66 
T>]E HISTORY OF 
leather and the other of flannel. Thus accoutred, he intended to mount, if 
the rain had not happened opportunely to prevent him. Though, in truth, it 
was hardly possible for him to ride with so slender a defence, without expos- 
ing his foot to be bruised and tormented by the saplings, that stood thick on 
either side of the path. It was therefore a most seasonable rain for him, as 
it gave more time for his distemper to abate. Though it may be very dif- 
ficult to find a certain cure for the gout, yet it is not improbable but some 
things may ease the pain, and shorten the fits of it. And those medicines 
are most likely to do this, that supple the parts, and clear the passage through 
the narrow vessels, that are the seat of this cruel disease. Nothing will do 
this more suddenly than rattle-snake’s oil, w^hich will even penetrate the pores 
of glass when warmed in the sun. It was unfortunate, therefore, that we had 
not taken out the fat of those snakes we had killed some time before, for the 
benefit of so useful an experiment, as well as for the relief of our fellow-tra- 
veller. But lately the Seneca rattle-snake root has been discovered in this 
country, which being infused in wine, and drunk morning and evening, has 
in several instances had a very happy effect upon the gout, and enabled crip- 
ples to throw’ away their crutches and walk several miles, and, what is 
stranger still, it takes away the pain in half an hour. Nor was the gout the 
only disease amongst us that was hard to cure. We had a man in our 
company who had too voracious a stomach for a woodsman. He ate as 
much as any other two, but all he swallowed stuck by him till it was carried 
off by a strong purge. Without this assistance, often repeated, his belly and 
bowels would swell to so enormous a bulk that he could hardly breathe, es- 
pecially w^hen he lay down, just as if he had had an asthma ; though, notwith- 
standing this oddness of constitution, he was a very strong, lively fellow, and 
used abundance of violent exercise, by which it was wonderful the peristal- 
tic motion was not more vigorously promoted. We gave this poor man 
several purges, which only eased him for the present, and the next day he 
would grow as burly as ever. At last we gave him a moderate dose of ipo- 
coacanah, in broth made very salt, which turned all its operation downwards. 
This had so happy an effect that, from that day forward to the end of our 
journey, all his complaints ceased, and the passages continued unobstructed. 
The rain continued most of the day and some part of the night, which in- 
commoded us much in our dirty camp, and made the men think of nothing 
but eating, even at the time when nobody could stir out to make provision 
for it. 
29th. Though we were flattered in the morning with the usual tokens of 
a fair day, yet they all blew over, and it rained hard before we could make 
ready for our departure. This was still in favour of our podagrous friend, 
whose lameness was now grown better, and the inflammation fallen. Nor did 
it seem to need above one day more to reduce it to its natural proportion, and 
make it fit for the boot ; and effectually the rain procured this benefit for 
him, and gave him particular reason to believe his stars propitious. Notwith- 
standing the falling weather, our hunters sallied out in the afternoon, and 
drove the woods in a ring, which was thus performed. From the circumfer- 
ence of a large circle they all marched inwards and drove the game towards 
the centre. By this means they shot a brace of fat bears, which came very 
seasonably, because we had made clean work in the morning and were in 
danger of dining with St. Anthony, or his grace Duke Humphry. But in 
this expedition the unhappy man who had lost himself once before, straggled 
again so far in pursuit of a deer, that he was hurried a second time quite out of 
his knowledge ; and night coming on before he could recover the camp, he was 
obliged to lie down, without any of the comforts of fire, food or covering ; 
nor would his fears suffer him to sleep very sound, because, to his great dis- 
