ACCOUNT OF BOOKS. 



1027 



^fi wa never once permitted to 

 speak to any inhabitant of Aionte 

 Video, with the exception of his 

 host, and of his own knowledge he 

 adds nothing further than his as- 

 tonishment at the extraordinary 

 cheapness of the provisions of the 

 country. 



It was at tills moment, that a most 

 - serious indisposition began to affect 

 Mr. Davie, probably the epidemic 

 <lisease, brought on by the dense and 

 heavy fogs, which are very trouble- 

 some at this time of the year, and 

 which is frequently fatal to Euro- 

 peans. In the language of the coun- 

 try, this disorder is called the faitfa, 

 — some linger in it for many months, 

 others but a few, — and some a few 

 days, when it proves fatal. The 

 symptoms are, unusual pain in the 

 limbs, adirticulty of respiration, and 

 an uncommon tenseness over the 

 eyes ; black spots upon the tougire 

 and roots of the nails, indicate a 

 more than common malignity in tha 

 distemper. 



Our traveller having been 

 felooded,by the advice, and with the 

 hand of a very skilful and vener- 

 able Indian surgeon, who performed 

 the operation very dexterously, with 

 " a small and remarkably sharp 

 flint, ground to an almost impercep. 

 tible point, and set in a small bit of 

 ebony and cedar, horizontally ; 

 which being laid upon the vein, and 

 struck with a small hammer, the 

 blood flows copiously ; and so skil- 

 ful are the Indian surgeons, that 

 the patient runs no hazard of having 

 the artery injured by this peculiar 

 mode of bleeding." He then proceeds : 

 "When I had submitted to the 

 Qperation of phlebotomy, and re- 

 tifed to bed, my doctor ordered an 

 application of boiled herbs in a cot- 

 ton bag to ray stomach and bowels, 



in which I began to feel the most ex- 

 cruciating tortures, attended with a 

 violentsickness. The water in which 

 the herbs had been boiled was or- 

 dered me to drink ; but before it 

 oould be administered I was seized 

 with a vomiting, attended with a 

 burning heat on my brain. In an 

 interval of ease I took the prescrip- 

 tion, the father standing by the 

 whole of the time ; but neither ap- 

 plication had the desired eirect : 

 other remedies were tried, but to no 

 better purpose ; the pain in my 

 bowels and burning heat on my 

 brain increased every moment. la 

 this state 1 continued five hours, 

 when suddenly the torment in my 

 bowels abated, and the pain of my 

 head became so excruciating as to 

 bring on a delirium ; and before 

 midnight 1 was insensible to every 

 thing around. 



" Brother Jerome, who vi^asthen 

 at Monte Video, on business for the 

 superior of this convent, was ona 

 among the other religious in the town 

 that attended me during the first and 

 most dangerous paroxysms of my 

 disorder, which lasted one and 

 twenty days ; the fever then abated, 

 but ray reason was pronounced ir- 

 recoverably gone. In the mean 

 time captain H , having re- 

 paired his damage eflectuaily, pre- 

 pared to sail : but when he came to 

 consult my host and the fathers re- 

 specting my removal, they were all 

 of opinion it would be highly im- 

 prudent for him to think of taking 

 mc on board, as they were certain i 

 could not survive such a step four- 

 and-twcnty hours ; but if I was left 

 in their care there still remained a 

 shadow of hope that 1 might reco- 

 Ter. In this dilemma my poor 

 ^iend was almost distracted how to 

 ^ct : he was, as you may suppose, 

 3\J 2 very 



