MOONF.YI NOTKS AND rAKAIJ-KLS 457 



the story is very iimcli dii'sscil up, Imt sli-il;iii;;ly ivscinMi's iiiiruhcr oS, "The Rattle- 

 snake's Vengeance." 



Ailair, evidently confusing several Cherokee suuke myths, speaks of souie reputed 

 gigantic rattlesnakes in the Cherokee mountains, with beautiful changing colors and 

 great power of fascination, by which they drew into their jaws any living creature 

 coining within their vision, aiid continues: "They call them and allot the rattle- 

 snake kind, kings or chieftains of the snakes, and they allow one such to every dif- 

 ferent si>ecies of the brute creation. An old trader of ("heeowhee told me that for 

 the reward tif two pieces of stroud cloth he engaged a cduple of young warriors to 

 show him the place of their resort; but the headmen would not by any means allow 

 it, on account of a superetitious tradition — for they fancy the killing of them would 

 expose them to the danger of being bit by the other inferior species of the serpentine 

 tribe, who love their chieftains and know by instinct those who maliciously killed 

 them, as they fight only in their own defense and that of their young ones, never 

 biting those who do not disturb them." He mentions also an instance of a Chicka- 

 saw priest who, after liaving applied to his hands the juice of a certain plant, took up 

 a rattlesnake witiiout <lamage and laid it carefully in a hollow tree to ])revent Adair's 

 killing it (History of the American Indians, pp. 237-2:58). 



Of the Carolina tribes generally, Lawson, in 1701, .says: "As for killing of snakes, 

 they avoid it if they lie in their way, because tlieir oi)inion is that some of the ser- 

 pents' kindred would kill some of the savage's relations that should destroy hnn" 

 (History of t!arolina, p. 341). 



Bartram says of theSeminoles, about 1775: "These people never kill the rattlesnake 

 or any other serpent, saying, if they do so, the spirit of the killed snake will excite 

 or influence his living kindred or relatives to revenge the injury or violence done to 

 him when alive." He recounts an amusing incident of his own experience where 

 the Indians sent for him to come and kill a rattlesnake which had invaded their 

 camp ground, and which they were afraid to disturb. Their request having been 

 complied with, the Indians then insisted upon scratching him, according to the Indian 

 custom, in order to let out some of liis superabundant blood and courage, but were 

 finally, with .some difficulty, dissuaded from their purpo.^ie. "Thus it seemed that 

 the whole was a ludicrous farce to satisfy their people and appease the manes of the 

 dead rattlesnake" (Travels, pp. 258-261). 



The tra<ler Henry (Travels, pp. 176-179) narrates a most interesting instance from 

 among the Ojibwa of Lake Suiierior in 1764. While gathering wood near the camp 

 he was startled by a sudden rattle, and looking down discovered a rattlesnake almost 

 at his feet, with body coiled and head raised to strike. 



"I no sooner saw the snake, than I hastened to the canoe, in order to procure my 

 gun; but, the Indians observing what I was doing, in(|uired the occasion, and being 

 informed, begged me to desist. At the same time, they followed me to the spot, with 

 their pipes and tobacco-] louches in their hands, (hi returning, I fnund the snake 

 still coiled. 



"The Indians, on their part, surrounded it. all addressing it 1)V turns, and calling 

 it their r/nindfiilliri-; but yet keeping at some distance. During this part of the cere- 

 mony, they filled their i)ij)es; and now each blew the smoke toward the snake, who, 

 as it appeared to me, really received it with pleasure. In a word, after remaining 

 coiled, and receiving incense, for the space of half an hour, it.stretched itself alongthe 

 ground, in visible good humor. Its length was between four and five feet. Having 

 remained otitstretched for some time, at last it moved slowly away, the Indians fol- 

 lowing it, and still addressing it l>y the title of grandfather, beseeching it to take care 

 of their families during their absence, and to te plea)?ed to oi)en the heart of .Sir Wil- 

 liam .lohnsiin [the British Indian agent, whom they were about to visit], so that he 

 might >:lioir iliiiii i-li(irilii, and fill their canoe with rum. One of the chiefs added a 

 petition, that the snake would take no notice of the insult which had been offered 



