488 APPENDIX. 



UPON a careful examination of the above accounts, I canftot fee thafc 

 any obfervations are to be expefted upon this fubjedl, more accurate of 

 particular ; or which could probably be attended with more convincing 

 alteftations or evidence of their being authentic and correft. Dr. Todd, ii 

 a phyHcian of much ability and diftinftion, formerly prffident of the 

 medical fociety, and one of the Council of this State, and now? refident in 

 Connefticu*. Mr. I. Watkins was a minifter of the go'pc-i at Biandoo, 

 and now lives in the flate of New York. Mr, Beach has been attentive to 

 the natural pioduftions of the country, and now lives a; Wiiiting. Mr. 

 Willard died at Tinmouth a few years ago, and was a man of much infor- 

 mation, virtue, and veraciiy. And I cannot difccrn any article or circum- 

 fiance in their lelations ot thefe matters, which appears to be ot a doubt- 

 ful, deceptive, or fallacious nature. They relate fimply and merely to 

 matters of faff, and are declarations of what they heard, obicrvtd and felt ; 

 matters of which they certainly were adequate and competent obferverg 

 and judges. 



Among a number of accounts of a fimilar nature, I (hall only mention 

 one more, v.'hich 1 have from Col. James Claghorn, of Rutland, which is 

 inftrted not fo much with a view to elhblilh the faft, but rather as afford- 

 ing fome information rclpefcing the manner and ptocefs or the operaiion. 

 At Salifbury in Connefticut, fome years ago, where the Colonel then lived, 

 there were two men of the name oi Baker and Nichols. Going 

 tov^/ards the meeting houfe in that place, tliey difcovered a large laitlc- 

 fnake, in a plain open piece oi land. The fnake lav coiled up i'n a pofture 

 of defence ; to attack him with (afety, ihev procured a long fiender pole 

 or I witch, with which they could reach him without being in anv danger 

 from his motions. As the fnake could not elcape, they diverted them- 

 felvcs with initating him with their pole, wi'hout giving him any con= 

 (Jderable wound. They h..'d carried on this bufuiefs (ome time, during 

 which the fnake had repeatedly attempied to fpring upon theiti from his 

 coils, and to efcape by running ; and di covered uncorjimon appearance! 

 of rage £iid difappointrncnt. Being prtvenicd in all bis attempts to elcape 

 from, or to bite his cppolers, he ludtlenly ftietched himlelf at his full 

 length, and fixed his eyes on the man wire \^^.•' tickiiiig him with the end 

 of his pole. The (noke lay per'feftly U. 'I, end Mr. Nichols kept on ihe 

 fame motions with his fwitch. Wilt's ihii fcene had continued for a (horf. 

 time, Mr. Nichols feemed to incliiic hrs body more and more towards the 

 fnake, andbegci' to move towards him in a very flow and irregular man- 

 ner. Baker, who flood looking on, noticed thefe appearance, jiid called 

 to Nicttols to dcfiU from the bufmcrs, and di''patch the fiiake. He took 

 no noiice of thefe admonitions, but appealed to have his whole attention 

 fixed on the fnake, v.as obfeived to be gia-iually moving towards him, to' 

 h.ive a pale afpcft, and to be in a piofiife Iweat. Alarmed wiih the prof= 

 pccf. Baker took him by the fhoulders, gave him a violciu /hake, pulled 

 him awiy by force, and enquired what was the mailer. Nicholsythu* 

 forced from the fcene, made an uncommon moun.ful noifeot dilircfs, ap- 

 peared to be uncommonly and iiniverlally afleflcd, and in a lew minutes 

 replied to the enquiries that he did not know what ailed him, thai he could 

 not tell how he felt, that he had ncvri felt fo btfou, that he did not know 

 what was the maiter wiih him, but was very unwell. 



The above accounts relate only to the falcii.aiing power ol two of the 

 ffipents of America. Singular and cxtraordinn ■ zi they may appear, ws 

 j-iave very authentic relations that the fame rovvens foutid in lonieof thr 

 fsrpentjoi tke other hssnifoliercs 



