és A VOYAGE TO Book I. 



Of tlie fnakes, the moil: common, and at the fame 

 lime themofr poifonous, are the corale-s, or coral-lnakes, 

 the cafcabclcs, or rattle fnakes, and the culebras de be- 

 jaco *. The firfí are generally between four and five 

 feet in length, and an inch in diameter. They make 

 a very beautiful appearance, their Ikin being all over 

 rariegated with a vivid crimfon, yellow, and green. 

 The head is fiat and long, like that of the European 

 viper. Each mandible is furnillied with a row of 

 pointed teeth, through which, during the bite, they 

 iafinuate the poifon ; the perfon bit, immediately 

 f.vells to fuch a degree, that the blood guíTies out 

 fhrough all the organs of fenfc, and even the coats 

 of the veins at the extremities of the fingers burfl, fo 

 that be loon expires. I'he cafcabcl or rattle-lnake 

 !e1dom exceeds two feet, or two feet and a half, in 

 length ; though there are fome of another fpecieSjVv'hich 

 are three and a half. Its colour is brown, variegated 

 with deeper fhades of the fame linél ; at the end of its 

 tail is the cafcabel or rattle, in the form of a garvanzo 

 ©r French-bean pod, when dried on the plant, and 

 like that has five or fix divifions, in each of which are 

 íéveral fmall round bones ; thefe, at every motion of 

 the fnake, rattle, and thence give rife to its name. 

 Thus nature, which has painted the coral fnake with 

 fuch fhining colours, that it may be perceived at a 

 diñance, has formed the latter in fuch a manner, that, 

 as its colours render it difiicult to diftinguifh it from 

 the ground, the rattle might give notice of its ap- 

 proach. 



The culebras de bejuco, which are very numerous, 

 have their name from their colour and Ihape refem- 

 bling the branches of the bejuco, and, as they hang 

 down from that plant, appear as real parts of the be- 

 ^co, till a too near approach unhappily difcovers the 

 niifiake; and though their poiibn be not fo adlive as 



* They are called Cobras by the natives, which is their common 

 Bamcfor all kinds of ici'pcnts. A. 



that 



