i88 LETTER VIIL 



leaft breath of Wind to fill the Sails, and fo add 

 to its velocity. 



4. Having heard fo often of a Calenture, I ex- 

 pe(5led to meet v^ith fome inftances of it, even 

 before I arrived in the Wejl-Jndies ; but they are 

 now grown very fcarce, for I never faw above 

 one Perfon labouring under it : He was continu- 

 ally laughing, and if I may be indulged in the 

 term, merrily mad : One day in the height of his 

 frenzy, he jumped over-board in Charks-l'own 

 Bay, but was luckily faved from drowning, by 

 one of his Sailors, or from being devoured by 

 fome ravenous Shark : and then confined in our 

 Prifon, till the Ship, which he was Mafter of^ 

 was ready to fail, when he went on board, and 

 did perfeclly recover his fenfes, before they reach- 

 ed LiverpGoL Two Officers of my Acquaintance^ 

 belonging to the Regiment ftationed there, af- 

 fured me, that nine or ten years before, they 

 fell into the fame Diforder, immediately upon 

 their landing at Antigua ; and as an unanfwerable 

 proof of it, told me. That they frolicked it 

 laughing up and down the Streets of the Town 

 of St. 'John^ with a large Lanthorn and Candle 

 at Noon-day ; but their fit did not laft above a 

 week. It is now cullomary, when we pafs the 

 Tropick of Caitcer^ both to let blood and to purge, 

 (and, as I have heard, to vomit too, if they think 

 their Bodies require fo much cleanfing,) which 



pre- 



