S6 



journal of a Voyage through the 



lacerated with flint stones for the cure of it, presented her- 

 self to my attention, and by cleanliness, poultices, and 

 healing salve, I succeeded in producing a cure. One of 

 my people, also, who was at work in the woods, was at- 

 tacked with a sudden pain near the first joint of his thumb, 

 which disabled him from holding an axe. On examining 

 his arm, I was astonished to find a narrow red stripe, about 

 half an inch wide, from his thumb to his shoulder ; the 

 pain was violent, and accompanied with chilliness and 

 shivering. This was a case that appeared to be beyond 

 my skill, but it was necessary to do something towards re- 

 lieving the mind of the patient, though I might be unsuc- 

 cessful in removing his complaint. I accordingly prepar- 

 ed a kind of volatile liniment of rum and soap, with which 

 I ordered his arm to be rubbed, but with little or no effect. 

 He was in a raving state throughout the night, and the red 

 stripe not only increased, but was also accompanied with 

 the appearance of several blotches on his body, and pains 

 in his stomach : the propriety of taking some blood from 

 him now occurred to me, and I ventured, from absolute 

 necessity, to perform that opperation for the first time, 

 and with an effect that justified the treatment. The fol- 

 lowing night afforded him rest, and in a short time he re- 

 gained his former health and activity. 



I was very much surprised on walking in the woods at 

 such an inclement period of the year, to be saluted with 

 the singing of birds, while they seemed by their vivacity 

 to be actuated by the invigorating power of a more genial 

 season. Of these birds the male was something less than 

 the robin ; part of his body is of a delicate fawn colour/ 

 and his neck, breast, and belly, of a deep scarlet ; the wings' 

 are black, edged with fawn colour, and two white stripes 

 running across them ; the tail is variegated, and the head 

 crowned with a tuft. The female is smaller than the male, 

 and of a fawn colour throughout, except on the neck, which 

 is enlivened by an hue of glossy yellow. I have no doubt 

 but they are constant inhabitants of this climate, as well as- 

 some other small birds which we saw, of a grey colour. 



