253 
TRAVELS IN 
mifed myfelf that I would never again be acceffary 
to the death of a rattle fnake, which promife I hav£ 
invariably kept to. This dreaded animal is eafily 
killed ; a ftick no thicker than a man's thumb is fuf- 
ficient to kill the largeft at one ftroke, if well di- 
rected, either on the head or acrofs the back ; nor 
can they make their efcape by running ofT, nor in- 
deed do they attempt it when attacked. 
The moccafm fnake is a large and horrid ferpent 
tp all appearance, and there are very terrifying 
ftories related of him by the inhabitants of the 
Southern dates, where they greatly abound, par- 
ticularly in Eaft Florida : that their bite is always 
incurable, the fiefh for a considerable fpace about 
the wound rotting to the bone, which then becomes 
carious, and a general mortification enfues, which 
infallibly deftroys the patient ; the members of the 
body rotting and dying by piecemeal : and that there 
}s no remedy to prevent a lingering miferable death 
but by immediately cutting away the flefli to the 
bone, for fome diftance round about the wound. 
In lliape and proportion of parts they much refera- 
ble the rattle fnake, and are marked or clouded 
much after the fame manner, but the colours more 
dull and obfcure ; and in their difpofition feem to 
agree with that dreadful reptile, being flow of pro- 
greffion, and throwing themfelves in a fpiral coil' 
ready for a blow when attacked. They have one pe- 
culiar quality, which is this, when difcovered, and 
obferving their enemy to take notice of them ? after 
throwing themfelves in a coil, they gradually raife 
their upper mandible or jaw until it falls back near- 
ly touching their neck, at the fame time ilowly vi- 
brating their long purpleforked tongue, their crooked 
poifonous fangs directed right at you^ which gives the 
creature 
i 
