Chap. II. AMERICA. 



once us'd to thofe places, they will repair to them as duly every Ebb, as if they 

 were driven to them by Keepers : In fome places of the Countrey there be Clamms 

 as big as a Peny white Loaf, which are great Dainties amongft the Natives, and 

 would be in great efteem amongft the English, were it not for better Fifh. 



Other Commodities which this Countrey is faid to yield, are, in down-right 

 Profe,Furrs, Flax, Linnen, Iron, Pitch, Marts, Cables, and fome a^iantity of Am- 

 ber ; fo that if what many Authors have confented to affert concerning t{ew Eng- 

 land be not a meer Fiftion, what e're hath been affirm'd of the unfruitfulnefs of the 

 Country will demonftrably be found invalid. 



There are alfo to be found here fome hurtful Creatures , of which , that 

 which is moft injurious to the Perfon and Life of a Man is the <I{attle- Snake, 

 which is generally a yard and a half long, as thick in the middle as the fmall of a 

 Mans Leg; flie hath a yellow Belly, her Back being fpotted with black, ruffet, 

 yellow, and green colours, plac'd like Scales 5 at her Tail is a Rattle, with which 

 flie makes a noife when (he is molefted, or when (he feeth any approach near her ; 

 her Neck feems to be no thicker than a Mans Thumb, yet flie can fwallow a 

 Squirril, having a great wide Mouth, with Teeth as fharp as Needles, wherewith 

 flie biteth fuch as tread upon her, her Poyfon lyeth in her Teeth, for flie hath no 

 Sting. When any Man is bitten by any of thefe Creatures, the Poyfon fpreads fo 

 fuddenly through the Veins, and fo runs to the Heart, that in one hour it caufeth 

 Death, unlefs he hath the Antidote to expel the Poyfon, which is a Root call'd 

 Snake-weed, which muft be champ'd, the Spittle fwallow'd, and the Root apply'd 

 to the Sore 5 this is prefent Cure againft that which would be prefent death with- 

 out it : This Weed is rank Poyfon, if it be taken by any man that is not bitten • 

 whofoever is bitten by thefe Snakes, his flefh becomes as fpotted as a Leopard, un- 

 til he be perfectly cur'd. It is reported, that if the Party live that is bitten, the Snake 

 will die, and if the Party die, the Snake will live. This is a moft Poyfbnous and 

 dangerous Animal, yet nothing fo bad as the report goes of it in England 5 for 

 whereas it is faid to kill a Man with its breath, and that it can flie, there is no fuch 

 matter, for it is naturally the moft fleepy and unnimble Creature that lives, never 

 offering to leap or bite any Man, if it be not trodden on fir ft ; and it is their defire 

 in hot weather to lie in Paths, where the Sun may fliine on them, where they will 

 fleep fo foundly, that I have known four Men ftride over one of them, and never 

 awake it j five or fix Men have been bitten by them, which by ufing of Snakeweed 

 were all cur'd, never any yet lofing his life by them. Cows have been bitten, but 

 being cut in divers places,and this Weed thruft into their flefh,were cur'd j A fmall 

 Switch will eafily kill one of thefe Snakes. In many places of the Country there be 

 none of them, as at Plymouth , ty'to-to'ton, Igowamme, Nahant, arc. In fome places they 

 Will live on one fide of the River, and fvvimming but over the Water, as foon as 

 they are come into the Woods, they turn up their yellow Bellies and die. Up into 

 the Countrey, Weft ward from the Plantations, is a high Hill,which is call'd (Z^tt/** 

 Snake-HiU, where there are great ftore of thefe Poyfonous Creatures. 



There are likewife troublefome Flies. 



Firft there is a wild Bee or Wafp, which commonly guards the Grape, building 

 by Cobweb habitation amongft the Leaves : Secondly a great green Flie, not 

 much unlike our Horfe-Flies in England ; they will nipp fo fore, that they will 

 fetch Blood either of Man or Beaft , and are moft troublefome where moft Cattel 

 are, which brings them from out of the Woods to the Houfes . this Flic continues 

 but for the Moneth of June. The third is Gumipper, which is a fmall black Flie, no 

 bigger than a Flea • her biting caufeth an itching upon the Hands or Face, which 



R j provoketh 



F49 



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