^I)c ianncrVi iilotitl)hjJ>bitov. 



103 



(t is on this account tliat the |n-iulent hunter I tjie cage, before the nninial hegan to move hrisk- 

 rarely le;i|is over tlie trunk "fa fallen tree, for | ly and sounil the rattle. 



(ear ui' alighting on or near one of tliose foriniila- 

 ble reptiles; v/iiich, liy the hye, are happily sel- 

 dom encniMitered in this part of Loiiijiiaiia. The 

 custom is to get on the trunk, and pass on to the 

 other side — a very necessary act of sound dis- 

 cretion. Every one knows the danger of its 

 bite, which, in ceitaiu circumstances, causes 

 <Ieath in less than an hour. One of my friends, 

 (Dr. D., a Creole physician, practising in the couji- 

 try,) lately anil successfully treated a patient who 

 had been grievously bitten. I will invite him to 

 give the public an account of the means which 

 he employed in curing the patierjt, or, if lie pre- 

 fers it, give myself a ilescription of it in his 

 name. 



Anotlier physician, one of my intimate friends, 

 passed a night in a state of great [lerplexity, of 

 which the following account tnay give the reader 

 some idea: — He had, like me, entertained the 

 desire of observing the particidar ways of these 

 terrible reptiles kept in a cage, and succeeded in 

 furnishing himself with four of them, of various 

 sizes. For tijar of some accident, off account of 

 the negligence of his negroes, ho had placed the 

 cage which enclosed them in a spacious room, 

 which be made his lied chamber. A negro was 

 selected to lt!ed and attend to them. It was my 

 friend's custom, on liis retiuMi home, to take a 

 glance at his animals, to assure himself of their 

 being well shut. One night, having come home 

 very late and lired, he neglected this precaution, 

 and went to bed. The weather was very hot, 

 and notwithstanding his slate of fatigue, several 

 hours glided away without his obtaining any 

 sleep. He suddenly heard a light, sliding noise, 

 on the floor along the wall of the apaitment, 

 which left off very soon, and he ceased to give 

 any more attention to the circumstance. After 

 some moments, the same noise revived, and he 

 then cautiously looked out of bed to ascertain 

 what might be the cause of if. The moonlight 

 shining f(dl into the room, he observed the laigest 

 of the snakes (he had 18 rattles) roaming free 

 along the floor! I leave the reader to imagine 

 what were his impressions at this unexpected 

 sight! VVhat_was he to do in this case? A 

 loaded giui was hanging in the extremity of the 

 room. How to reach it was the question. Fur- 

 ther: was this animal the ordy one out ol the 

 cage, or were the others, too, at liberty.' 'I'he 

 whole of the servants were asleep. He resolved 

 to wait for the morning: but he first took the 

 precaution of slowly and carefully drawing up 

 his musquito curtain around the bed; afterwards 

 be sat down and carefidly watched the issue. 

 The animal continued to make some undulatory 

 movements through the room, after which the 

 Doctor beard him approach the bed, and at last 

 all became silent. VVe shall see, in the end, that 

 he had come to place himself precisely under 

 the bed, had rolled himself up, and from that 

 moment moved no more. My object here is to 

 talk of [he feeling which kept tny friend awake 

 all the night. 



At daybght he heard the steps of a servant 

 who was coming, according to his custom, to 

 perform his mondng duty. The Doctor cried 

 out to him not to open the door, but to go for an 

 old African negro, named Isaac, Who was known 

 to approach these reptiles without fear. The 

 latter arrived, entered confidently, and, as we 

 said before, saw the snake rolled up under the 

 bed. The three others had remained in the cage, 

 although the door was open ; his first care was 

 to shut it. My friend insisted oji his shooting 

 the snake. Isaac refused, and declared himself 

 able to seize the animal, without the least fear of 

 being bitten by him. In efl^ect, he advanced to 

 the beil, whistling softly with his !ips, pronounc- 

 ing some words in English in a chressing lone, 

 and then, alter some minutes, be ventured to 

 pass his hand over the back of the snake, all the 

 time trying to sooth him. Afterwards, lifiing 

 him gently by the heati, whilst he conliinied to 

 whistle, talk, and soolh him, lis induced the ani- 

 mal to place himself on his arm and body. The 

 snake let the negro c.irry him thus ihroiigh the 

 chamber, without betraying either fright or any 

 offensive emotion. The Doctor asked Isaac to 

 replace, the reptile in his cage. "Oh, master, 

 this is impossible," says he; "if I attempt it, the 

 snake would be angry and bite me — look!" In- 

 deed, scarcely did Isaac stoop and lean towards 



Isaac immediately got up, began again his 

 soothing caresses, and the animal fell calm. He 

 then asked for a strong sheet ; by degrees ac- 

 customed the snake to the view of this object, 

 and then passed one end of the edges of it be- 

 tween his arm and the animal's body, continuing 

 his wheedling and walking about all the time. 

