THE VAMVYRE BAT. 269 



Captain Sledman's account of the vampyre. 



appears from the following extract. " On wak- 

 ing about four o'clock one morning in my 

 hammock, I was extremely alarmed at finding 

 myself weltering in congealed blood, without 

 feeling any pain. Having started up, and rung 

 for the surgeon, it appeared that I had been bit- 

 ten by the vampyre, or spectre of Guiana, which 

 is also called the flying dog of New Spain, and 

 by the Spaniards perro-volador; this is no other 

 than a bat, of a monstrous size, that sucks the 

 blood from men and cattle while they are fast 

 asleep, even sometimes till they die; and as the 

 manner in which they proceed is truly wonder- 

 ful, I shall endeavour to give a distinct account 

 of it. Knowing, by instinct, that the person they 

 intend to attack is in a sound slumber, they ge- 

 nerally alight near the feet, where, while the crea- 

 ture continues fanning with his enormous wings, 

 which keeps one cool, he bites a piece out of the 

 tip of the great toe, so very small indeed, that 

 the head of a pin could scarcely be received into 

 the wound, which is consequently not painful; 

 yet through this orifice he continues to suck the 

 blood, until he is obliged to disgorge. He then 

 begins again, and thus continues sucking and dis- 

 gorging till he is scarcely able to fly, and the suf- 

 ferer has often been known to sleep from time 

 into eternity. Cattle they generally bite in the 

 ear, but always in places where the blood flows 

 spontaneously. Having applied tobacco ashes 



