80 
THE HISTORY OF 
return of their frenzy every year as long as they live. But if it die a natural 
death, the patient will have a chance to recover in two or three years. The 
bite of the tarantula gives no more pain than the bite of a mosquito, and 
makes little or no inflammation on the part, especially when the disaster hap- 
pens in April or May ; but, its venom increasing with the heat of the season, 
has more fatal consequences in July and August. The persons who are so 
unhappy as to be bitten in those warm months, fall down on the place in a few 
minutes, and lie senseless for a considerable time, and when they come to 
themselves feel horrible pains, are very sick at their stomachs, and in a short 
time break out into foul sores ; but those who are bitten in the milder months 
have much gentler symptoms. They are longer before the distemper shows 
itself, and then they have a small disorder in their senses, are a little sick,' and 
perhaps have some moderate breakings-out. However, in both cases, the 
patient keeps upon the bed, not caring to stir, till he is roused by a tune, 
proper for his particular case. Therefore, as soon as the symptoms disco- 
ver themselves, a tarantula doctor is sent for, who, after viewing carefully 
the condition of the person, first tries one tune and then another, until he is 
so fortunate as to hit the phrenetic turn of the patient. No sooner does this 
happen but he begins to wag a finger, then a hand, and afterwards a foot, till 
at last he springs up and dances round the room, with a surprising agility, 
rolling his eyes and looking wild the whole time. This- dancing-fit lasts com- 
monly about twenty-five minutes, by which time he will be all in a lather. 
Then he sits down, falls a laughing, and returns to his senses. So plentiful a 
perspiration discharges so much of the venom as will keep off the return of 
the distemper for a whole year. Then it will visit him again, and must be 
removed in the same merry manner. But three dancing bouts will do the 
business, unless, peradventure, the spider, according to the vulgar notion, has 
been put to a violent death. The tunes played to expel this whimsical dis- 
order, are of the jig kind, and exceed not fifteen in number. The Apulians 
are frequently dancing off the effects of this poison, and no remedy is more 
commonly applied to any other distemper elsewhere, than those sprightly 
tunes are to the bite of the tarantula in that part of Italy. It is remarkable 
that these spiders have a greater spite to the natives of the place than they 
have to strangers, and women are oftener bitten than men. Though there may 
be a reason for the last, because women are more confined to the house, 
where these spiders keep, and their coats make them liable to attacks un- 
seen, whereas the men can more easily discover, and brush them off their 
legs. Nevertheless, both sexes are cured the same way, and thereby show 
the wonderful effects of music. 
Considering how far we had walked, and consequently how hungry we 
were, we found but short commons when we came to our quarters. One 
brace of turkeys was all the game we could meet with, which almost needed 
a miracle to enable them to suffice so many voracious appetites. However, 
they just made a shift to keep famine, and consequently mutiny, out of the 
camp. At night we lodged upon the banks of Buffalo creek, where none of 
us could complain of loss of rest, for having eaten too heavy and luxurious 
a supper. 
10th. In a dearth of provisions our chaplain pronounced it lawful to make 
bold with the sabbath, and send a party out a-hunting. They fired the dry 
leaves in a ring of five miles’ circumference, which, burning inwards, drove 
all the game to the centre, where they were easily killed. It is really a pitiful 
sight to see the extreme distress the poor deer are in, when they find them- 
selves surrounded with this circle of fire ; they weep and groan like a human 
creature, yet cannot move the compassion of those hard-hearted people, 
who are about to murder them. This unmerciful sport is called fire hunting. 
