Letter 2714

[fol. 260] Worthy Sr I hope you have Received my last letter of May the 17th Sent in the Tavistock, Capt: Bright Comm ander Since that we have had two violent Shakes of the Earth, one Upon the 28th of May about 4 a Clock […] which Terifyed the People that they Run out of their Houses expecting their Houses to Come down: especially if Another came presently Upon it wch frequently doe, but it Pleased God we had no more of it until the Next Day the 29 about 5 in the after wch was very quick Short & Strong but neither of them Threw down any Houses, but I am Informed it Crackt & Damaged some On July the 17th D: wee had a very Strainge Eclipse of the moon as soon as She Appear’d above the Blew Mountain wch was about half an Hour after Six PM: (I Could not be Exact, to a Second, haveing no True Watch or Clock) the Lower Part of Her Appeared very Black, & the Higher She Rise to the Southward the Blacker She Grew mid East, Notherly Part of Her & about half an Hour after Eight She was […] than 15 Digits very Dark at the Same time our Sky was very bright but as the lower Part of Darkness Abated & Turning to a Blackesh Red Colour So the Upper & Southerly Parts Grew of a Dark Colour & by Nine She was All Over Soe, that wee Could but Just make out Her Globeall body but Soe Dark as People were forced to make use of Lanthornes in the Streets, Soon after, where She was first Dark She there began to Brighten & it was Past Ten before She Recoverd Her bright Splended Light wch Some thought was brighter than ever they saw Her: Soon after I Arrived Here I had Peece of a Grayesh mineral Earth, that smelt as if Perfumed: they Affirmed it Smelt Soe at the first takeing & I have kept it ever Since from any Aromaticks, to See if it Would loose its Sent but it Retains as Strong as ever to this very Day I am in hopes of Getting more of it, I must Also Inform your Honour, if Wonderfull Strainge Cures of […] Ring Worms Performed of late in this Island by an Earth that is brought from the South Part of America wch the Spaniards Calls Terra Maccameguia; that infallably Cures when Salivation & all Other Medecines & Methods Fail and without Sickness or Prejudice to the Persons Health the Way of useing of it is either Dissolving it in Water or Lime or Lemon Juice one ounce to a Pint is Sufficient I have Seen them take about half a Pint of Boiling Hot Lime Juice & Pour Upon an Ounce of the Earth Pulverized, & Cover it Close until its Cold: & then once or twice at most; Washing with it Infalably Cured the Most Invetarate Ring Worms: they Say it Cures all Cutaneous Distempers: the Spaniards Set Such A Value Upon it formerly that they Would not Sell any of it under 20 or 25 Pieces of Eight a Pound but as it comes to be more known & of more use it become Cheaper it is almost of the Colour of Terra Iapanica: & I Observed that when the Lime Juice was mixt with it it Caused no Fermentasion We Daily Discover Copper mines: & within this Month a Rich Lead mine is found Near Bull Bay, wch yields 3 parts in 4 but the owner of it Will not Shew the Place unless He hath 10 Shares Allowed Him: wch the Attornys are not Willing to Allow; and Indeed the Said Attorny does very unfair by me for they Will owe me a years Salary the first of the next month & I Cannot Get it of them, besides I have been out of Pocket, upon their account about Seventy Pounds I flatter my Self that it is no fault of the Patenters because I know they Writ Possatively for me to be Paid but what they do with the money I Cannot Tell Never undertakeing Would have Proved better had it been Managed as it Should be, but the Attornys do not meet in 4 or 5 Month time & do little when they meet half the Charge might be Saved with Good management & instead of Good miners they Sent over men of Different Trades that knows nothing of Mining & are Such a Parcell of Sottish Lazy Idle Fellows as Never was Seen together this is all at Present from your most Faithfull friend & servant to Command Henry Barham July 5th 1722