65 THE HISTORY OF 



leather and the other of flannel. Thus accoutred, he intended to mount, if 

 the rain had not happened opportunely to prevent him. Though, in truth, it 

 was hardly possible for him to ride with so slender a defence, without expos- 

 ing his foot to be bruised and torm,ented by the saplings, that stood thick on 

 either side of the path. It was therefore a most seasonable rain for him, as 

 it gave more time for his distemper to abate. Though it may be very dif- 

 ficult to find a certain cure for the gout, yet it is not improbable but some 

 things may ease the pain, and shorten the fits of it. And those medicines 

 are most likely to do this, that supple the parts, and clear the passage through 

 the narrow vessels, that are the seat of this cruel disease. Nothing will do 

 this more suddenly than rattle-snake's oil, which will even penetrate the pores 

 of glass when warmed in the sun. It was unfortunate, therefore, that we had 

 not taken out the fat of those snakes we had killed some time before, for the 

 benefit of so useful an experiment, as well as for the relief of our fellow-tra- 

 veller. But lately the Seneca rattle-snake root has been discovered in this 

 country, which being infused in wine, and drunk morning and evening, has 

 in several instances had a very happy efiect upon the gout, and enabled crip- 

 ples to throw away their crutches and walk several miles, and, what is 

 stranger still, it takes away the pain in half an hour. Nor was the gout the 

 only disease amongst us that was hard to cure. We had a man in bur 

 company who had too voracious a stomach for a woodsman. He ate as 

 much as any other two, but all he ^wallowed stuck by him till it was carried 

 off by a strong purge. Without this assistance, often repeated, his belly and 

 bowels would swell to so enormous a bulk that he could hardly breathe, es- 

 pecially when he lay down, just as if he had had an asthma ; though, notwith- 

 standing this oddness of constitution, he was a very strong, lively fellow, and 

 used abundance of violent exercise, by which it was wonderful the peristal- 

 tic motion was not m.ore vigorously promoted. We gave this poor man 

 several purges, which only eased him for the present, and the next day he 

 would grow as burly as ever. At last we gave him a moderate dose of ipo- 

 coacanah, in broth made very salt, which turned all its operation downwards. 

 This had so happy an effect that, from that day forward to the end of our 

 journey, all his complaints ceased, and the passages continued unobstructed. 



The rain continued most of the day and some part of the night, which in- 

 commoded us much in our dirty camp, and made the men think of nothing 

 but eating, even at the time when nobody could stir out to make provision 

 for it. 



29th. Though we were flattered in the morning with the usual tokens of 

 a fair day, yet they all blew over, and it rained hard before we could make 

 ready for our departure. This was still in favour of our podagrous friend, 

 whose lameness was now grown better, and the inflammation fallen. Nor did 

 it seem to need above one day more to reduce it to its natural proportion, and 

 make it fit for the boot ; and effectually the rain procured this benefit for 

 him, and gave him particular reason to believe his stars propitious. Notwith- 

 standing the falling weather, our hunters sallied out in the afternoon, and 

 drove the woods in a ring, which was thus performed. From the circumfer- 

 ence of a large circle they all marched inwards and drove the game towards 

 the centre. By this means they shot a brace of fat bears, which came very 

 seasonably, because we had luade clean work in the morning and were in 

 danger of dining with St. Anthony, or his grace Duke Humphry. But in 

 this expedition the unhappy man who had lost himself once before, straggled 

 again so far in pursuit of a deer, that he was hurried a second time quite out of 

 his knowledge ; and night coming on before he could recover the camp, he was 

 obliged to lie down, without any of the comforts of fire, food or covering ; 

 nor would his fears suffer him to sleep very sound, because, to his great dis- 



