RATTLE-SNAKE. . 303 



faw, whether Indian, deer, turkey, or even geefe flying, he Amerkan native 

 only held his head that way, opening his mouth wide, an^l a raicje.fi^te, 

 drawing breath in the manner we do, and nothing could pre- 

 vent fuch living creature entering his jaws. It is even faid, 

 that a whole flock of geefe, flying at a great diftance, have 

 been drawn into his mouth, at one time; * and it was well 

 known among the Indians, that of all the hunters or travel- 

 lers, who pafled that way, very few efcaped him. 



*♦ The Indians well knew when he was hungry, for then he 



grew angry, and blew with his mouth, which founded like 



thunder : for his breath was fo powerful, that all the trees, 



however large, would bend, and even fometimes break down 



before him. There being no profped of ever killing him with 



arrows^ on account of the barrennefs of the land far round 



the lake, into which he would always retire, after fatisfying 



his hunger, a great council of the nation was called together, 



and the queftion put, Where are the Mannittoes of the nation ? 



^re they no more ? Shall the whole of the nation be dejlroyed by a 



MannittO'Snake ? At length, two young men, endowed with • 



Mannittoie poicers, offered their fervices, and declared, that 



unlefs the Mannittoie power of the fnake exceeded theirs, 



they fliould fucceed'; but they would, at all events, make an 



attempt. They then bid farewell to the aflfembly and their 



friends, dived into the river, from whence they proceeded 



under the water to a place oppohte the Mennuppeek (lake, 



or large pond) where this fnake dwelt. They made an opening 



under ground, from the river to the centre of the pond, by 



which the pond was drained, and became perfectly dry. 



After returning again, the fame way they had come, they 



found the fnake in great uneafinefs, and on dry ground. 



Taking then the advantage of the dry weather, and the grafs 



far around the fnake being dry, they fet fire to the grafs, at a 



diftance, and around the fnake, by which means he was burnt 



* It is curJou3, at leaft, to compare this part of the Indian tra- 

 dition with what Metrodorus, as cited by Pliny, relates of certain 

 Afiatic ferpents. Thefe, he fays, by means of their breath, at- 

 tta^fted birds, however high they were, or however quick their 

 flight. <' Metrodorus, circa Rhyndacum amjiem in Ponto, ut 

 fupervolantes quamvis alte perniciterque, alites hauftu raptas ab- 

 forbeant." Plin. Hift, Nat. lib. viii. cap. U. 



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