TRAVELS IN 
I94 
an half in length, and three -fourths of an inch in 
thicknefs ; the abdomen or body part is remarkably 
fhort, and it feems to be all tail, which, though 
long, gradually attenuates to its extremity, yet not 
ifnall and fender as in fwiteh fnakes^ The colour 
and texture of the whole animal is exactly like 
bluilh green glafs, which, together with its fragi- 
lity, almoft perfuades a ffranger that it is in rea- 
lity of that brittle fubftance : but it is only the tail 
part that breaks off, which it does like glafs, by a 
very gentle ilroke from a fender fwiteh. Though 
k is quick and nimble in twilling about, yet it 
cannot run fall from one, but quickly fecretes it- 
keif at the bottom of the grafs or under leaves. 
It is a vulgar fable, that it is able to repair 
itfelf after being broken into feveral pieces * 
which pieces, common report fays, by a power or 
faculty in the animal, voluntarily approach each 
other, join and heal again. The fun now low, 
foot the pointed fiadows of the projecting pro- 
montories far on the fkirts of the lucid green plain : 
focks of turkeys calling upon their fcrolling aflo- 
ciates, circumfpedlly marched onward to the groves 
and high foreils, their nocturnal retreats. Dewy eve 
now arrived. I turned about and regained our en- 
campment in good time. 
The morning cool and pleafant, and the ffdes 
ferene, we decamped, puriuing cur progrefs round 
the Alachua favanna. Three of our companions 
feparating from us, went a-head, and we foon loft 
fight of them : they again parting on different ex- 
curfions, in quell of game and in fearch of their horfes, 
fome entered the furrounding groves and forefts, 
others ftruck off into the green plains. My compa- 
nion, the old trader, and myfelf kept together, he 
3 ' beln S 
