To The
Lividness Of A Corpse He United The Desperate Force Of A Maniac;
They Hardly Were Able To Fasten Him, So As To Guard Themselves From
His Attacks; When In The Space Of Two Hours Death Relieved The Poor
Wretch From His Struggles, And The Spectators From Their
Apprehensions.
The poison of the rattlesnake is not mortal in so
short a space, and hence there is more time to procure relief; we
are acquainted with several antidotes with which almost every family
is provided.
They are extremely inactive, and if not touched, are
perfectly inoffensive. I once saw, as I was travelling, a great
cliff which was full of them; I handled several, and they appeared
to be dead; they were all entwined together, and thus they remain
until the return of the sun. I found them out, by following the
track of some wild hogs which had fed on them; and even the Indians
often regale on them. When they find them asleep, they put a small
forked stick over their necks, which they keep immovably fixed on
the ground; giving the snake a piece of leather to bite: and this
they pull back several times with great force, until they observe
their two poisonous fangs torn out. Then they cut off the head, skin
the body, and cook it as we do eels; and their flesh is extremely
sweet and white. I once saw a TAMED ONE, as gentle as you can
possibly conceive a reptile to be; it took to the water and swam
whenever it pleased; and when the boys to whom it belonged called it
back, their summons was readily obeyed. It had been deprived of its
fangs by the preceding method; they often stroked it with a soft
brush, and this friction seemed to cause the most pleasing
sensations, for it would turn on its back to enjoy it, as a cat does
before the fire. One of this species was the cause, some years ago,
of a most deplorable accident which I shall relate to you, as I had
it from the widow and mother of the victims. A Dutch farmer of the
Minisink went to mowing, with his negroes, in his boots, a
precaution used to prevent being stung. Inadvertently he trod on a
snake, which immediately flew at his legs; and as it drew back in
order to renew its blow, one of his negroes cut it in two with his
scythe. They prosecuted their work, and returned home; at night the
farmer pulled off his boots and went to bed; and was soon after
attacked with a strange sickness at his stomach; he swelled, and
before a physician could be sent for, died. The sudden death of this
man did not cause much inquiry; the neighbourhood wondered, as is
usual in such cases, and without any further examination the corpse
was buried. A few days after, the son put on his father's boots, and
went to the meadow; at night he pulled them off, went to bed, and
was attacked with the same symptoms about the same time, and died in
the morning. A little before he expired the doctor came, but was not
able to assign what could be the cause of so singular a disorder;
however, rather than appear wholly at a loss before the country
people, he pronounced both father and son to have been bewitched.
Some weeks after, the widow sold all the movables for the benefit of
the younger children; and the farm was leased. One of the
neighbours, who bought the boots, presently put them on, and was
attacked in the same manner as the other two had been; but this
man's wife being alarmed by what had happened in the former family,
despatched one of her negroes for an eminent physician, who
fortunately having heard something of the dreadful affair, guessed
at the cause, applied oil, etc. and recovered the man. The boots
which had been so fatal, were then carefully examined; and he found
that the two fangs of the snake had been left in the leather, after
being wrenched out of their sockets by the strength with which the
snake had drawn back its head. The bladders which contained the
poison and several of the small nerves were still fresh, and adhered
to the boot. The unfortunate father and son had been poisoned by
pulling off these boots, in which action they imperceptibly
scratched their legs with the points of the fangs, through the
hollow of which, some of this astonishing poison was conveyed. You
have no doubt heard of their rattles, if you have not seen them; the
only observation I wish to make is, that the rattling is loud and
distinct when they are angry; and on the contrary, when pleased, it
sounds like a distant trepidation, in which nothing distinct is
heard. In the thick settlements, they are now become very scarce;
for wherever they are met with, open war is declared against them;
so that in a few years there will be none left but on our mountains.
The black snake on the contrary always diverts me because it excites
no idea of danger. Their swiftness is astonishing; they will
sometimes equal that of a horse; at other times they will climb up
trees in quest of our tree toads; or glide on the ground at full
length. On some occasions they present themselves half in the
reptile state, half erect; their eyes and their heads in the erect
posture appear to great advantage: the former display a fire which I
have often admired, and it is by these they are enabled to fascinate
birds and squirrels. When they have fixed their eyes on an animal,
they become immovable; only turning their head sometimes to the
right and sometimes to the left, but still with their sight
invariably directed to the object. The distracted victim, instead of
flying its enemy, seems to be arrested by some invincible power; it
screams; now approaches, and then recedes; and after skipping about
with unaccountable agitation, finally rushes into the jaws of the
snake, and is swallowed, as soon as it is covered with a slime or
glue to make it slide easily down the throat of the devourer.
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