( 14^9 ) 
Pocket, and found it to be of our meafure but fix Inches 
and about a half long, as 'tis exprefs'd in the Cuts given us 
of it. What their Authors; mean, by faying the Knife was 
decern tranfverfos digitos longum^ I don't know ^ but this bas 
made the Story ridiculous to a great many people, who 
will hardly be perfwaded, that any body can pafs through 
xhQ fornix paUtl^ or Vault ot h'S Mouth, a Knife of that 
length in a right line. 
1 raado enquiry concerning it, and was very well afiured 
by feveral people of the Tov/n the matter of faft was 
true 5 and 'tis hard to think, the King of Poland^ who 
was then at Koningsberg^ the Government of the Cicy, 
and the College ot Phyficians, who were ccnfuked upoa 
the Operation 5 and^ together with his Polijh Majefty, 
were Eyt^-witneffes of it, fliou'd by the Certificates they 
have publiflb'd of it in Print, Contrive to impofc a Cheat 
upon the World, And I remember, talking one day with 
one Mr Taylor^ a Scotch Merchant in Koningsherg^ . he told 
me, that Andrew Grunlmde^ for that was the mans name, 
was his particular Friend and Acquaintance ^ that he faw 
his Wound feveral times when his Surgeons drefs'd him,. 
and was Godfather to one or two of his Children after his 
Recovery. 
When I was lafl: in Amflerdam^ I had the Curiofity to go 
to a Tavern, where the Mafter was very Curious in Birds, 
and had a great variety of fome very uncommon ones 3 
amongft which, in a Chamber by itfelf, he (how'd me a 
Cage with a Bird in it a little bigger than a Capon, whicli 
he valued as a great Rarity, and told me it coft him near 
a hundred pounds Sterling: He takes a Groat from every 
body that is admitted to fee it. I muft needs fay I never 
faw a more beautiful Creature in all my life \ in Body fome- 
what like a Hawk, but its Head and Neck bald like a Vul- 
ture, only a few ftiort Feathers over his Eyes like Eye- brows, 
his Eyes were pretty large, and the Irk of a very fine bright 
PearJ Colour, which gave a great beauty to this Bird. The 
Colour . 
