EXPEDITION TO SURINAM. 367 



is an indubitable truth. The above animal was neither CHAP. 



XXIX 



killed nor hurt; the Colonel ordering the remaining . _ ' . 

 party to form in a half circle and march around it, in 

 order that they themfelves at the fame time might ef- 

 cape every danger from the monfter's matchlefs ftrength. 



In this place I fliall mention another extraordinary 

 circumftance, which is, that one morning Colonel Four- 

 geoud refting in his hammock, with one hand carelefsly 

 leaning over the fide, a large rattle-Jnake that lay coiled 

 up among the long grafs which was under it, was actually 

 fevered in two by the fentinel, during the very moment 

 of adlion that it made a fpring to bite him : of which 

 the foldier, whofe name was "John Kiefhaber, had been 

 apprifed firft by the found of its rattle, and next by 

 feeing the fnake's head erected, while it was brandifhing 

 its forked tongue. 



As I am treating of thefe reptiles, I cannot refift the 

 temptation of inferting a fa<5l, which I learned from Mr, 

 Francis Rowe of Philadelphia, a refpecSlable old man; 

 who informed me, that riding out one morning to viiit a 

 friend, his horfe refufed to go forward, being terrified at 

 a large rattle-fnake that lay acrofs the road. Mr. Rowe 

 having heard of its power of fafcination, in which he 

 was a believer, alighted to lead the animal round it; 

 but during that time the fnake, having coiled himfelf up^ 

 founded its rattle, and itared him fo full in the face, and 

 with fuch fire in its eyes, that the cold fweat broke out 

 upon him ; thus,whilft he durft neither retreat or advance, 

 X he 



