Serpents in America. 3 1 5 



ing mass fell back again into the mouth of the volcano, 

 which vomited it forth anew to receive it again, with the 

 exception of some fragments which flew off, to fall at a 

 distance, and alarm the inquisitive spectator. 



The 13th commenced with nearly the same appearances 

 as those of the preceding day. The volcano was tranquil, 

 and the lava ran slowly in the channels which it had formed 

 during the night ; but at four in the afternoon a frightful 

 and continued noise, accompanied with frequent explosions, 

 announced a new eruption : the shocks of the volcano were 

 so violent, that at Fort de L'CEuf, built upon a rock, where 

 I then was, at the distance of near four leagues, I felt oscil- 

 lations similar to those produced by an earthquake. 



About five o'clock the eruption commenced, and con- 

 tinued during the greater part of the night. This time the 

 burning matter flowed down all the sides of the mountain, 

 with a force hitherto unprecedented; all Vesuvius seemed 

 on fire. The lava has caused the greatest losses : houses 

 and whole estates have been overwhelmed ; and at this day 

 families in tears and reduced to despair, search in vain for 

 the inheritance of their ancestors, buried under the destroy- 

 ing lava. 



At ten at night the hermitage was no longer accessible; 

 a river of fire had obstructed the road. The districts situ- 

 ated on the south-east quarter of the mountain had still 

 more to suffer. Mount Vesuvius presented the appearance 

 of one vast flame, and the seaman at a great distance might 

 contemplate at his leisure this terrific illumination of nature. 



SERPENTS IN AMERICA. 



The following is translated from the Reading (Pennsyl- 

 vania) Eagle. — A daughter of Mr. Daniel Strohecker, near 

 Orwigsburg, Berks county, Pennsylvania, about three years 

 of age, had been observed for a number of days to go to a 

 considerable distance from the house with a piece of bread 

 which she obtained from her mother. The circumstance at- 

 tracted the attention of the mother, who desired Mr. S. to 

 follow the child and observe what she did with it. On 

 coming to the child he found her engaged in feeding several 

 snakes, called yellow heads or bastard rattle snakes. He 

 immediately took it away, and proceeded to the house for 

 his gun, and killed two of them at one shot, and another a 

 few days after. — The child called these reptiles in the manner 

 of calling chickens ; and when its father observed, if it con- 

 tinued the practice they would bite her — the child replied — 



" No, 



