A F R r C A. 8i 
number of individuals at once ; and, for this 
purpofe, he colleded together about ten perfons, 
who formed a chain by the jundion of hands. 
No fooner had they touched the membrane of 
the eel, than they felt themfelves equally ftruck 
at the fame moment. Nor was this all. To 
tonvince the fpedators that the imaglnatlpn 
had nothing to do in producing this efFe£l, he 
had placed a dog as a link between two of the 
perfons compofing the chain, who held him, 
one by the right, and the other by the left foot. 
At the inftant of contadl the animal gave a 
loud cry; and his pain, which was the caufe 
of this cry, proved beyond difpute that that of 
the reft of the party was not lefs real. 
Reafoning phyfically upon this fubjed:, I 
acknpwledge that a confiderable difference 
ought to be made between an effeft vifibly 
produced by the immediate aflion of a body, 
and another effed operated without any appa- 
rent contad, any vifible medium, like that of 
the ferpent upon the animals in queftion. But 
who will affirm that, in prefence of its prey, the 
ferpent does not ad phyfically upon it ? Per- 
haps this death-dealing quality belongs only to 
(bme particuUr forts of ferpent. Perhaps, it is 
Vol. I, G not 
