APPENDIX. sc 9 



We know from hiftory, that where any country has been 

 remarkably infefted with ferpents, there the people have been 

 fcreened by this fecret. The Pfylli and M-armarides of old 

 undoubtedly were defended in this manner, 



i 



Ad Quorum cantus mites jfcacuere. Cerajlce. 



Sil. Ital. lib. iii; 



To leave ancient hiftory, I can myfelf vouch, that all the 

 black people in the kingdom of Sennaar, whether Funge or 

 Nuba, are perfectly armed againft the bite of either fcorpion 

 or viper. They take the Ceraftes in their hands at all times, 

 put them in their bofoms,. and throw them to one another 

 as children do apples or balls, without having irritated them, 

 by this ufage fo much as to bite. The Arabs have not this 

 fecret naturally, but from their infancy they acquire an ex^ 

 emption from the mortal eonfequences attending the bite of 

 thefe animals, by chawing a certain root, and warning them- 

 felves (it is. not anointing) with aninfufion. of certain plants 

 in water. 



One day when I was with thebrother of Shekh Aderan, 

 prime minifter of Sennaar, a Have of his brought a Ce- 

 raftes which he had juft then taken out of a hole, and 

 was ufing.it with, every fort of familiarity. I told him my 

 fufpicion that the teeth had been drawn, but he alfured me 

 they were not, as did his mafter Kittou, who took it from 

 him, wound it round his arm, and at my defire ordered the 

 fervant to carry it home with me. I took a chicken by the 

 neck, and made it flutter before him; his feeming indifler-, 

 ence left him, and he bit it with great figns of anger, the 

 chicken died almoft immediately ; I fay his feeming indif- 

 ference 



