yet is not to be hop'd for, but by bringing the People to some kind of Industry, and that will not be easie; they are so wholly given to Laziness, and so intirely bred up in it, that there must be the greatest Change imaginable, before they become any whit tolerable; a Man may see their Temper by this, that though their Tillage be very easie, and the Earth yields many Hundreds for One, yet so little is the use they make of it, that One scarce Year brings them to danger of Starving, and though there be People enough, and every Man has Power of choosing what he will, that is not already Till'd by some other, yet not the Tenth Part, as we have said, is employed: So that a Man would wonder what came in the French Man's Head to fancy them Industrious; but subtile they are, and diligent to Cheat any Man that is not cautious enough to avoid it.
So that the Fault of the Wood is (by the Laziness of the People) without any Remedy. But there may be something in the Earth it self; the Water which they have here in Pits (Rain-Water for the most part, but yet strain'd through the Earth) has a kind of Taste mixt of Sweet and Subacid, if I understand what I say, I am told 'tis of Vitriol, whether that be mischievous, you know better than I do. But I take this for certain, since I have had it from good Hands, that at _Widdah_, which is one of the most unhealthy Places in _Guiney_, but 'tis not upon the Gold-coast, he that opens the Ground, though it be but to dig a Grave, runs the Hazard of his Life: So mischievous are the Steams from thence arising. It's possible there may be some such Steams here, only not so violent; though in _England_ I think, a Gravel or a Sand (which here are always uppermost for as much as I have seen) are esteem'd very wholesom Soils; under them is a kind of whitish Marle almost like Fullers-Earth. For the Air, except what I have said before, I do not know what Fault it has; 'tis extream hot, 'tis also subtile and piercing, and I believe enters a Man's Body easier than that in _England_. It has been clearer than that uses to be one day with another, even this last Year, which has been the wettest and most cloudy which has happen'd a long time; I think to give you an Account of the Weather in it as soon as I have time to transcribe.
For the Age of the Inhabitants, 'tis very uncertain, because none of them keep an Account of it; there are some of them very Grey, but if the Country be to them unhealthy, Grey Hairs may come early: I think there be many more Funerals here than at _Oxford_, though that be a much larger Place, especially in the Rain-times, which to us are always healthful. I think that much of the Mortality (not all) that happens among Strangers, is the Effect of their ill Diet, and ill Government of themselves; for they eat but little, having neither Stomach nor Mony to buy what they want; but they drink excessively, being for that more readily trusted, and of Liquors very hot and Spirituous; and if any chuse the cold rather, his Stomach is chil'd, and he is in danger of a Flux or an extream Looseness, and that immediately. There is another thing, Men guard themselves less from the Air than in any other Places trusting to the Heat of the Climate, and receive the cool of the Evening with only a Shirt. Now I think that the Air, tho' not so cold, is much more subtle and piercing here, than in our Country, it corrodes Iron much more, not by the Moisture, for it is not so moist, and besides it does it in the dry Weather too. Perhaps there are some other Effects to evidence the same thing; besides that, the Diet which most Men procure, is not extraordinary, and the passing by Canoes from one Place to another has a Danger in it beside that of the Sea.
_An Account of the Weather at _Cape Corse_ in _Guiney_, from Nov. 24. 1686. to the same Day, 1687._ Lat. N. 4_d._ 49_m._ _Nov. 1686._ 24. And 25. Clear and Hot. 26. About 2. _a. m._ a Storm of Rain with Thunder for ½ Hour. 27. At the same Hour, Rain which lasted somewhat longer. 28. About 5. _a. m._ Some Rain, afterward Misty, about 10. extream hot. 29. About 2. _a. m._ a great storm of Rain, slacking often but renewing again, it lasted about an Hour; the Day after clear. _December, 1686._ Thence to _Dec. 7._ clear; then cloudy in the Morning; between 12. and 1. _p. m._ a Shower lasting about ½ Hour. Thence clear and hot. 10. A little Mist in the Morning, otherwise very clear and hot; so till 15. 15. And some Days after somewhat thick, especially in the Morning. 19, And 20. We had a dry North, and North-Easterly Wind, call'd an Hermitan, and it overcame the Sea-Breeze; found very ill for the Eyes, and most Men complained of a Feverish Temper; it was parching, but rather colder than ordinary. 21. It ceased; a clear Air and very hot. 23. We had the Hermitan again; but the Morrow it ceased; then and 25. Some Clouds, but no Rain. Thence to 29. clear and hot; 29. the Hermitan returned, but did not continue.
Thence Clouds sometimes, but no Rain till _Jan. 2._ This Month we had Three Funerals, one being Sick of the Flux laid violent Hands upon himself, through impatience of the Pain, the 3d Day. The Second upon the 25th died convulsively, not having been Sick above one Day. The Third, _Dec. 27._ died of a Dropsy, which had succeeded a tedious Flux. _January, 1686/7._ 2. About 5. _a. m._ Rain for ½ Hour between 7. and 9. an Hour; from ½ Hour past 9. to 1. _p. m._ the rest cloudy. 5. At 2. _a. m._ about ½ Hour. 8. At 1. in the Morning about an Hour, the Days between somewhat cloudy. Thence to 12. extream hot. 12, And 14. somewhat cloudy otherwise the Heat continued. 17. At 7. _p. m._ a Tornada for above ½ Hour, and about 12. at Night another; but the Heat very little abated. 22. Between 5. and 6. _p. m._ began a Tornada, which lasted above an Hour very violent, with great Claps of Thunder and Lightning. Tank fill'd 1 Foot. 23. In the Morning a great Mist, after 8. clear and extream hot. The latter end of _January_, and the begining of _February_ commonly Misty in the Morning; after extream hot. I find no Funeral this Month. _February, 1686/7._ Beginning of _February_, as before.