 As soon as he was certain that he could in a mo- 

 ment envelope the animal in the sheet, he rapidly 

 threw it around him, and thus was the snake 

 mastered. All that remained now to be done 

 was to reinstate him in the cage; of which the 

 door was very small comparatively with the mass 

 which formed the animal so wra|)ped up. Isaac 

 displayed the same dexterity in unrolling the 

 sheet,"that he had done before in all his interest- 

 ing nianceuvers. He succeeded, by a series of 

 quick and skilful movements, in getting him hack 

 to his old quarters, without receiving the slighlest 

 injury; shut the cage; and tliqs my friend's un- 

 pleas'ant atliiir terminated. The negro, however, 

 said, if a similar aftiiir happened again with the 

 same snake, he could never venture to approach 

 him for fear of being bitten, because he had in 

 this manner deceived him. 



These facts are of undoubted authenticity, 

 since 1 bad them from the mouth of my friend. 

 But I conless that I do not know bow to compre- 

 hend the perfect security of the old African, and 

 still less, perha])s, the sagacity which he attribu; 

 ted lo the snake. To be able to establisii the 

 (act necessary to (bund any serious discussion on 

 this subject, it would be necessary to try the 

 same manceuvers employed by the negro, to ob- 

 serve their effects, and afterwards atleni[)t an ex- 

 [ilanation of them. This is a hazard which I 

 certainly do not choose to risk. 



There is an attribute pecidiar to the hog, in 

 relation to he rattleshake, the mention of which 

 will not, I trust, prove eritirely uninteresting to 

 to the reader. On' his'iippro'ach, the latter seems 

 terrified, and' tries to escape. But the grunter 

 pursues, seizes, and devours him with the most 

 absolute rndi(ftrehce of bis rattle ftlid Tangs, If 

 it be a sow, acc6mpanied with A litter of young 

 ones, she even divides (he prey among the little 

 squeakers. It is also usual, in certain localities 

 where these reptiles abound, to drive foi^Ward a 

 bog fastened in a leash, to lemnve them from the 

 places to be visited. The doctor questioned the 

 negro if he had something about him belonging 

 to this animal, or other substance equally etfica- 

 cioiis, in inii;nidating or appeasing the snake. 

 Isaac dirtclly replibd that he did not employ any 

 other means than the cSrfesses'tvhich he liad wit- 

 nessed. ■ ' ' . 



I will close tiie^^e remarks ^vith the relation of 

 another adventuly.'wbich threaielied in its ef- 

 fects, perhaps, to be still more terrible. A huir- 

 ter of my acquaintance l^sed to aimise himself, 

 whenever he met some nrie sp^ciHien of the rat- 

 tlesnake, with endeavoi^l'ng to catch him. This 

 he was enabled to do by iheans of a long stick 

 cleft at the end, with which "he was accustomed 

 to seize him by the back of the head. 



Ofte day, as" he was postal at some distance 

 from his 'friends, watching (Jir his game, (deer,) 

 he perceived one of these reptiles; he seized 

 him in the manner above mentioned ; and then, 

 after having firmly placed his fingers behind his 

 head, he diverted himself by opening its mouth 

 in ordfcrto examine bis teeth and fitngs. In ihe 

 mean time, the snake, quite unobserved by my 

 friend, who was entirely absorbed in the inspeoT 

 tion of the creatiire's head, liad twisted ils body 

 in mmierous folds around his arm. Little by 

 litlle, he was conscious of a slight pressure, ac^ 

 colnpanied by an alarming numbness in this 

 member. He immediately endeavored to disen- 

 gage his arm, but, at the same time, the pressure 

 and niunhness kep^ augmenting", he, by degrees, 

 felt with horror that his fingers were losing all 

 Iiouer of retaining their hold. At last the head 

 of the animal began to slip away, gradually draw- 

 ing near the palm of his hand, and the thought- 

 less huntef had just made up his mind to t!}e 

 horrible consequences of his imprudeiice, when 

 his companion at the next post, alarmed by his 

 cries for help, most opportunely arrived ; hastily 

 pulling out a bide bottle of ammoniac, and, un- 

 corking it, poured ils contents into the rattle- 

 snake'f mouth. Suddenly ijijs frightfid scene 



was completely, changeil ; the animal unrolled 

 himself, fell to tlie ground, and was killed. 



