206 May 1749. 



took a knife and cut it through in two of 

 three places. The other workmen were 

 rejoiced at this fight, and laughed at it, 

 without offering to help their companion. 

 Many people at Albany told me of an acci- 

 dent which happened to a young lady, who 

 went out of town in fummer, together with 

 many other girl?, attended by her negro. 

 She fat down in the wood, in a place where 

 the others were running about, and before 

 fhe was aware, a Black Snake being dif- 

 turbed in its amours, ran under her petti- 

 coats, and twifted round her waiit, fo that 

 fhe fell backwards in a fwoon occafioned hj 

 her fright, or by the compreiTion which the 

 fhake caufed. The negro came up to her, 

 and fufpecling that a Black Snake mighl 

 have hurt her, on making ufe of a remed 1 

 to bring his lady to herfelf again, he lifted 

 up her cloaths, and really found the fnake 

 wound about her body as clofe as poffible 

 the negro was not able to tear it away, an< 

 therefore cut it, and the girl came to herfelJ 

 a pain : but fhe conceived fo great an aver- 

 fion to the negro, that (lie could not beai 

 the fight of him afterwards, and died of 

 confumption. At other times of the year 

 this fnake is more apt to run away, than t( 

 attack people. However I have heard it 

 afTerted frequently, that even in fummer 



2 when 



