2 o6 May 1749. 



took a knife and cut it through in two or 

 three places. The other workmen were 

 rejoiced at this fight, and laughed at it, 

 without offering to help their companion. 

 Many people at Albany told me of an acci- 

 dent which happened to a young lady, who 

 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 dis- 

 turbed in its amours, ran under her petti- 

 coats, and twifted round her waift, fo that 

 fhe fell backwards in a fwoon occafioned by 

 her fright, or by the compremon which the 

 fnake caufed. The negro came up to her, 

 and fufpeding that a Black Snake might 

 have hurt her, on making ufe of a remedy 

 to bring his lady to herfelf again, he lifted 

 up her cloaths, and really found the fnake 

 wound about her body as clofe as pomble ; 

 the negro was not able to tear it away, and 

 therefore cut it, and the girl came to herfelf 

 again ; but (he conceived fo great an aver- 

 fion to the negro, that fhe could not bear 

 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 

 afferted frequently, that even in fummer 

 2 when 



