'(40 
could not be executed by thofe great Kings of Egypt> that rai-* 
fed fo many ftupendious Pyramids i although in his Opinion 
thereafons alleged by H Marians to ju&i&Q them for having a- 
bandoned that undertaking, are of no validity., and that the 
Red Sea cannot be, as they feared, higher than the Nik, and 
therefore not indanger the inundation of Egypt. 
The other Proportion was made to Charles Magne,Anno 79%. 
for joyning th oEuxine Sea and the Ocean together, by a Chan- 
nel, which was begun for that end, anddeligned to be 2000. 
paces long, and ico. paces broad, betwixt the River Jltmull , 
falling into the Danube above Ratubone, and the River Rott^ paf- 
hng at Nurenberg, and thence running into the Main 5 and fb 
into the Rhine. But yet this alfo proved abortive, though there 
was great appearance of fuccefs at firft. 
Of the Way of hilling Ratle-Snakes. 
There being not long finceoccafion given at a meeting of 
the Royal Society to difcourfe of Ratle* Snakes, tlfat worthy and 
i inquifitive Gentleman, Captain Silas Taylor, related the man- 
ner, how they were killed in Virginia , which he afterwards 
was pleafcd to give in writing, attefted by two credible perfons 
i in whofe prefence it was don j which is, as follows. 
The Wild Penny-royal or Ditany of Virginia , groweth ftreight 
up about one foot high, with the leaves like Penny royal, with 
little blue tufts at the joyning of the branches to the Plant, the 
colour of the Leaves being a reddiih green, but the Water di- 
ftilled , of the colour of Brandy y of a fair Yellow: the 
Leaves of it bruifed are very hot and biting upon the Tongue : 
and of thefe, fo bruifed , they took fome , and having tyed 
them in the cleft of a long ftick, they held them to the Nofe of 
the Rati e- Snake, who by turning and wriggling laboured as much 
as fhe could to avoid it : but ihe was killed with it, in lefs than 
half an hour’s time, and, as was fuppofed, by the fcent thereof ; 
which was don zAnw 1 6 77. in the Month of July , at which feafon, 
they repute thofe creatures to be in the greateft vigour for their 
poifon. 
Fa A Relation 
