214 A JOURNEY TO THE 
1771. had been hauled on a fledge by his brother for 
“two months. His diforder was the dead palfey, 
November. which affe@ted one fide, from the crown of his 
head to the fole of hisfoot. Befides this dreadful 
diforder, he had fome inward complaints, with a 
total lofs of appetite ; fo that he was reduced to 
a mere f{keleton, and fo weak as to be fcarcely ca- 
pable of {fpeaking. In this deplorable condition, - 
he was laid in the center of a large conjuring- 
houfe, made much after the manner as that which 
has been already defcribed. And that nothing 
might be wanting toward his recovery, the fame 
man who deceived me in {wallowing a bayonet 
in the Summer, now offered to fwallow a large 
piece of board, about the fize of a barrel-ftave, in 
order to effect his recovery. .The piece of board 
was prepared by another man, and painted ac- 
cording to the direction of the juggler, with a 
rude reprefentation of fome beaft of prey on 
one fide, and on the reverfe was painted, ac- | 
cording to their rude method, a refemblance of — 
the fky. 
Without entering into a long detail of the pre- 
parations for this feat, I fhall at once proceed to 
obferve, that after the conjurer had held the ne-— 
ceflary conference with his invifible fpirits, or 
fhadows, he afked if I was prefent; for he had © 
heard of my faying that I did not fee him fwal- — 
low the bayonet fair: and on being anfwered in © 
the affirmative, he defired me to come nearer; _ 
on which the mob made a lane for me to pafs, — 
and 
