3C)8 A VOYAGE TO Book VI. 



attractive quality attributed to its breath, \vbich ir- 

 resistibly draws any creature to it, which happens to 

 be within the sphere of its attraction : but this, I 

 must own, seems to surpass all belief. The Indians 

 call it jacumama, i. e. mother of >vatcr : for as it de- 

 lights in lakes and marshy places, it may in some 

 sense be considered as amphibious. I have taken a 

 great deal of pains to enquire into this particular; 

 and all I can say is, that the reptile's magnitude is 

 really surprizing. Some persons whose veracity is not 

 to be questioned, and who have seen it in the pro- 

 vinces of New Spain, agreed in their account of the 

 enormous corpulency of this serpent, but with re- 

 gard to its attractive quality could say nothing de- 

 cisive*. 



Suspending therefore for the present all positive 

 judgement, without giving entire credit to all the 

 qualities vulgarly attributed to this animal, especially 

 the more suspected, as not improbably flowing from 

 astonishment, which frequently adopts absurdities, it 

 being impossible, in so great a perturbation, to con- 

 sult reason ; let me be indulged with some variation of 



* I have seen three of these serpents killed ; out of the body of one 

 of them was taken a hog about 10 stone in weight. The largest 

 was about 1 1 feet long, and C3 inches in circumference ; the 

 smallest about }) feet long, aiil 1.9 in circumference. They ge- 

 nerally lie coiled \ip, and wait till their prey parses near enough to 

 be seized. As they are not easily distinguished from the large rot- 

 ten wood (which lies about in plenty in these parts), they have op- 

 portunities enough to seize their prey and satiate their hunger. The 

 Indians watch tliis opportunity, and when they have half gorged 

 their prev, kill them without danger. As I was ualTcing in the 

 "woods one day, attended by two Indians and a Negro boy, we 

 were within 10 yards of one of these serpents, when the Negro 

 cyied out, Cobra, Senhor I Cobra, Scnhor ! on which it made away 

 into a neiuhbouring thicket, Avhich concealed from our sight the most 

 'hideous creature Í a.t that time had ever seeh. In its motion, which 

 was slow and peculiar, to that serpent, it appeared like a serpentine 

 log, with two bright gems for eyes, placed within three or ii>ur in- 

 ches from tljic end which was farthest from us, Trom wliich rays of 

 azuie light seemed to dart. A. 



the 



