NORTH AMERICA. 0 . 6 $ 
rica". the winding path to this falubrious fountain led 
through a graffy 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 a- 
rofe and went to the fpring ; and having, thought- 
lefs of harm or danger, nearly half pail the dewy 
vale, along the ferpentine foot-path, my hafty fleps 
were fuddenly flopped by the fight of a hideous fer- 
pent, the formidable rattle fnake, in a high fpiral 
coil, forming a circular mound half the height o£ 
my knees, within fix inches of the narrow path. 
As foon as I recovered my fenfes and ffrength from 
fo fudden a furprife, l flatted back out of his reach, 
where 1 flood to view him : he lay quiet whilll I 
furveyed him, appearing no way furprifed or dis- 
turbed, but kept his half-fhut eyes fixed on me. 
My imagination and fpirits were in a tumult, almofi 
equally divided betwixt thanldgiving to the Supreme 
Creator and Preferver, and the dignified nature of 
the generous though terrible creature, who had Suf- 
fered us all to pafs many times by him during tho 
night, without injuring us in the leafl, although we 
mufl have touched him, or our fleps guided there- 
from by a fuprerpe guardian Spirit. I haflened back 
to acquaint my aiiociates, but with a determina- 
tion to protedl the life of the generous Serpent. 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 deftruflion to be miracu- 
lous ; and I am proud to affert, that all of us, except 
one perfon, agreed to let him lie undiflurbed, and 
that 
