the Hattlefjiale, and other American Serpents. 197 



he, " from well-informed eye-witneflcs, that it is one of the 

 common praftices among the younger favages to hide them- 

 felves in the woods, and, by counterfeiting the hifling of the 

 rattlefnake, to allure and catch the fquirrels." After quoting 

 this pafTage, I obferved in my memoir, that " I have inquired 

 of Indian!, and of perfons who have refided for a confiderable 

 time among the Indians, and they appear to be as ignorant 

 of the circumftance as I am myfelf." I continued, " I am 

 inclined to think that Mr, Blumenbach has been impofed 

 upon," or, perhaps^, that a circumftance which I have re- 

 lated may have given rife to the ftory*. Mr. Blumenbach 

 has fince informed me by letter, and now informs the public 

 in his Remarks, that he teceived his " information from 

 major Gardner, who, with his family, refided many years 

 in Eaft Florida. He is," fays the profelTor, " a very iniel- 

 ligent naturalift, an accurate obl'erver, and certainly would 

 be very far from impofing upon me." 



I knew not, when I printed my memoir, from whom Mr. 

 Blumenbach received his information. It was not, however, 

 unnatural for me to fuppofe, that he had been " impofed 

 upon," becaufe I well know that fome of the moft refpefta- 

 ble nafuraliiis and hiftorians of Europe have often been moft 

 grofsly deceived by travellers who have vifited this country; 

 hence the many tales and fcandalous (lories which crowd 

 and deform fome of the works of your moft celebrated wri- 

 ters. Such tales and (lories are the I'ollowiug: — That the 

 Indians have no beards; that they have very fm.Tll appetites; 

 that they are greatly addicted to the " antiphyfical vice ;" 

 that nojic of llie tribes knew any thing of the ufe of fait be- 

 fore the Europeans came among them ; that they cannot carry 

 their arithmetic beyond the numeral three ; Sec. &c. &c. 



I have lately made further inquiries of the Indians con- 

 cerning the ftratagem which, Mr. Blumenbach fuys, the 

 younger favages employ to allure to them fquirrels. I can 

 learn nothing concerning it. I am (iill difpofed to ihink that 

 there is but a (lender foundation for the Itory. I am certain 

 that it is not a common pratiice among the Indians. Perfons 

 who have refided for many years among our northern and 

 weftern Indians have never heard of it : neither have intelii- 

 gent traders and interpreters from the very country in which 

 major Gardner refided. Anxious to alcertain the truth, I 

 Iliall extend my in(]uiries, and, (hould I learn that the In- 

 dians do actually employ the (irata<^eni, I (hall endeavour to 

 be the firil to Inform Mr. Blumenl)ach of the fuccefs of my 

 rcfearch. 



« Sfi- a Memoir, &c. paints 48 rtmi 49. 



O 3 I fiiall 



