11^ A Jhort Account of Mo la dt Gaefa, 



credlagreat number of country houfes on what occafion the rent took place, 



in it, the ruins of which may ftill ftruck the palm of his hand on the 



be feen every where around. Cicero marble, declaring he could no more 



had a villa near this place, and it was believe the (lory told him, than that 



on this coall where that great orator his hand would leave its mark on the 



was murdered in his litter, as he was rock ; on which, to the great confu- 



endeavouring to make his efcape to fion of this infidel, the ftone yielded 



Greece. Formic remained long po- like wax, and the impreflion ftill re- 



pulous, and in the ninth century, it mains, as a warning to unbelievers, 



was an epifcopal fee, but having been This rock is much reforted to by 



deHroyed by the Saracens, the fee pilgrims, and many veffels often touch 



was transferred to Gaeta itfelf, which here, that the feamen may be provided 



is fituated towards the point of the with little pieces of marble, which 



gulph. they earneftly requeft to be procured 



The fortrefs of Gaeta is.built on a as near the fiffure as poflible. Thefe 



promontory, at the diftance of about they wear always in their pockets, 



three miles from Mola; but travellers, purfuaded, that in cafe of Ihipwreck 



who are defirous of vifiting the for- they will be more efficacious in pre- 



mer, generally crofs the gulph, which ferving them from drowning than a 



liesbet^v^en them; and immediately, cork jacket. Some of thefe fuper- 



as the moft remarkable thing, they ftitious people, however, have the 



are fliewn a large cleft in a rock, misfortime to be drowned, but this 



which, it is faid, was miraculoufly does not prevent the marble from 



fplit in that manner at the death of preferving its reputation. In the caf- 



our Saviour. To put this affertion tie ftrangers are fliewn, among other 



beyond doubt, fomcthing like the curiofities, the fkeleton of the famous 



impreffion ofa man'shand on the rock Bourbon, Conftable of France, who 



is Ihewn at the fame time, of which was killed in the fervice of the Em- 



the following account is given : A peror Charles V. while he was fcal- 



certain perfon having been informed ing the walls of Rome. 



I 

 I 



OBSERVATIONS on the ANIMAL and VEGETABLE POISONS 



OF THE Southern Parts of Africa. 

 I 

 from faterson's travels. 



OF the reptiles of Africa, the by nature with this poifon as their 



moft poifonous is the horned only defence againft their numerous 



fnake ; it is of a greyifh color, and enemies. Impelled by hunger, they 



about eighteen inches long : its head, often quit the mountains and plunder 



which is very fiat, is large in propor- the Dutch peafants of their cattle ; 



tion to the lize of the body, with and were it not for thefe poifonous 



fmall fcales, which the inhabitants weapons they would be unable to 



call horns rifmg over its eyes. withftand or efcape from the parties 



This fcrpent; fo truly formidable which in thefe cafes are fent againft 



from the mortal nature of its Lite, ihem ; but thus armed, feveral of the 



particularly abounds in the country of Dutch have been killed, and many 



the Bofhmen and Nimiqua Hottentots, ha 'e barely efcaped with life from 



who life its poifon, in preference to their wounds. 



that of all others, for poifoning their The ufual mode of preparing thiis 



arrows. The Boftimen, indeed, who poifon, is by bruifing the whole fnake 



have no cattle of their own, and de- till it becomes of the confiftence of a 



pend entirely on their bows for fub- gum. A fmall quantity cf this fub- 



fiftence, feem to have been furnilhed ftancc is then tied on the point of the 



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