go TRAVELS IN 
stated of so extraordinary a nature that tlie generality of man- 
kind could not have observed it, individual testimony is not 
always of sufficient force to establish general belief. In the 
southern part of iifrica, where snakes are every where met 
with in great abundance, the fact with regard to their fasci- 
nating power over birds is so well known that very few of the 
peasantry will hesitate to vouch for the truth of it from per- 
sonal observation ; but I have never heard it supposed here 
that the influence of the charm was extended to the human 
species, as has been asserted, seemingly on good authorities, 
to be the case in parts of Asia and North America. The 
most formidable species of this venomous tribe of animals in 
the colony of the Cape is the hooded snake, which they call 
the cobra capella. The Hottentots, though well acquainted 
with several vegetable antidotes against the poison of ser- 
pents, are very much afraid of this particular species. The 
most approved remedy among the Dutch is the slange steen or 
snake-stone, which they hold to be infallible. This antidote 
appears to be in fact nothing more than a piece of firm bone 
of some animal made into an oval shape, and burnt round the 
edges so as to leave a whitish spot in the middle. The coun- 
try-people, who purchase this remedy under the idea of its 
being a stone taken out of the head of a certain species of ser- 
pent, were very much astonished on being told that it was 
only a piece of bone ; and the more so on finding that this 
substance stood their test of the goodness of the slange steen, 
which was that of throwing out bubbles on the surface when 
immersed in water. To the porosity of the bone may be as- 
cribed its healing qualities, if it actually possesses any ; for 
which reason any other substance made up of capillary 