I will just mention, en passant, (or the infor- 

 mation of the uninitiated, that some hunters in 

 these regions are accustomed lo carry with them 

 a bottle of this alkali, to provide against the 

 chance of their dogs being bitten by the snakes. 



I personally know both the human actors in 

 this terrible scene, and I am sure that one of 

 them will certainly never expose himself to a 

 similar danger. 



I do not add any reflections to these light, 

 sketches, the consequences and inferences natu- 

 rally flowing from the incidents they embrace. 

 The perusal, however, will not fail to point out 

 to US the danger we are always liable to incur, 

 notwithstanding every possible ))recaution, of 

 being seriously injiu-ed by making such ferocious 

 creatures the olyects of domestic amusement or 

 careless investigation. 



B- , M. D. 



Improvemeut of Animals* 



It appears to he one of the laws of nature, 

 that specific changes in vegetables as well as 

 animals can be eft'ecled; but only by a slow and 

 gradual progress. What at first is a mere acci- 

 dental properly, and not sensibly inheritable, 

 may by a repetition of impressions from genera- 

 tion to generation, beqome at last confirmedly 

 hereditary. That ihisis the case with regard to 

 anirtials, many qccurrences prove. Indeed we 

 cannot in any oilier way rationally account for 

 the varieties even of our own species distinguish- 

 ed by 9olor, size and other peculiarities observed 

 in nations, tribes and families. No one will pre- 

 tend to say, that such distinctions were brought 

 about in a day, or a year; they therefore have 

 been (iroduced as has been asserted, by the con- 

 tinual and unitbrm action of their causes. The 

 properties impressed on one generation being 

 ihus inheri:ted in some degree by the ne.xt, vvhicli 

 receiving additional and stronger impressioiis, of 

 the same kind (rom the same causes, still ope- 

 rating, will transmit them slill furlher with in- 

 creased efticacy, till at last the effect is carried 

 to 'IS uKimate point. 



h'iiD^imals possess the faculties of inheriting 

 qualitii^s, of which there is little doubt, we should 

 frorn'yeiar to year select the best for propagation, 

 and frot^i iheir produce again choose the best, 

 and tlius continue without intermission. 



By criissing inferior breeds with some of the 

 improved kinda, and raising the be.st calves, it is 

 in the power ofiaUnostevi^ry farmer in the course 

 of a few years, without involving himself in debt, 

 greatly to- improve bis stock of cows, and increase 

 the income of his dairy. Much however depends 

 on the care and attention bestovted on the young 

 stock, let them be of vyiiat breg'd they may, for 

 the first year of theh-" grdw'tb. Calves should 

 always be kept growiiig, and never suffered to 

 fall away, by which meiuis ibey will attain better 

 gize^come.tD> maturity much sooner, and grow 

 in better forin,'«nd without attentioii, it is folly 

 to attempt t» improve our stock. — Central A". Y, 

 Farmer. ^• 



Oh ! blest are they. 



From ihe Sivedisli «/ Frederika Bremer. 



"O! blest are they who silent weep 



Upon the breast of the furfiiven, 



VVlio bless each other, and will keep 



-Love's promises, mutually given ! 



" O blest arc they, who win again 

 The (Viend, whom they have wept at losing, 



And whoa blessed heaven regain, 

 The path ol' peace forever choosing 1 



" Let all bitter doubts remove, 



Heal the heart's deep-seated sorrow; 



Tears of reconciling love, 

 From the source of Love we borrow." 



Always suspect a man who afl^ects great soft- 

 ness of manners, an unruftled evenness of tem- 

 per, and an enunciation studied, stern and de- 

 liberate. They bespeak a degree of mental 

 discipline, into which he that has no purposes 

 of cra(\ or design lo answer, cannot submit lo 

 drill himself. The most successful (jnaves are 

 usually of this description, as smooth as razors 

 dipped in oil, and as sharp. They affect the 



ppe , . , , 



innocence of the dove, which they have not, in 

 order to bide the cunning of the serpent, which 

 they have. 



