Page:Account of a most surprising savage girl.pdf/12

From Wikisource
Jump to navigation Jump to search
This page has been validated.

12

the confusion and bustle this occasioned among the guests, every one endeavouring to avoid or throw away the frogs, that were hopping all about. The little savage quite surprised at the small value they seemed to set on her delicate fare, carefully gathered them up, and threw them back again on the plates and table. The same thing has happened several times in different companies.

It was with the utmost difficulty that they put her off eating raw flesh, and by degrees reconciled her to cooked victuals. The first trials she made to accustom herself to victuals drest with salt, and to drink wine, cost her her teeth; which, together with her nails, were preserved as a curiosity. She recovered, indeed, a new set of teeth, just like ours, but hurt her health, which continues to be extremely delicate. There was but little probability of preserving her alive, her best state of health being a sickly langour, which seemed to be carrying her to the grave. A physician was sent for to see her, who being at a loss what to prescribe, hinted that it was necessary to indulge her now and then with a bit of raw flesh. Accordingly they gave her some, but she could by that time, only chew it, and suck the blood out of it,