EXPEDITION
TO
SURINAM.
367
is an indubitable truth. The above animal was neither CHAP. XXIX. killed nor hurt; the Colonel ordering the remaining party to form in a half circle and march around it, in order that they themfelves at the fame time might efcape every danger from the monster's matchlefs strength. In this place I shall mention another extraordinary circumstance, which is, that one morning Colonel Fourgeoud resting in his hammock, with one hand carelefsly leaning over the fide, a large rattle-fnake that lay coiled up among the long grafs which was under it, was actually fevered in two by the fentinel, during the very moment of action that it made a fpring to bite him: of which the foldier, whofe name was John Kiefhaber, had been apprifed first by the found of its rattle, and next by feeing the fnake's head eredled, while it was brandishing its forked tongue. As I am treating of thefe reptiles, I cannot refill the temptation of inferting a fact, which I learned from Mr. Francis Rowe of Philadelphia, a respectable old man; who informed me, that riding out one morning to visit a friend, his horfe refufed to go forward, being terrified at a large rattle-fnake that lay acrofs the road. Mr. Rowe having heard of its power of fafcination, in which he was a' believer, alighted to lead the animal round it; but during that time the fnake, having coiled himfelf up, founded its rattle, and stared him fo full in the face, and with fuch fire in its eyes, that the cold fweat broke out upon him; thus,whilst he durst neither retreat or advance, x
he