ANECDOTE.
191
next morning put into requisition. In the course of the day the physician called to ascertain the state of his patient after his ablution, and with winning voice, inquired how he liked his " shower-bath." "Oh, doctor!'' replied the sick man, with rueful look and lengthened visage, " I verily thought I should have fainted, the shock was so great." "Indeed," said Dr. M , in his usual bland manner, " I am sorry it had such an effect ; why did you not follow the Irishman's plan, and take your umbrella ?" The next forenoon brought with it the customary medical visitor, who again inquired into the merits of the bath. " Why," quoth the invalid, " I cannot say the shock was so great, but I do not think I shall derive any benefit from it ; in fact, only my feet received a wetting this time, for I followed your advice* and carried my umbrella fe-^eS-dL- ^£&*<~&c£? fo7^/ffei/: But to return to the subject of droughts. Severe as the drought was in 1833, it was nothing compared to ^êc*^^ what we suffered in 1837, from the same cause ; and, indeed, for the greater part of the preceding year. The old people remarked that they never remembered its being so dry since 1789, (which was particularly distinguished as " the year of the drought.") What miseries the Antiguans then suffered, I am of course from experience unable to say ; but if they exceeded those endured in that eventful year, 1837, they must have been terrible indeed. Almost every pond and cistern in the island was dried up, scarcely a blade of grass was to be seen ; and when walking over pasture land, it crackled beneath the feet as if it had been baked. The poor cattle presented a most deplorable appearance, wandering about as they did in search of food and water, and expressing their urgent wants, by faint, melancholy lowings. The poorer class of inhabitants, also, felt it very much, obliged as they were to drink the spring water, which is but very little better than salt. The little fresh water they were able to procure occasioned them great labour, for after toil-
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