7°
?787-
September.
U~-v——I
WHI TE*s; J O URN A L OF A
neral to the army, and. a man of ingenuity and abilities in
his profefllon, to .a large public hofpital,. a, foldier was
brought in with a wound in; his left fide: The inftrument
had penetrated the abdomen, without injuring the: intestines
; and from its form apd nature the* wound muft have
been inflided with the ppint of a knife,.or a-ftiletto_ I The
patient, after being drafted, acquainted u-s, that, the preceding
night he had had fome words with another, man about-a
-woman; who, notwithftanding- blows- had not paffed, dabbed
him with, fome jfharp inftrument, of -whah 'kind '.he
.could not fee, as it was then dark, and afterwards made-his
efcape. This, account led- me to believe that affaflinations
were not unfrequent in Brazil; but Mr. II de Fonfo <aflured
me to the contrary; telling me thatfuch inftanceshfeldom
happened, except among the negroes, :whofc vindidive and
treacherous difpofitions led them wonderful lengths to
.gratify : their revenge, whenever, night ;apd a convenient
opportunity confpired, at once to aid and to conceal their
horrid ad s..
. While we remained: here, the weather being cool and
favourable, I prevailed; on the. furgeon who was about, to
amputate a limb, to allow me to take it off according to
Allenfon’s
V C fm & B F T O NEW' S 0 »Ù'T H WALES.'- 71
All enfobV method. During- thè oplrafidh I feould! plainly 1787.
feei that:he andthis ‘pupils' did hot’ feeui?-. Wu'ch^’plëaied Jwith
ft; : and' hd^afer.wardsr told mer itïwks'impoHblèï®tdcodld
-ever, anfwer.-, .A- verydhort fpace o f 'rhnèTihdwevéiffmadh
them of a ■ .differeht--opinionp andt< in - eightPehMiâys’i aftérf,%-
when we failed, I had the fafcisfadion tOidedve the“ patient
with his flump nearly, cicatrized; to'the'noTfhalh joy of the
furgeon, who faid; that ift-the? man had"died, he fhould have
been heav%\P0hfhred for making-him the fabp d o f experw
jneàts.; Thq cixGumftance of a man’s fog'hfeia^xut off; and
almoft healed m a;s'manyidaysras it. 'generally feakdsu-v^e^k^^-
fôorir became known, - andl added very: mufeh -to the- eftinia-
U°n in Vhich the people of this place held Unglifh furgeonsJ-
When'evetJ vifited the hofpital afterwards, the objeds o f pity
with which it wâs filled,* ufedî to crowd around me in fuch'
a.manner^and in. fuch numbers; for. myadviceykhaf Ifound
it difficult to, get from .them. . And they; now,Would readily
have Submitted to; any bperatidn I fhouldhave propofed; but
as I ^aw i P f t furgeon did hot: much approve - o f myi intër-
Jerence, I gave up.all .-ideassofikhd,
* -ffhe harbour.ofiRio.de Janeiro lies in 22° 54;' fbuth dati-
tude,. and 43! 19' weft longitude, about eighteen or twenty