DRIVES. 199 



the exterior side of the cabin, and entered at the top, 

 which was left open ; but once fairly within it, he could 

 neither escape or throw it down. 



Turkeys were taken in square pens, made of lighter 

 timber, and covered at the top. They entered at an 

 open door in the side, which was suspended by a string 

 that led to a catch within. This string and catch were 

 covered with chaff, which induced them to enter, and 

 while engaged in scratching about the chaff to get at the 

 grain mingled with it, some unlucky companion would 

 strike the catch, and let the door down behind them 

 all. 



This town was much infested with rattlesnakes, 

 during the first ten years of its settlement, though but 

 one instance is known of a bite among the inhabitants. 

 There were two kinds, the large yellow, (crotalus duris- 

 sus of naturalists,) and the small venomous black rattle- 

 snake, (crotalus miliarius^ or massassauga. The mas- 

 sassauga frequented the low grounds, to the terror of 

 all cranberry hunters. The yellow rattlesnake, which 

 was very large and more numerous, kept the open dry 

 ground, particularly fields of standing grown wheat. It 

 is said that eleven were killed in one day in a wheat 

 field, one mile north of the centre. They resorted in 

 the winter to a den in the rocks, at the southwest part 

 of Stony hill. On the approach of spring, attracted by 

 the warmth of the atmosphere, they would come out in 

 a half torpid state, and were killed by the inhabitants 

 by scores. At this day, a rattlesnake, a bear, or a wolf, 

 would be equally an object of curiosity. 



