but, whether he would or no, the Toad stuck in his Throat; yet, at last, when with much-a-do, he had shaken him out, he could not shut his Mouth, but continued gaping, in an ugly Posture, till we killed him. Such a Staff, if we may believe _Pliny_, hath a kind of magical Virtue to help Child-bearing Women in the Time of their Labour. But, for my Part, I was not content with the Native Animals of that Country, but fill’d my House with Outlandish ones too; and my Family busied themselves, by my Order, to our mutual Contents, in feeding them, that we might the better bear the Absence from our own Country: For seeing we were debarred of human Society, what better Conversation could we have to drive Grief out of our Minds, than among wild Beasts? Otherwise, Stones, Walls and Solitudes had been but lamentable Amusements for us. Amongst these, Apes led the Van, which making us good Sport, occasioned great Laughter amongst us, and therefore you should seldom see them without a whole Ring of my People about them, delighting to observe their antick Tricks and Gestures. I also bred up some Wolves, some Bears, some broad-horned Stags (vulgarly miscalled, Bucks) and common Deers; also Hinds, Lynx’s, Ichneumons or _Indian_ Rats, Weesels of that sort which you call Ferrets and Fairies: And, if you would know all, I kept also a Hog, whose noisome Smell was wholsome for my Horses, as my Grooms persuaded me: So that, in my Nomenclature of other Creatures, ’tis not fit I should omit my Hog, which made my House to be mightily frequented by the _Asiaticks_. They came thick and three-fold to see that Creature, which is counted unclean by them, and by the Books of their Religion they are forbid to eat it, so that, it being a prohibited Animal among them, they never saw one before. Yea, all _Turks_ are as much afraid to touch a Hog, as Christians are to come near to those who are infected with the Plague. This Humour of theirs being known, we put a pretty Trick upon them; when any body had a mind to send me a secret Message, which he would not have my _Chiaux_ know of, he put it into a little Bag, together with a Roasting-Pig, and send it by a Youth: When my _Chiaux_ met him, he would ask, what he had there? Then the Boy, being instructed before, whisper’d him in the Ear, and say, that a Friend of mine had sent me a Roasting-Pig, for a Present: The _Chiaux_, thereupon, would punch the Bag with his Stick, to see whether the Boy spake Truth or no; and when he heard the Pig grunt, he would run back as far as ever he could, saying, _Get thee in, with the nasty Present!_ Then, spitting on the Ground, and turning to his Fellows, he would say; _’Tis strange to see how these Christians do dote on this filthy impure Beast; they cannot forbear eating of it, though their Lives lay at stake._ Thus he was handsomely choused, and the Boy brought me what secret Message was sent me. I kept also a great many sorts of Birds, as Eagles, Jack-daws, _Muscovy_ Ducks,