74 TRAVELS IN 
country of the Auteniquas. It was rxcordingly 
a fettled bufmefs, and my friend conceived him- 
felf to be already in my tent. 
The converfation that took place upon this 
€ccafion, and which powerfully interefted the 
company, reminds me of a curious event that 
happened at the fame time, and which I cannot 
pafs over in filence* 
Our eyes were naturally attraded by the ob- 
jects before us. Mine indeed, by an involun- 
tary impulfe, are fure to be direfted to what- 
ever trees are in fight. We perceived the 
branches of one near us to move. Immediately 
we heard the piercing cries of a flirike, and faw 
it tremble as if in convulfions. We firft con- 
ceived that it was held in the gripe of fome 
bird of prey ; but a clofer attention led us to 
difcover, upon the next branch' of the tree, a 
large ferpent that, with ftretched-out neck, and 
fiery eyes, though perfe£tly ftill, was gazing at 
the poor animal. The agony of the bird was 
terrible; but fear had deprived it of ftrength, 
and, as if tied by the leg, it feemed to have 
loft the power of flight. One of the company 
ran for a fufee ; but before he returned the 
fhrike was dead, and we fliot only the ferpenr, 
I re- 
