206 May 174$. 



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 theif companion. 

 Many people at Albany told me of an acci- 

 dent which happened to a young lady, whoi 

 went out of town in fummer^ together with 

 many other girls, 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, rail under her petti- 

 coats, and twifted round her waift, fo that 

 me fell backwards in a fwoon occafioned by 

 her fright, or by the compreffion which the 

 fnake caufed. The negro came up to her,- 

 and fufpecling that a Black Snake might 

 have hurt her, on making ufe of a remedy 

 to bring his lady to herielf again, he lifted 

 up hercloaths, and really found the fnake 

 wound about her body as clofe as pofTible ; 

 the negro was not able to tear it away, and 

 therefore cut it, and the girl came to herfelf 

 again ; but fhe conceived fo great an aver- 

 fion to the negro, that fhe could not beat 

 the fight of him afterwards, and died of a 

 confumption. At other times of the year 

 this fnake is more apt to run away, than to 

 attack people. However I have heard it 

 alTerted frequently, that even in fummer 



2 when 



