Edwardsville spectator. [volume] (Edwardsville, Ill.) 1819-1826, 1819-12-25

forbear relating a singular circumstance
respecting myself, viz. that on waking
one morning, about 4 O'Clock, il my
hammock, was extremely alarmed in
finding myself weltering in congealed
blood, and without feeling any pain
whatever. Having started up, anu rang
for the surgeon, with firebrand i'll one
hand, and all over besmeared with gore /;
to which if added my pale face, short
hair, and tattcred apparel, he might
well ask the question,
Be thou Il spirit of hell, or goblin damn'd-~
Bringst with thee airs Of heaven or blasts
from hell
The mystery, however, was, that ! had
been bitten by the Vampire, or spectre OK
Guinea, which is also called the flying
dos OF New Spain, and by the Spaniards
perro1olador.- is no otter than a
hat, OF monstrous size, that sucks the
blood from rnen and cattle white they are
fast asleep, even sometimes till they die,
and as tire manrcr in which they pro-
coed is truly wonderful, shall endea-
vor to give a distinct account of it.
Knowing by instinct, that the person
they intend to attack is in sound SUM
Der, they generally alight near t feet
where. while the creature continues fan
hing with MS enormous wings, which
keeps one cool, he bites piece out OF
the tip of the great toe, so very small
indeed thai the head ola pin could scarce
ly be received into the wound, which is
consequently not painful; yet through
this orifce he continues to suck the
blood until he is obliged to disgorge.
He then begins again--and thus CONT
rncs sucking and disgorging till be is
scarcely able to fly; and the suffcrer has
often been known to sleep from TIM to
eternity. Cattle they generally bite ia
the ear, but always in places where the
blood flows spontaneously. Having ap-
piled tobacco ashes as the best remedy,
and washed the gore from myself and
my hammock, observed several small
heaps of concealed blood I'll around the
place where ! bad lain, upon q ground
on examining which, the surgeon Jndg-
cd that | had lost at least IL or Ia
ounces during the night.
Gunhozvder and Brandy.--An office
in the government of Satan being once
upon a time vacant, the frince IF the
hozver Of the cir" convened council,
when it was proposed that, on the trial Of
The skill and abilities Of two demons, he
who casssdthe most misery On sfle s.s.I,
and brought the greatest number Of
mortals to the regions of despair, should
fill the vacant office, and be first in au-
thority.
One went in the shape of gunhozvder,
the other, in that Of brandy, rum, gin,
SC. The former was an open enemy,
and roared with terrible noise. This
made the folks to be afraid, and put them
on their guard. But the other passed as
a friend and a hhysician, pretended to
make them strong and healthy, was at
all their merry makings, frolics, and en-
tertaiDments. BY these means he caused
them to be off their guard, and at length
to become his most willing servants, and
that too for +" the wages of death" I'm
der the notion of helping digestion,
comforting the spirits, and cheering the
heart, he produced the direct contrary
effiects.--And, having insensibly thrown
great numbers into fatal decay, he was
found to people hell and the grave SO
fast, as to merit the Office, in preference
to him who went among the people ia
the shape Of gunpowder.