3^ MEMOIR OF GEORGE WILSON. CHAP. II. 



discourse. I had, however, a very edifying conversation 

 in the evening with one of the Arran women concerning 

 adders, to see one of which alive was a most eager wish 

 of mine. The principal facts concerning their natural 

 history were that they could draw birds out of the air; 

 that if they tasted bread they grew to an enormous size ; 

 and she assured me that when the people were eating bread 

 out of doors, they were very careful to allow none of the 

 crumbs to fall, for fear the adders should eat them, and be 

 converted into boa constrictors. If one of the said adders 

 bites any person, it immediately runs to the nearest water 

 and the person bitten must immediately run also; if he 

 gets first, the wound will not be dangerous, but if the adder 

 reaches the water before him, he must make up his mind 

 for a great deal of suffering. A silken bandage tied round 

 the bitten limb cures it, but cotton or linen is useless. I 

 questioned this in the woman's presence, telling her I had 

 no doubt a ligature tightly tied would be very useful in 

 preventing the poison passing into the blood, but that it 

 would be exceedingly foolish to allow a sufferer to wait 

 till silk had been got when a common garter would suffice. 

 She got very angry, and my crime was consummated when I 

 asked her what they were fed upon ; she asked me if I read 

 the Bible, and told me I would find it there. I in vain 

 tried to recollect any passage telling the food of adders, 

 till one of the bystanders suggested the curse put on the 

 serpent, that he should * lick the dust.' On attempting 

 to question that way of reading the passage, so great grew 

 her ire that I was fain to decamp from the anathemas 

 which were unsparingly hurled at me. . . . 



" In two days I shall be in Greenock, and in two days 

 more you shall see your affectionate son, 



" GEORGE." 



