of this courageous Animal was taken out, there were seven Bullets of
Lead in it, the Wound seam’d up with great Scars, and she liv’d with the
Bullets a great While, for it was long since they were shot: This Heart
the Conqueror brought up to us, and ’twas a very great Curiosity, which
all the Country came to see; and which gave _Cæsar_ Occasion of many
fine Discourses of Accidents in War, and strange Escapes.
At other times he would go a Fishing; and discoursing on that Diversion,
he found we had in that Country a very strange Fish, call’d a
_Numb-Eel_, (an _Eel_ of which I have eaten) that while it is alive, it
has a Quality so cold, that those who are angling, tho’ with a Line of
ever so great a Length, with a Rod at the End of it, it shall in the
same Minute the Bait is touch’d by this _Eel_, seize him or her that
holds the Rod with a Numbness, that shall deprive ’em of Sense for a
While; and some have fallen into the Water, and others drop’d, as dead,
on the Banks of the Rivers where they stood, as soon as this Fish
touches the Bait. _Cæsar_ us’d to laugh at this, and believ’d it
impossible a Man could lose his Force at the Touch of a Fish; and could
not understand that Philosophy, that a cold Quality should be of that
Nature; however, he had a great Curiosity to try whether it would have
the same Effect on him it had on others, and often try’d, but in vain.
At last, the sought-for Fish came to the Bait, as he stood angling on
the Bank; and instead of throwing away the Rod, or giving it a sudden
Twitch out of the Water, whereby he might have caught both the _Eel_,
and have dismiss’d the Rod, before it could have too much Power over
him; for Experiment-sake, he grasp’d it but the harder, and fainting,
fell into the River; and being still possess’d of the Rod, the Tide
carry’d him, senseless as he was, a great Way, till an _Indian_ Boat
took him up; and perceiv’d, when they touch’d him, a Numbness seize
them, and by that knew the Rod was in his Hand; which with a Paddle,
(that is a short Oar) they struck away, and snatch’d it into the Boat,
_Eel_ and all. If _Cæsar_ was almost dead, with the Effect of this Fish,
he was more so with that of the Water, where he had remain’d the Space
of going a League, and they found they had much ado to bring him back to
Life; but at last they did, and brought him home, where he was in a few
Hours well recover’d and refresh’d, and not a little asham’d to find he
should be overcome by an _Eel_, and that all the People, who heard his
Defiance, would laugh at him. But we chear’d him up; and he being
convinc’d, we had the _Eel_ at Supper, which was a quarter of an Ell
about, and most delicate Meat; and was of the more Value, since it cost
so dear as almost the Life of so gallant a Man.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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