to look out for land,” the wild fancies of his excited imagination took effect.  He heard “a rumbling noise,” and thought he saw the legs of some person.  “Presently he was shook, and looked over his shoulder, and saw the appearance of a woman, from her middle upwards, having a white cap and white neckcloth on her, which then affrighted him very much; and, as he was turning of the windlass, he saw the aforesaid two legs.”  Such superstitious phantasms seem to be natural to the experiences of sailor-life, and perhaps still linger in the forecastle and at the night-watch.

The habit of maligning Mrs. Bradbury as a witch dated back in the Carr family more than thirteen years, as the following deposition proves.  I give it precisely as it is in the original.  As in a few other instances in this work, the spelling and punctuation are preserved as curiosities.  Like all the papers in the case, with one exception, presented in court against Mrs. Bradbury, it is in the handwriting of Sergeant Thomas Putnam:—­

[Transcriber’s Note:  Spelling and punctuation in the passage below is as in original.]

“THE DEPOSISTION OF JAMES CARR. who testifieth and saith that about 20 years agoe one day as I was accidently att the house of mr wheleright and his daughter the widdow maverick then liued there:  and she then did most curtuously invite me to com oftener to the house and wondered I was grown such a stranger. and with in a few days affter one evening I went thether againe:  and when I came thether againe:  william Bradbery was yr who was then a suter to the said widdow but I did not know it tell affterwards:  affter I came in the widdow did so corsely treat the sd william Bradbery that he went away semeing to be angury:  presently affter this I was taken affter a strange maner as if liueing creaturs did run about euery part of my body redy to tare me to peaces and so I continewed for about 3 qurters of a year by times & I applyed myself to doctor Crosbe who gave me a grate deal of visek but could make non work tho he steept tobacco in bosit drink he could make non to work where upon he tould me that he beleved I was behaged:  and I tould him I had thought so a good while:  and he asked me by hom I tould him I did not care for spaking for one was counted an honest woman:  but he uging I tould him and he said he did beleve that mis Bradbery was a grat deal worss then goody martin:  then presently affter this one night I being a bed & brod awake there came sumthing to me which I thought was a catt and went to strick it ofe the bed and was sezed fast that I could not stir hedd nor foot. but by and coming to my strenth I herd sumthing a coming to me againe and I prepared my self to strick it:  and it coming upon the bed I did strick at it and I beleve I hit it:  and after that visek would work on me and I beleve in my hart that mis Bradbery the prisoner att the barr has often afflected me by acts of wicthcraft.

     “Jurat in Curia Sep’mr. 9. 92."[A]