ROOK III. CHAP. III. 417 



c-arried ou, was by a cold iiifiifiou of the herb branched colaluehiX ; 

 which, after the agitation of dancing, threw the party into a pro- 

 found fleep. In this ftate he continued, to all appearance lifelefs, 

 no pulfe, nor motion of the heart, being perceptible ; till, on being 

 rubbed with another infufion (as yet unknown to the Whites), the 

 efFe£ls of the colalue gradually went oft, the body refumed its 

 motions, and the party, on whom the experiment had been tried, 

 awoke as from a trance, entirely ignorant of any thing that had 

 pafl'ed iince he left off dancing. Not long ago, one of thefe 

 myal men, being defirous of feducing a friend of his to be of their 

 party, gave him a wonderful account of the powerful effcds pro- 

 duced by the myal infufion, and particularly that it rendered the 

 body impenetrable to bullets; fo that the Whites would be per- 

 fcftly unable to make the lead imprefliou upon them, although 

 they were to (hoot at them a thoufand times. His friend liftened 

 with great attention, but feemed to doubt the truth of it exxeed- 

 ingly ; but, at length, propofed to the other, that, if he was 

 willing to ftand a (hot, he (hould be glad to make the experiment ; 

 and, if it turned out as he pretended, he himfelf would then moft 

 readily confent to be a myal man. To this the other agreed, not 

 imagining, perhaps, that matters would come to extremity ; or elle 

 convinced in his own mind of the reality of what he a(rerted. 

 Having prepared himfelf, he flood up to receive the (hot. His 



[«] This herb is a fpccies of y<)/.7/;:/w, and is the<7,/i<rrrt_^'-a;'d of Brafil. Pifo, iit,. Browne, 174. 

 It is very common in the lowlands of Jamaica. It is alfo called the j'olanum fomnifirum qfficinalf. 

 The Negroes make ufe of it daily for food in their brolhs ; and it is found, by long experience, 

 to be a pleafant and wholefome green. Barham fays, he was furprlzed to lee the Angola Negroes 

 eat it as we ufe fpinnage in Europe, without any prejudice, it has fo rtrong a rtfemblancc to the 

 deadly nightfliade. Pifo fays, " that the rind of it, bniifed and lleeped in water, intoxicates fifh 

 " fo, that they maybe eafily taken, but does not kill them." The juice is cooling and re- 

 llringent ; the leaves, applied to the head in phrenetic fevers, give eafe. 'It is probable, its nar- 

 cotic qualities arc dellroyed by the fire in boiling ; but that the crude juice, or a cold infufion of 

 the bark and leaves, would be found to poflefs them in a high degree ; »ihich agrees with Pifo's 

 account of the efiec^s on filh. The myal gentry make the infufion with rum. In regard to the 

 other Intufion, which puts an end to its operation, we can only conjecture. It is pollible, that, 

 by frequent trials, the Negroes have found pretty accurately the length of time which the flcep 

 may laft, and fo take care to proportion the dofe. Befides, it lias lately been djfcovered, that ve- 

 getable acids, fach as lime-juice, vineg.ar, &c. arc antidotes to the eifeft of opium, and all vege- 

 table poifons, taken internally : their external application has not been tried ; but might probably 

 anfwer the fame purpofe, efpecially towards the decline of the fleepy fit ; :tnd I think it is not 

 unlikely, that thef(; Negroes ufe them to revive their inval men. 



Vol. II. H h h ' friend 



