NORTHERN OCEAN 231 



my eyes before or since ; and had it not been by accident, that 1771. 

 I saw him make a counterpart to the piece of wood said to be 

 swallowed, I should have been still at a loss how to account 

 for so extraordinary a piece of deception, performed by a man 

 who was entirely naked. 



As soon as our conjurer had executed the above feat, and 

 entered the conjuring-house, as already mentioned, five other 

 men and an old woman, all of whom were great professors of 

 that art, stripped themselves quite naked and followed him, 

 when they soon began to suck, blow, sing, and dance, round 

 the poor paralytic ; and continued so to do for three days and 

 four nights, without taking the least rest or refreshment, not 

 even so much as a drop of water. [219] When these poor 

 deluding and deluded people came out of the conjuring-house, 

 their mouths were so parched with thirst as to be quite black, 

 and their throats so sore, that they were scarcely able to 

 articulate a single word, except those that stand for yes and 

 no in their language. 



After so long an abstinence they were very careful not to 

 eat or drink too much at one time, particularly for the first 

 day ; and indeed some of them, to appearance, were almost as 

 bad as the poor man they had been endeavouring to relieve. 

 But great part of this was feigned ; for they lay on their 

 backs with their eyes fixed, as if in the agonies of death, and 

 were treated like young children ; one person sat constantly 

 by them, moistening their mouths with fat, and now and then 

 giving them a drop of water. At other times a small bit of 

 meat was put into their mouths, or a pipe held for them to 

 smoke. This farce only lasted for the first day ; after which 

 they seemed to be perfectly well, except the hoarseness, which 

 continued for a considerable time afterwards. And it is truly 

 wonderful, though the strictest truth, that when the poor sick 

 man was taken from the conjuring-house, he had not only 

 recovered his appetite to an amazing degree, but was able to 

 move all the fingers and toes of the side that had been so long 



