NORTH AMERICA. 
265 
nca : the winding path to this falubrious fountain led 
through a grafTy favanna. I vifited the fpring feve- 
ral times in the night, but little did I know, or any 
of my carelefs drowfy companions, that every 
time we vifited the fountain we were in imminent 
danger, as I am going to relate. Early in the 
morning, excited by unconquerable third, I arofe 
and went to the fpring ; and having, thoughtlefs 
of harm or danger, nearly half pall the dewy vale, 
along the ferpentine foot path, my hafty fteps were 
fuddenly flopped by the fight of a hideous ferpent, 
Xhe formidable rattle fnake, in a high fpiral coil, 
forming a circular mould half the height of my 
knees, within fix inches of the narrow path. As 
loon as I recovered my fenfes and ftrength from fo 
fudden a furprife, I darted back out of his reach, 
where I flood to view him : he lay quiet whilft I 
furveyed him, appearing no way furprifed or dif- 
turbed, but kept his half-fhut eyes fixed on me. 
My imagination and fpirits were in a tumult, almoft 
equally divided betwixt thankfgiving to the fupreme 
Creator and preferver, and the dignified nature of 
the generous though terrible creature, who had fuf- 
fered us all to pafs many times by him during the 
night, without injuring us in the leaft, although we 
muffc have touched him, or our fteps guided there- 
from by a fupreme guardian fpirit. I haftened back 
to acquaint my afibciates, but with a determina- 
tion to protecl the life of the generous ferpent. I 
prefently brought my companions to the place, who 
were, beyond expreffion, furprifed and terrified at 
the fight of the animal, and in a moment acknow- 
ledged their efcape from deflrucdon to be miracu- 
lous ; and I am proud to affert, that all of us, except 
one psrfon, agreed to let him lis undifturbed, and 
that 
