Mr. John Broadbent, Mr. J. Wescote, Mr. Tucker, Mr. Gwyer. In consequence of the papers which were published through the greatest part of the kingdom, without our consent, many strange falsehoods were propagated; which being communicated to some of our friends, they were induced, in order to prevent the people from suffering impositions, hastily to put together the following true relation, of the occurrences of that morning: Some persons, acquainted with George Lukins had heard him repeatedly say that he was possessed with seven devils, and that if seven ministers could be got to pray with him in faith, they would be cast out. But this declaration being treated as a visionary matter, he remained in his former state. However, a person who felt much for his deplorable case had him brought to Bristol last week, to see if any thing could be done for him. After he had been here a few days, and was seen by many persons in his fits, several ministers were prevailed upon to meet on the occasion. They accordingly met in the vestryroom of the Temple church, on Friday the 13th instant, at eleven o'clock in the forenoon, attended by the poor man, and several other persons to assist in managing of him in his fits and the following is a relation of some of the particulars on the above awful occasion. 1. They began singing a hymn, on which the man was immediately thrown into strange agitations, his face was variously distorted, and his whole body strongly convulsed. His right hand and arm then began to shake with violence, and after some violent throes, he spake in a deep, hoarse, hollow voice, personat-ing an invisible agent calling the man to an account, upbraiding him as a fool for bringing that sily company together: said it was to no purpose, and swore that he would never quit his hold of him; but would torment him a thousand times worse for making this vain attempt. 2. He then began to sing in his usual manner, (still personating some invisible agent) horribly blasphemed, boasted of his power, and vowed eternal vengeance on the miserable object, and on those present for daring to oppose him; and commanded his "faithful and obedient servants" to appear, and take their station. 3 He then spake in a female voice, very expressive of scorn and their breasts stripped naked. In this situation they remained a short time in prayer, attended by several priests, until a signal was given by the judge to the executioner; on which the latter produced an instrument, much like the spring lancet used by farriers for bleeding horses. With this instrument, poisoned with the gum of the Upas, the unhappy wretches were lanced in the middle of their breasts, and the operation was performed upon them all in less than two minutes. My astonishment was raised to the highest degree, when I beheld the sudden effects of that poison; for in about five minutes after they were lanced, they were taken with a tremor, attended with subsultus tentinum, after which they died in the greatest agonies. In sixteen minutes all the criminals were no more. Some hours after their death I observed their bodies full of lived spots, their faces swelled, their colour changed to a kind of blue. These circumstances made me desirous to try an experiment with some animals, in order to be convinced of the real effects of this poison; and as I had then two young puppies, I thought them the fittest objects for my purpose. I accordingly procured, with great difficulty, some grains of Upas. I dissolved half a grain of it in a small quantity of arrack, and dipped a lancet into it. With this I made an incision in the lower muscular part of the belly of one of the puppies. Three minutes after it received the wound the animal began to cry out most piteously, and ran as fast as possible from one corner of the room to the other. So it continued during six minutes, when all its strength being exhausted, it fell upon the ground, was taken with convulsions, and died in the eleventh minute. I repeated this experiment on two other puppies, with a cat, and a fowl, and found the operation of the poison in all of them the same: none of these animals survived above thirteen minutes. I thought it necessary to try also the effect of the poison given inwardly, which I did in the following manner. I dissolved a quarter of a grain of the gum in half an ounce of arrack, and made a dog of seven months old drink it. In seven minutes a retching ensued, and I observed, at the same time, that the animal was delirious, as it ran up and down the room, fell on the ground, and tumbled about; then it rose again, cried out very loud, and in about half an hour after was seized with convulsions and died. From these experiments I have been convinced, that the gum of the Upas is the most dangerous and most violent of all vegetable poisons; and I am apt to believe that it greatly contributes to the unhealthiness of that Island. Nor is this the only vil attending it: hundreds of the natives of Java, as well as |