APPKXDIX. 48J 



No. IV. 



Ohservathns on the fafcinatin^ po'wer of Serpent:. C H A p t e K 



Vl,"i-. .56. 



WHEM thr icmarki rcfpcflin); tlie f*fciniting power of Srrpcnit, 

 infrrtt^J p^K^i^^- 6 •**» wiincn, I lud ncii mri wiih any Amnican ub crv^. 

 tioiit whic'i a|jp> <r<d 10 mc (o be (iifficienilv accurate lu aUcr ain ihr \i&x 

 or to jultily anv drcifion on (he <iit>j'tt. I have (incr bccfi lavorrd wiitl 

 •bfcrvau'int which app-ac to be mukcd wich picciGon and accuracy, and 

 may <fTord luf.her intofina'ion in ihii mydcnous pait of iiaiuial hiiloty. 



Thi» lubj'A >*ai mrticioiud by Dr. Cvntin Mattirr, fa early a»ihc>ejr 

 1711 III 1 communication which he made to ihe Royal SiHuiy ol I.on- 

 doii, he deal) ol ih<- Raide Snike uf Ainciica, and rclausa tlory. at he 

 fay», c nftantlv afRimcl by ihr In.liani, vir. " (hat thefeSnak's (rctj.ieiuly 

 lie anled at the bottom ol a l»f>;e tree, with iheir e>e» fixed on fome Iquir- 

 rcl above in the tree, which thodj^h freniing by hit criet, and Icapiii); ab.iut 

 to be in a friglit, yet at lull runt down ihe tree into tlic jaw$ uf (tut de> 

 vomer."* 



The H.>n. Paul Dudley of Roxburv, M.,frjcht.ret!i, Fellow of ilir Royal 

 Society ol LoiiJuii, and Chid jullice ol the Sopreme Court in .VIalI.it:iKi. 

 fctti, about the \e«i {fix. wroie tliui to the Royal Society. + that he 

 •♦ would uoi pretend to aiilwer l(»i the tiuih of every (lory he tad neard 

 ot their cHrmini^ or power of fafcination ; \ei he wa* abundantly faiUiied 

 from leveral witiic(T-f, both En^^lifh and Indian, that a raitir fnakc will 

 charm both IquirrcU and biidt Irom a tree into iiii mouth. Mi. Dudley 

 wai told by one of undoubted probity, that 3$ he was in the woodt he ob^ 

 (ervrd a iqairrel in greai dillrr'} dancing from one bout>h to aiiodier, and 

 inakiii|( a lamentable noifr, till at lalt he came down the iree and \»n be- 

 hind a 1')^ ; the pnfori c'^'^g'^ ^cc wliat was become of him, Ipied a lar^r 

 fnakc thai Iwd fwailowcd liim. 



" Mr. Dudley is the r.tther confirmed in thit relation, becaufe hiiowa 

 brother, beiiii; in ihe woads, openrd one ot th>-fr Inakea and found two 

 ftriped UjiirrfU in his belly, and boi'i ©f them fead torcmofl. When 

 they cliaim, (hey make a lioarfe noife with then mouths, and a fofi rattle 

 with their tai «, havm^ the e\e at the fametiiuc fix'-cj on ifte prey." 



Beverly, in his Hiftory of Virginia, edit 1. p. tGa. Lond. 1722, 8vo. 

 oblcrvei, that " all foittol li>ake» will chaim both birds and rquiriels.and 

 ihc Indians pretend to charm them. Several pcrfons have (ecu fquiircls 

 run down a tree dircQiy into a Inake's m9Uth ; They hive likewiV feeu 

 birds llntterint; up ^''d down, and chaiteiiiig atthcfe (nakci, till at lalt thcjr 

 bave droptfd down before ihcm." 



In tlir year 1748, M, Ka'.nj, profefTor of ■ in the L'liiverfity of 



Alio, in SA'cdm, wa» lent into \orth Amt' .c parttc;i!ai piirpofe 



of making; oblrrva'ioni on (be Natural llilloiy ot ihecoiintrv. During hit 

 flay III N'cw Yoik, he paid particular s'lenlioii to this fubjcft, of which he 

 givca the fidlowiiig account :— •' Moft of the people 111 (tii« country afcri* 

 bed to ihit Inskc a power of fafcioaiing biids and ^jjiirrls, as I have de- 

 fer ibed in (tveral paiisol my joumal. When the Inake lie* under a tree, 

 and has fin'u his ryes ml i bird or (Squirrel above, H ob!i>;<:s (hem to come 

 down and Co g'' dirrtlly into ii» mouih. I cannot account for this, for I 

 never ftw it dour. Ho'Ae\tr, ( have a !i;'l ol more than twenty (>er():i», 

 amoiiii which arc lome of the moll crediiable |>eople, who liavcallun.ini. 

 mouflyt though living f«r dillaui from each other, aflcrted lite fame thin^« 



* Phil. Traat. No. 339. ' I'lnl. Trauj. No. 37C. p. 195. 



