TRAVELS 
268 
mifed myfelf that I would never again be acceffary 
to the death of a rattle fnake, which promife I have 
invariably kept to. This dreaded animal is eafily 
killed; a flick no thicker than a man’s thumb is fuf- 
ficient to kill the largefl at one ftroke, if well di- 
rected, either on the head or acrofs the back ; nor 
can they make their efcape by running off, nor in- 
deed do they attempt it when attacked. 
The moccafin fnake is a large and horrid ferpent 
to all appearance, and there are very terrifying 
itories related of him by the inhabitants of the 
Southern ftates, where they greatly abound, par- 
ticularly in Eaff Florida : that their bite is always 
incurable, the flefh for a confiderable 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 
is no remedy to prevent a lingering miferable death 
but by immediately cutting away the flefh to the 
bone, for fome diflance round about the wound. 
In fliape and proportion of parts they much re Terri- 
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 v/ith 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 (lowly vi- 
bratingtheirlongpurple forked tongue, their crooked 
poifonous fangs directed right at you, which gives the 
creature 
