66 A NATURAL HISTORY 



" Incompoffibllity, between thefe fubtile Effluvia and the Tem- 

 " perament of the vital, fpiritual Subftance of the Serpent, or by 

 " what other way, we are not told *, The Saffafras-tree, a Na- 

 " tive oi America, is call'd Cormis alfo, whofe Wood is very odo- 

 " rous and fragrant." Now, fay thefe Gentlemen why fhould 

 it feem impoffible, that he who underftands this invincible En- 

 mity, and how to manage a Rod of the Cornus with Cunning and 

 Dexterity (having firft intoxicated a Serpent by the Touch there- 

 of) fhould during that Fit make it obferve, and readily conform. 

 to all the various Motions of the Wand, fo as that the unlearned 

 Spedlators, perceiving the Serpent to approach the Enchanter, as 

 he moves the Wand near to himfelf, or to retreat from him, as 

 he put the Wand from him, or turn round and dance as the Rod 

 is mov'd to and fro, or lie ftill as in a Trance, as the Rod is held 

 ftill over it ; and all this Time, the People knowing nothing of 

 the Virtue in the Rod, are ealily deluded into a Belief; that the 

 whole Scene is fupernatural, and the main Energy radicated in 

 thofe Words or Charms, which the Impoftor with great Cere- 

 mony and Gravity of Afpedl mutters forth, the better to difguife 

 his Legerdemain, and diffemble Nature in the colour of a Miracle. 



The Rattle-fnakes in America are faid to fecure their Prey by 

 Incantation ; for they have the Power or Art, (I know not which 

 to call it, fays my Author) to charm Squirrels, Hares, Partridges, 

 or any fuch Thing, in fuch a manner, that they run diredlly into 

 their Mouths: This I have feen, adds he,, by a Squirrel and one 

 of the Rattle-fnakes j and other Snakes have in fome meafure the 

 fame Power •\. 



I T is allowed indeed, that there ar6 dumb Creatures that do ex- 

 ceed Man in ion\& Jmjible Perceptions, particularly in that of aS'w^'/- 

 ling, as the Harriers, and other Dogs. How ftrange, that 

 Odours fi-om the Hare's Body, fhould fo affedl the Nofe of a 

 Hound, as to raife in him that Senfation or Scent, by which he 

 iollows her all the Day (tho' he never had a Sight of her) thro' a 

 Cloud of Opposition, from perplexing intricate Places, and Efflu- 

 viums proceeding from other Animals ! 



These Emanations are exceeding fine Effluvia, or Particles 

 flying off odorous Bodies in all Directions; and as they float in the 

 Air on the Surface of the Earth (within their Atmolphere) ftrike 



againil 



* CharltoK. f Natural Hiftory c^Carolif!a, A. D. 1711. pa^e 129. 



