ogether. If he cannot be at the trouble
of this, or, if attempting it, he finds his optics will not penetrate
the mist, let him ask himself whether dame Nature is a good setter of
bones, or is very expert in stopping dangerous bleedings from wounded
arteries;--or if a simple diet, say for example hasty-pudding and
water-gruel, personified by any fertility of poetic fancy, can smooth
one's pillow when his head aches, or bathe one's body when burning with
fever? No good surgeon _pretends_ to heal wounded parts, but he _is_
positively useful nevertheless, by placing them so as to render the
efforts of nature efficient towards healing: And no nurse, however
conceited, ever had the least inclination to be stewed down into jelly,
or made a fricasee of, for the nourishment of her patient, though she
can _help_ him to his candle and wine very delectably! But, to be sure,
where a wound gave neither pain nor apprehension, as is mentioned in the
text, it is very likely, that both nature and diet are quite different
beings from what are so called in our corner of the world. If so, Dr H.
ought to have given their history, as a _genus incognitum_. But this is
idle.--E.]

Having one day landed in a very distant part of the bay, the people
immediately fled, except one old man, who accompanied us wherever we
went, and seemed much pleased with the little presents we made him. We
came at last to a little fort, built upon a small rock, which at high
water was surrounded by the sea, and accessible only by a ladder: We
perceived that he eyed us with a kind of restless solicitude as we
approached it, and upon our expressing a desire to enter it, he told us
that his wife was there: He saw that our curiosity was not diminished by
this intelligence, and after some hesitation, he said, if we would
promise to offer no indecency he would accompany us: Our promise was
readily given, and he immediately led the way. The ladder consisted of
steps fastened to a pole, but we found the ascent both difficult and
dangerous. When we entered we found three women, who, the moment they
saw us, burst into tears of terror and surprise: Some kind words, and a
few presents, soon removed their apprehensions, and put them into good
humour. We examined the house of our old friend, and by his interest two
others, which were all that the fortification contained, and having
distributed a few more presents, we parted with mutual satisfaction.

At four o'clock in the morn