546 JAMAICA. 



dice by one hold ftroke ; to end it indeed in fuch a manner, were but 

 n temporary cure, for this world only ; and the means, perhaps, of mak- 

 ino that mifery eternal, which otherwife would have been, at the worft, 

 of fliort duration. To combat with fleadinefs againft adverfity, and 



refolve 



iore, at other places. I found him fitting in a chair iiiliis hall, and, accofting him as uRial in as 

 civil a manner as I could, I perceived that, contrary to his former polite and triendly manner, he 

 fat regardlefs of me, and every thing elie about him, except that his eyes were fixed upon nie with 

 a ghallly ilare. Upon this, I appeared to take no tiuther notice of him, but, addrefling myfclf to 

 the other company prefent, fat down, and difcourfed on different fubjefts. Soon alter, he withdrew 

 into an adjoining room, and, flaying there not half long enough tor me to be informed what his 

 diforder was, he returned alett and chearful, with a bottle and a fpoon, and kindly a&ed me if 1 

 would take a cordial with him; which I declined doing, as I did not know the liquor; but he 

 frankly told me, it was liquid laudanum of his own preparing, of which he had jull drunk one fpoon- 

 ful, and Ihould at leaft twice repeat the draught in courfe ot the day, according to a cultom he had 

 praftifed for fonie years part. It was furprifing to me, to fee how fuddenly and powerfully it had 

 operated upon him ; for, inftead of the torpid, fpiritlefs creature, whom I lirrt faw, he was, in the 

 fpace of five minutes, fluflied in his countenance, gay, talkative, animated throughout, and univer- 

 fally changed in mind and body. 



This puts me in mind of the account which travelers have given of the I'erfians, who, like other 

 Eaftern nations, take pills of folid opium, which fome of them gradually increafe to a dofe that 

 would deflroy half a dozen Europeans. Within haU'an hour after taking the pill it begins to ope- 

 rate, and a thoufand vagaries delight their imagination; they laugh, fing, and talk extravagantly, 

 like men in a delirium, or mirMncd w'nh wine; but, after the effect is gone off, they find their fpi- 

 rits exhaulkd, and grow penfive and melancholy, till they repeat the dofe again: by this means, 

 fome make it fo neceifary to them, that they cannot live without it. 



I h.ave known a whole compary of men in Jamaica, at table, pledge one another in this liquor. 

 Tl'.e women, in general, are more moderate in the quantity they take at once; but, although they 

 f]p it drop by drop, it is repeated fo frequently, that the whole they take in a twelvemonth is pretty 

 near as much, as what others drink, who recur to it feldom, but in larger dofes at a time; and its 

 eifec"ts, in both cafes, mc equally fatal. Some ladies are never without a bottle of it in their jiocket, 

 with forae lumps of fugar; and fv.-allow it with great privacy, and by ilcalth, twice or thtice every 

 day, increafing the dofe fo high, as to eighty or one hundred drops. They pretend it is their 

 " cuiaruni dulce kvamcrt," and abfolutely requifite for their comfort and happinefs. 



" Their only labour is to kill the time, 



" And labour dire it is, and weary woe. 



*' They lit, they loll, turn o'er fome idle rhyme; 



*' Then rifing fudden to xhedram they go, 



" Or faunter forth with tottering ffeps, and flowj 



•' This foon too rude an exercife they find ; 



*' Strait on the couch their limbs again they throw, 



" Where hours on hours they, lighingly reclin'd, 



" Embrace the vapoury god, foft-breathing in the wind." 



Thomsok. 

 The Turks, and other difciples of Mahomet, betook themfelves to this mode of inebriation, be- 

 caufe their religion forbad the ufe ot wine. The Afiatic Indians are faid to indulge in it, notfo 

 much to inake them fleep, as from a notion, that it is a great provocative, aiid qualifies them the 

 betta for libidinous exercifes. 



Sottifhnefj 



