TUIRTr YEARS A HUNTER 57 



were near a brook or small stream, The country 

 from near the mouth of Pine Creek extending several 

 miles up to a place called the Big Elk Lick, was a 

 great resort for them. Within this distance there 

 were six rattlesnake dens. The first den was on the 

 east side of the creek, near Clark's Bottom. Up the 

 creek, about nine miles above Clark's Bottom, was 

 another. About two miles farther, at Black Walnut 

 Bottom, was a small island of about two acres, where 

 we always found great numbers of them. Still far- 

 ther up the creek, about nine miles from the last 

 place, lying in the river, about twelve feet from the 

 nearest shore was a rock about forty feet long by 

 fifteen wide, called Kattle-snake Rock. Oil this the 

 snakes would often lie in piles. On the opposite side 

 of the river was another seventy feet long and twenty 

 wide, on which could often be seen forty snakes at a 

 time. 



In the year 1794, James King and a Mr. Manning 

 went on an. exploring expedition up Pine Creek, to 

 ascertain if any elk were to be found, and also if 

 any Indians were in the neighborhood. They went 

 up the stream above Big Meadows. When about 

 twenty miles up the creek, they found the rattle- 

 snakes so numerous that they were compelled to 

 anchor their canoe in the middle of the stream to 

 avoid them. The first night they built a fire on shore, 

 and before morning three snakes made their appear- 

 ance. They then concluded it would be more safe in 

 the canoe. About the third day they arrived at the 

 larger rock on the west side of the river? and found 



