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204 APPENDIX. 



the fun was burning hot all day, when we made a fire at 

 night, by digging a hole, and burning wood to charcoal in 

 it, for dreffing our victuals,, it was feldom we had fewer 

 than half a dozen of thefe vipers, who burnt therafelves to 

 death approaching the embers.. 



I apprehend- this to be the afpic which Cleopatra em- 

 ployed to procure her death. Alexandria, plentifully fup- 

 plied by water, muft then have had fruit of all kinds in its 

 gardens. The bafkets of figs muft have come from thence, 

 and the afpic, or Ceraftes, that was hid in them, from the ad.- 

 joining defert, where there are plenty to this day ; for. to 

 the weftward in Egypt, where the Nile overflows, there is no 

 fort of ferpent whatever that I ever faw ; nor, as I have be- 

 fore faid, is there any other of the mortal kind that I know 

 in thofe parts of Africa adjoining to Egypt, excepting the 

 Ceraftes. 



It fhould feem very natural for any one, who, from 

 motives of diftrefs, has refolved to put a period to his 

 exiftence, efpecially women and weak perfons unaccuftom- 

 ed to handle arms, to feek the gentleft method to free 

 themfelves from that load of life now become infup- 

 portable. This, however, has not always been the cafe with 

 the ancients. Aria, Petus's wife, ftabbed herfelf with a 

 dagger, to fet her hufband an example to die, with this me- 

 morable aifurance, after giving herfelf the blow, " Petus,it 

 " is not painful." Porcia, the wife of Brutus, died by the 

 barbarous, and not obvious way of perifhing, by fwallowing 

 fire ; the violent agitation of fpirits prevailing over the mo- 

 mentary difference in the fufTering. It is not to be doubted 

 but that a woman, high- fphited like Cleopatra, was alfo above 



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