TO ALEXANDRIA. <J 3 
fleareR the door, lay thoufands of thefe Raffs. I en- 
quired for what ufe they were defigned ; and was 
anfwered by a Cophti, that in former times, in 
the beginning of the church, the Chriftians had ufed 
them for arms, to defend themfelves from their ene- 
niies when they came upon them during divine fer- 
v * ce > and from that time it has been cuRomary for 
every one to have fuch a Raff during the time mafs 
ls read ; which now ferve only to lean on with the 
arms, for which they are commodious and neceffary 
111 a church where no benches are to be feen. 
The 3d. Now was the time to catch all forts of 
nakes to be met with in Egypt, the great heats 
lmgmg forth thefe vermin : 1 therefore made pre- 
paration to get as many as I could, and at once re- 
ceived four different forts, which I have deferibed 
and preferred in Aqua Vita?. Thefe were the com- 
mon Viper, the CeraRes of Alpin, Jaculus, and an 
p"S u *s marinus. They were brought me by a 
ulli, who put me, together with the French Conful 
r "'oncourt and all the French nation prefent, in 
conRernation. They gathered about us toffee how 
k aa( bed mod; poifonous and dreadful crea- 
res alive and brifk, without their doing or even 
ering to do her the leaR harm. When {he put 
ertl into the bottle where they were to be pre- 
erved f } le t00 k them with her bare hands, and 
no arm them as our ladies do their Iaces - She had 
' iffaculty with any but the Viper® Officinales, 
icn were not fond of their lodging. They found 
cork-rt t0 Cree P out before the bottle could be 
0 c , cd- 1 bey crept over the hands and bare arms 
jj e . e fl Woman > without occalioning the leaR fear in 
her \ a great ca hnucfs took the fnakes from 
th • ° ?’ and P uc r hem into the place dellined for 
grave. Site had taken thefe Serpents in the 
field 
