Page:Economic History of Virginia Vol 1.djvu/654

 with a mortar-piece weighing two hundred pounds attached to each leg. The unfortunate man was allowed to hang under these excruciating circumstances until the cries of shame which arose from the surrounding passengers forced the captain to release him.

In these ocean voyages, the strong superstition prevailing in that age among individuals of all classes, but especially among those who occupied a lower station in life, sometimes exhibited itself in a very revolting light. The larger proportion of passengers, to whatever rank they belonged, had never been at sea before. When great storms arose, as they often did in these voyages, the ships sailing from England when the equinoctial winds had begun to blow, they were often attributed by the ignorant servants and even the representatives of higher classes present to the machinations of witches. If some old woman, shrivelled and bent, with toothless gums and straggling locks, happened to be on board, it was only too easily taken for granted that it was she who had raised the spirit that caused the tempest to roar and the waters to foam and rage. Terror at the moment might prevent the passengers from throwing her into the sea, but woe to her when the waves subsided! There is the record of a summary execution of a hag for this offence in spite of the most earnest and emphatic protest on the part of the captain. It appears from this incident how universal among the passengers was the sentiment in favor of the execution, since even the wishes and commands of the chief officer were disregarded.