10. Somewhat Cloudy and cool, till then we were troubled with Coughs, for the most part; about this time they ceased. So the 11th, toward Night, Thunder afar off, and expectation of a Tornada: but it fail'd. 12. Extream hot. 13. A stronger Wind than ordinary from Seaward. 14. Something like an Hermitan, but not from its usual Quarter. Clear and hot till about 2. _p. m._ then cloudy but no Rain. Thence to 22. extream hot and clear. From 22. to _March 1._ some flying clouds without Rain; sultry hot and unwholesom. 24. Some shew of a Tornada, but it past away. This Month we had two Funerals, but their Diseases I find not. _March, 1686/7._ The beginning of _March_ as the latter end of _February_. 5. From 6. _a. m._ for an Hour and ½. a violent Tornada; the Day after cloudy. 6. Clear. 7. At Night Lightning and Clouds afar off; but nothing followed. Thence to 11. clear and hot. 11. About 5. _a. m._ a violent Rain for almost ½ Hour. 12, And 13. cloudy. 14. About 4. _a. m._ a gentle Shower but lasted not long. 15. Between 6. and 7. _a. m._ a few Drops, and likelyhood of more, but nothing followed; both Days cloudy. 16. Extream hot. 17. Somewhat cloudy. Thence to 20. extream hot.
20. Cloudy; about 10. _a. m._ some few Drops. 21. Very hot. 22. In the Morning hot; about 12. a violent Rain for a Quarter of an Hour. 23. Clear. 24. About 2. _a. m._ Rain for about ½ Hour; the Day after clear. Thence to _April 3._ clear and extream hot. No Funeral. _April, 1687._ 3. At 3. _p. m._ a violent Tornada, but only some few Drops of Rain; at 5. _p. m._ a little more Rain. 4. Cloudy by Fits, otherwise very hot. 5. Hot and clear. 6. In the Morning hot, about 2. _p. m._ cloudy; about 3. some Drops of Rain, in the Evening the Clouds dispersed. 7. Clear and hot. 8. Between 12. and 1. in the Morning, a violent Rain for near an Hour; after 2. one somewhat longer; the Day after there appeared to have been much Rain; Tank fill'd Two Foot and somewhat more. 9. About 7. _a. m._ some Drops; cloudy all Day. 10. Cloudy about 11. _a. m._ a small Mist. 11. Presently after Midnight it began to Rain and lasted till 6. _a. m._ a great part of the time very violently, it began with a strong Tornada; Tank above Three Feet. The Day after some Clouds; otherwise extream hot. So also 12, and 13. 14. About 5. _a. m._ a Shower for ½ Hour, between 6. and 7. _p. m._ another of the same continuance, the Day between extream hot.
So 15. 16. A Shower for ½ Hour, it began with a violent Tornada, the Rain not much, afterward cloudy. 17, And 18. Clear. 19. Clear also, about 7. _p. m._ a considerable Wind and some Drops of Rain. 20. Clear but Windy. 21. Between 12. and 2. moderate Rain for near an Hour. 22. About 2. _a. m._ moderate Rain almost an Hour; at 11. _p. m._ a short Shower and gentle; the Day between extream hot. 23. Cloudy about 10. _a. m._ some Drops. 24. Extream hot. 25. About 1. _a. m._ Rain for near an Hour; the Morning after hot; Afternoon cloudy; most part of the Night, Thunder and Lightning, but no Rain. 26. At 7. _a. m._ strong Rain for ½ Hour, after that a little Mist; Afternoon, from 12. to 15. it rain'd unequally, but the most part moderate. 27. Extream hot. 28. About 12. Somewhat Cloudy, at 3. _p. m._ it began to Rain, and lasted about an Hour and ½; after cloudy and some Drops; in the Night a Shower or two. 29. Cloudy. Thence to _May 6._ sometimes cloudy; but for the most part violent hot. This Month we had Three Funerals; one the 3d of a Fever, another on the 19th of I know not what Pains in the Guts, another 24. of the Flux.
The 15. and some Days following, there settled upon the Castle Walls, certain Swarms of wing'd Ants, a little bigger than Bees; they would bite very severely, and were blown up with Powder. _May, 1687._ Till the 6. as before. 6. In the Morning cloudy, a little after Noon some Wind, followed by gentle Rain, which lasted till 3. _p. m._ after cloudy. 7. Hot. 8. Cloudy about 10. _a. m._ a gentle Shower for ¾ Hour; about 8. _p. m._ a very violent Storm of Wind and Rain, but it quickly grew moderate, and lasted in all not above ½ Hour. 9. Clear. 10. About Noon a violent Shower for ¼ of an Hour; after 8. _p. m._ another as long, but not so violent; past 9. another shorter. 11. Clear. 12. Clear, past 9. _p. m._ a very Violent Tornada with Rain, which lasted somewhat more than 2 Hours. 13. Between 12. and 1. in the Night, a short Shower; about 9. _a. m._ some Drops; so also in the Afternoon but nothing considerable; cloudy all Day. 14. Cloudy; at 9. _a. m._ a violent Rain for ¼; after gentle for above an Hour; about 3. _p. m._ some Drops. 15. About 3. _a. m._ Rain for ½ Hour; between 4. and 5. another; after foggy and cloudy, with some few Drops; about 7. _p. m._ a violent Tornada with Rain for near an Hour.
Ideas discussed in this chapter
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