we punifhed his rage by ftriking him dead on 
the fpot : he had been highly irritated by 
an Indian dog that barked eagerly at him, but 
was cunning enough to keep out of his reach, 
or nimble enough to avoid the fnake when he 
fprung at him. We took notice that while 
provoked, he contracted the mufcles of his 
fcales fo as to appear very bright and fhining, 
but after the mortal ftroke, his fplendor be- 
came much diminifhed, this is likewife the 
cafe of man}? - of our fnakes. 
The north fide of the Hill is not ftony as 
the fouth, but yet very poor. Thence we 
traveled 7 miles over feveral hollows, fwamps 
and fmall ridges, full of fcrubby bufhes, 
and ftill poor and ftoney to the laft great 
ridge, which is compofed chiefly of large 
gravel, as big as pidgeons or pullets eggs, and 
even the rocks feemed but heaps of the fame 
materials ; the defcent on the north fide is very 
fteep and rocky, large craggy rocks are difpofed 
on all tides, moft part of the way down, which 
brought us to a fine vale, where we lodged b}r 
a creek called Saurel , and were grievoufly 
ftung all night with fmall gnats, fo that I flept 
very little. 
The 7th , we fet out weft from Saurel creek 
and traveled down the vale, which is pretty 
good land : and leaving the creek, foon croffed 
another runing along the north fide of the vale, 
by the bank of which we rode through a grove 
of 
