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the Earth, full as wide as my Hat crown, out of which iffued faft very hot Steams (like the Smoak out of Chimnies,) that tinged the holes all about their Edges with feemingly very fair Brimstone And to fpeak our thoughts ingenuously, we did not care to come nearer them than fix or seven yards, leaft the ground should prove fo hollow, as to fink in and bury us before we were dead.

26. Our first entrance upon this uneven spot, was by croffing a little plain which was fo fulphureous that it would bear nothing but deadish coloured long Grafs or rather Weeds, with a few fhort, and brittle, or rottenifh Bufhes: At last we arrived at what is vulgarly called the Devil's Coppers on a hill fide; there were two or three of them, two yards afunder from each other in an almost direct line, and they were each three foot in diameter; we had no convenience for plumming them; however they seemed not to be very deep, and had but a small stream running from them, which looses itself among the long Grafs: the Water in them was of a mud colour, and rofe to within a foot of the furface of the ground, boiling fiercer than ever I faw a Sugar Copper, and fending up very ftrong Clouds of Steam into the Air; no kind of Grafs would grow within twelve yards of them, the Soll being wholly Sulphur, and fo exceffive hot, that

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we immediately perceived it to be warm, thorough thick Shoes that we had bought on purpose for this expedition. A Negro-man was strangely frighted, and altered his black colour to yellowish at first fight of them; we could not diffuade him from believing that Jumbee (that is to say the Devil) had his refidence underneath them. We stood above two yards off from them.

27. Some of our company went confiderably farther up the Hill, where they discovered nothing new, but only found a continuation of this fulphurous Earth, with large quantities here and there of pure Brimftone, fome of which they brought away, not only as a specimen to show their Neighbours (very few of whom were at so much pains to undergo for Curiosity's fake this fatiguing Journey,) but likewise for real use. The rest of us defcended back to the Plain, on the south fide whereof was a Pond about forty yards over, and knee deep, that had no Springs, but is plentifully supplied by the Rains, which in that warm Latitude fall fo heavily that no body stirs out of doors in them, unless compelled to it by unavoidable neceffity. As I was dirty all over from head to foot by fcrambling up and down fo many Precipices, I walked into and fate down in it, on purpose to wash myself clean, which I foon did: Upon cutting up a piece of Clay from the bottom that confifted entirely of it, I found

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it to my great furprize as beautifully veined as the finest hard Caftile Soap; and indeed I should not be found guilty of an Hyperbole, in afferting it to look as fair as the niceft polished blue veined Marble.

28. Near to this Pond grew a convenient bed of common Rushes, upon which we spread our Table-cloth, and then fitting down around it each Gentleman on his Cloak cross-legged, (that is to say Turkish or Taylor fashion,) we made a hearty Dinner upon a quarter of cold roasted Lamb with a good Sallad, wishing a health to all our Friends round this great Mountain in a glafs of rich Madeira Wine: And after dinner we fate two hours at least to refresh Nature which was a little fatigued, making what Observations we could upon fo lonefome, and if I may be indulged in the term, beauteously dismal fituation.

29. At first the Sky was perfectly clear and ferene, and we perceived several Mountain Kites (not unlike the English ones as near as we could guefs, át fifty or fixty yards diftance) hovering over our heads; but in a quarter of an hour or less, the Clouds fell down the vaft cavity apace almost close to us, rendering the Air on a sudden raw and cold: After a hafty and heavy fhower of rain that once more washed me clean, they mounted up again out of the top or rim of the Cavity,

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