The Online Library of Liberty

A project of Liberty Fund, Inc.

• Continuation of Familiar Letters Between Mr. Locke and Several of His Friends (philippo à Limborch).
• A Collection of Several Pieces of Mr. John Locke.
• The Character of Mr. Locke; By Mr. Peter Coste:
• The Fundamental Constitutions of Carolina.
• A Letter From a Person of Quality to His Friend In the Country;
• Remarks Upon Some of Mr. Norris’s Books,
• Several Letters to Anht. Collins, Esq. and Other Persons.
• A Letter From Mr. Locke to Mr. Oldenburgh, Concerning a Poisonous Fish About the Bahama Islands.
• Letters to Anthony Collins, Esq.
• Letters to the Reverend Mr. Richard King.
• Rules of a Society,
• Letters to Mrs. Cockburn.
• A Letter From Mr. Locke to Mr. Samuel Bold.
• Lord Ashley to Dr. Fell.
• Observations Upon the Growth and Culture of Vines and Olives:
• The Whole History of Navigation
• A Catalogue and Character of Most Books of Voyages and Travels.

A Letter from Mr. Locke to Mr. Oldenburgh, concerning a poisonous Fish about the Bahama Islands.

Sir,

I HEREWITH send you an account, I lately received from New Providence, one of the Bahama Islands, concerning a fish there; which is as followeth:

“I have not met with any rarities here, worth your acceptance, though I have been diligent in inquiring after them. Of those, which I have heard of, this seems most remarkable to me. The fish, which are here, are many of them poisonous, bringing a great pain on their joints who eat them, and continue for some short time; and at last, with two or three days itching, the pain is rubbed off. Those of the same species, size, shape, colour, taste, are, one of them poison; the other not in the least hurtful: and those that are, only to some of the company, The distemper to men never proves mortal. Dogs and cats sometimes eat their last. Men, who have once had that disease, upon the eating of fish, though it be those which are wholesome, the poisonous ferment in their body is revived thereby, and their pain increased.”

Thus far the ingenious person, from whom I had this relation, who having been but a very little while upon the island, when he writ this, could not send so perfect an account of this odd observation, as one could wish, or as I expect to receive from him, in answer to some queries I lately sent him by a ship bound thither. When his answer comes to my hand, if there be any thing in it, which may gratify your curiosity, I shall be glad of that or any other occasion to assure you that I am,

SIR, Your most humble servant,

John Locke.