Hamilton’s account of the east indies.

438

had obferved in the doGor’s actions towards effeGing the curb. About eleven the fpycame and told us that Mrs. Kennedy had run dark mad, making an hideous noife, andfaid, fhe had feen the devil in the little houfe in the garden, in a monftrous fhape andterrible afpcG. She foon after grew furioufly mad, fcratching and biting every bodylhe could come at, and fo the family was forced to throw her on a bed, and tie herdown to it.

In that fit fhe continued till about eight in the morning, that the old conjuror came totown, who, upon the advice given him, went direGly to vifit her. Upon fight of himflie became calm and fenfible. He ordered every body out of the room, and afked herwhat poifon fhe had given to his patient. She was very loth to tell, and proffered him500 dollars to forfake his patient, and let the poifon operate ; but he honeftly refufed,and allured her that the fame devil that fhe faw in the garden fliould be her continualcompanion all her days, and would often make her feel the effeGs of his power if fhedid not inftantly declare what the poifon was, and from whom fhe had it. She feeingno other remedy, confeffed where fhe had the poifon, but could not tell what it was.The doGor fent for the old fchoolmiftrefs of wickednefs, and when fhe came hethreatened to torment her alfo, by his humble fervant the devil, if fhe did not forth-with declare what poifon had been given, which fhe did, and he took away Mrs. Ken-nedy’s companion the devil, and the patient was well enough in eight or ten days,.tofollow his affairs, but Mrs. Kennedy looked ever after difturbed, as if continuallyfrightened.

Another ftrange cure I faw him perform on an officer belonging to my fliip. He wasgoing to deep about midnight, and lying down on his bed, was bit in the calf of the legby a centipee, an infeG with many feet, and very venomous. The pain that the bitecaufed would allow him no reft. Next day he expeGed that the venom might havebeen exhaufted, but in that he was miftaken, for it grew firft red by inflammation, andthen blue and numbed. I fent for the doGpr aforefaid, who came on the firft funi-mons. I told him of the accident that had happened, and he faid there was no danger.He faw the inflamed leg, and kept his hand moving over it, but did not touch it. Hemutterred fome unintelligible words, and fpit on the place affeGed, and in five minuteshe could walk without pain, though before the cure he could not ftand without fome-thing to fupport him.

And fince I have been mentioning the Scots Eaft India fhip and her fupercargoes, Iwill give a fmall account of the management of their affairs in India . They arrivedatBatavia about the beginning of July 1701, but, being taken up with the pleasures of theplace, loitered away near a month of their time, which had beta much better fpent inprofecuting their voyage to China : however, by the beginning of September theyreached the coaft of China , where, meeting with a tuffoon, or north-eaft ftorm, thatoften blows violently about that feafon, they were forced to bear away for Johore ,where they flaid about two months, and then came to Malacca , where they had a mindto clean their (hip’s bottom, and to proceed next April or May for China.

The Dutch received them civilly, and gave them leave to lay their fliip afhore on anbland to the weftward of the town, about two or three miles from the fort, and allowedthem to land their cargo and ftores on the ifland, till their fhip was made clean, whichthey had perfeGed in two fprings, and bringing the fhip towards the road again, thecaptain being on board, ordered to fleer the fhip on fome rocks that lay on the fhore,and were dry at low water. The third mate, who was the only commanding officer onboard, except the captain, told him of the danger he was running into, and begged him10 alter hi's courfe, but the captain curfed him for his impertinent advice, and run the