( ,55 ) 
“ were as hard twifted, as fo many Penny Cords \ 
“ that one might eafily have taken his for a Medu- 
“ Jd’s Head ; and who knows, but that in ancient 
“ Times forae fuch Locks as thefe might have given 
t; Rife to the Poetical Fi&ion of Snakes growing 
“ on the Head inftead of Hair ? Be that as it will, 
“ this is certain, it is a moft odious Sight to look 
“ on. 
IX. An Account of an unufual Agitation in the 
Magnetical Needle, obferVed to lafl for fome 
Time, in a Voyage from Maryland, by Capt. Wal- 
ter Hoxton ; communicated in a Letter to David 
Papillon, Effo F. S. 
O N the fecond of September , 1714, a little after 
Noon, being in Latitude 41 0 10' N. and Dif- 
ference of Longitude from Cape Henry in Virginia 
about 18 0 00' E. the Weather fair, a moderate Gale, 
and fmooth Sea, my Mate, who was on the Deck, 
came and told me, that the Compafs traverfed fo much 
that he could not poflibly fteer by it : Whereupon I 
went up, and after trying it in feveral Parts of the Ship, 
found what he faid to be true. I then had all my 
CompalTes brought up, and placed in different Parts 
of the Ship, and in Places mod remote from Iron, 
and, to my great Surprize, found them all in the fame 
Condition ; fo that we could not fteer by any of them. 
I then new touched fome of them with a Loadftone, 
which 
