NIEUnOFp's BRAZIL. yi^ 



or among the ruins of old houfes and churches ; it oftentimes fett'es near the bedfteads, 

 which makes fometimes the moors pull down their huts. 



Its conftant cry is Gekko, but before it begins it makes a kind of hiffing noife. The 

 iling of this creature is fo venomous, that the wound proves mortal, unlefs it be im- 

 inediately burnt with a red-hot iron, or cut off. The blopd is of a palifli colour, 

 refembling poifon itfelf. 



The Javanefe ufe to dip their arrows in the blood of this creature ; and thofe who 

 deal in poifons among them (an art much efleemed in the ifland of Java, by both fexes) 

 hang it up with a firing tied to the tail on the ceiling, by which means it being exafpe- 

 rated to the highefl pitch, fends forth a yellow liquor out of its mouth, which they 

 gather in fmall pots fet underneath, and afterwards coagulate into a body in the fun. 

 This they continue for feveral months together, by giving daily food to the creature. 

 It is unqueitionably the flrongeft poifon in the world, its urine being of fo corrofive 

 a quality, that it not only raifes bliilers wherever it touches the fkin, but turns the flefh 

 black, and caufes a gangrene. The inhabitants of the Eall Indies fay, that the belt 

 remedy againft this poifon is the Curcumie root. Such a Gekko was got within the 

 body of the wall of the church in the Receif, which obliged us to have a great hole 

 made in the faid wall to diflodge it from thence. 



There are alfo feveral forts of ferpents in Brazil, fuch as rattle-ferpents, double- 

 headed ferpents, and fuch like ; of which the Brazilians enumerate twenty-three, viz. 

 Boigvacu, or Liboya, Arabo, Bioby, Boicininga, Boitrapo, Boykupekanga, Bapoba, 

 Kukuruku, Kaninana, Kurukakutinga, Grinipaijaguara, Ibiara, Jakapekoaja, Ibiboboca, 

 Jararaka, Manima, Vona, Tarciboya, Kakaboya, Amorepinima. 



^Ve will give you an account of thofe only that dwell in the houfes and woods of 

 Pernambuko, pafTmg by the reft, as not fo well known among us ; and it is obfervable 

 that though fome of the American or Brazilian ferpents exceed thofe of Europe in 

 bignefs, they are neverthelefs not fo poifonous. 



The ferpent of Boicininga, or Boicinininga, likewife called Boiquira by the Brazilians, 

 is by the Portuguefe called Kafkaveda and Tangedor, i. e. a rattle, and by our people a ' 

 rattle-ferpent, becaufe it makes a noife with its tail, not unlike a rattle. This ferpent is 

 found both upon tlie highway and in defolate places ; it moves with fuch fwiftnefs as if 

 it had wings, and is extremely venomous. In the midft it is about the thicknefs of 

 a man's arm near the elbow, but grows thinner by degrees towards the head and tail. 

 The belly and head is flatdlh, the laft being of the length and breadth of a finger 

 arid a half, with very fmall eyes. It has four peculiar teeth longer than all the reft, 

 white and fharp like a thorn, which it hides fometimes v/ithin the gums. The fkin is 

 covered with thick fcales, thofe upon the back being fomewhat higher than the 

 reft, and of a pale yellowifh colour, with black edges. The fides of the body are 

 likewife yellowifli, with black fcales on each fide ; but thofe upon the belly are larger, 

 four-fquare, and of a yellow colour. It is three, four, and fometimes five foot long ;j 

 has a round tongue, fplit in the middle, with long and fharp teeth. The tail is 

 compofed of feveral loofe and bony joints, which make fuch a noife that it may be 

 heard at a diftance ; or rather at the end of the tail, is a long piece, confifting of 

 feveral joints, joined within one another in a moft peculiar manner, not unlike a chain. 

 Every year there is an addition of one of thefe joints, fo that ypu may knew the exzQ: 

 age of the ferpent by their number ; nature feeming in this point to have favoured 

 mankind, as a warning to avoid this poifonous creature by this noife. One of thefe 

 joints put in the fundament caufes immediate death ; but the fting of this creature 

 proceeds much flower in its operation, for in the beginning a bloQdy matter iffues from 



VOL. XIV. 4 Y the 



