the Rattlefnah, and other Anurican Serpents^ 397 



back, and long before ever the white people came into thi$ 

 country. Then (they tell us) there was fuch a fnake, and 

 a rattlefnake too ; but then there was only this one fnake 

 which had this power, and he was afterwards deftroyed ; and 

 fince that time it hath never been faid that any other of the 

 kind had made its appearance.' " 



The whole of this tradition, as related by Pemaholend, is 

 in my pofl'effion. It is a verv curious piece of Americaa 

 mythology, and will be publiflied at laroe in annther place, 

 perhaps in my Fragments of the Natural Hiftory of Penn- 

 iylvania. It is a new proof of my aflertion, " that the niy- 

 thologv, or fuperftilious religion, of the Americans is a frag- 

 ment of that mythology vvhofe range in Afia and in Africa 

 has been fo extenfive *." But this tradition is interefHng in 

 the difcuffion of the queftion in which I am now engaged. 

 It plainly lliows that the Indians do not in general fuppofe 

 that the rattlefnake is gifted with the faculty of charming; 

 and it renders it ftill more doubtful that the whiles derived 

 this notion from the Indians. 



The Indians are fo far from believing in the exigence of 

 this faculty in fnakes, that the worthy gentleman from whoiu 

 I received the tradition which I have juft mentioned, allures 

 me that he would be unwilling in future to trouble them with 

 any further inquiries on the fubjeft, as the fure reward of 

 the pains of inquiring is a laugh at the eafy credulity of the 

 Whites. I mav here add, what I have mentioned in my 

 memoir, that Mr. William Bartram never underftood that 

 the nations of Indians among whom he travelled had any 

 idea of the fafcinating power of fnakes f . Among other 

 Indians Mr. Bartram vifited, with the zeal and knowledge 

 of a naturalilt, the nations of Eaft and Weft Florida. As 

 this ingenious and amiable gentleman believes that ferpents 

 can charm other animals, there will be no fufpicion, among 

 candid ])coplc, that he has concealed the opinions of the In- 

 dians on the fubjeft. 



I think I have now confidered every eflential . part of Mr. 

 ' Blumenbach'.s renjarks on my memoir. I have little doubt 

 that this illu(irious profcflbr, who is not lefs candid than he 

 is learned and ingenious, will give to the new fa£ts which I 

 have adduced all the confideration which they merit. What 

 is the proportion of that confideration I nuift leave it with 

 you and other able judges to decide. In the meanwhile f 

 am not a little flattered that one of my earlicft ellays in na- 

 tural hiftory h:is loliciled fo much of the attention of the plii- 

 lofophcrs of fiuro|)e. 



• A Memoir, &c. p. 16 — Note. f ll^id- P- »4« 



You 



