Why would you prescribe this task; you know that what we take up ourselves seems always lighter than what is imposed on us by others. You insist on my saying something about our snakes; and in relating what I know concerning them, were it not for two singularities, the one of which I saw, and the other I received from an eye-witness, I should have but very little to observe. The southern provinces are the countries where nature has formed the greatest variety of alligators, snakes, serpents; and scorpions, from the smallest size, up to the pine barren, the largest species known here. We have but two, whose stings are mortal, which deserve to be mentioned; as for the black one, it is remarkable for nothing but its industry, agility, beauty, and the art of enticing birds by the power of its eyes. I admire it much, and never kill it, though its formidable length and appearance often get the better of the philosophy of some people, particularly of Europeans. The most dangerous one is the pilot, or copperhead; for the poison of which no remedy has yet been discovered. It bears the first name because it always precedes the rattlesnake; that is, quits its state of torpidity in the spring a week before the other. It bears the second name on account of its head being adorned with many copper-coloured spots. It lurks in rocks near the water, and is extremely active and dangerous. Let man beware of it! I have heard only of one person who was stung by a copperhead in this country. The poor wretch instantly swelled in a most dreadful manner; a multitude of spots of different hues alternately appeared and vanished, on different parts of his body; his eyes were filled with madness and rage, he cast them on all present with the most vindictive looks: he thrust out his tongue as the snakes do; he hissed through his teeth with inconceivable strength, and became an object of terror to all by-standers. 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.
One anecdote I must relate, the circumstances of which are as true as they are singular. One of my constant walks when I am at leisure, is in my lowlands, where I have the pleasure of seeing my cattle, horses, and colts. Exuberant grass replenishes all my fields, the best representative of our wealth; in the middle of that tract I have cut a ditch eight feet wide, the banks of which nature adorns every spring with the wild salendine, and other flowering weeds, which on these luxuriant grounds shoot up to a great height. Over this ditch I have erected a bridge, capable of bearing a loaded waggon; on each side I carefully sow every year some grains of hemp, which rise to the height of fifteen feet, so strong and so full of limbs as to resemble young trees: I once ascended one of them four feet above the ground. These produce natural arbours, rendered often still more compact by the assistance of an annual creeping plant which we call a vine, that never fails to entwine itself among their branches, and always produces a very desirable shade. From this simple grove I have amused myself an hundred times in observing the great number of humming birds with which our country abounds: the wild blossoms everywhere attract the attention of these birds, which like bees subsist by suction. From this retreat I distinctly watch them in all their various attitudes; but their flight is so rapid, that you cannot distinguish the motion of their wings. On this little bird nature has profusely lavished her most splendid colours; the most perfect azure, the most beautiful gold, the most dazzling red, are for ever in contrast, and help to embellish the plumes of his majestic head. The richest palette of the most luxuriant painter could never invent anything to be compared to the variegated tints, with which this insect bird is arrayed. Its bill is as long and as sharp as a coarse sewing needle; like the bee, nature has taught it to find out in the calix of flowers and blossoms, those mellifluous particles that serve it for sufficient food; and yet it seems to leave them untouched, undeprived of anything that our eyes can possibly distinguish. When it feeds, it appears as if immovable though continually on the wing; and sometimes, from what motives I know not, it will tear and lacerate flowers into a hundred pieces: for, strange to tell, they are the most irascible of the feathered tribe. Where do passions find room in so diminutive a body? They often fight with the fury of lions, until one of the combatants falls a sacrifice and dies. When fatigued, it has often perched within a few feet of me, and on such favourable opportunities I have surveyed it with the most minute attention. Its little eyes appear like diamonds, reflecting light on every side: most elegantly finished in all parts it is a miniature work of our great parent; who seems to have formed it the smallest, and at the same time the most beautiful of the winged species.
As I was one day sitting solitary and pensive in my primitive arbour, my attention was engaged by a strange sort of rustling noise at some paces distant. I looked all around without distinguishing anything, until I climbed one of my great hemp stalks; when to my astonishment, I beheld two snakes of considerable length, the one pursuing the other with great celerity through a hemp stubble field. The aggressor was of the black kind, six feet long; the fugitive was a water snake, nearly of equal dimensions. They soon met, and in the fury of their first encounter, they appeared in an instant firmly twisted together; and whilst their united tails beat the ground, they mutually tried with open jaws to lacerate each other. What a fell aspect did they present! their heads were compressed to a very small size, their eyes flashed fire; and after this conflict had lasted about five minutes, the second found means to disengage itself from the first, and hurried toward the ditch. Its antagonist instantly assumed a new posture, and half creeping and half erect, with a majestic mien, overtook and attacked the other again, which placed itself in the same attitude, and prepared to resist. The scene was uncommon and beautiful; for thus opposed they fought with their jaws, biting each other with the utmost rage; but notwithstanding this appearance of mutual courage and fury, the water snake still seemed desirous of retreating toward the ditch, its natural element. This was no sooner perceived by the keen-eyed black one, than twisting its tail twice round a stalk of hemp, and seizing its adversary by the throat, not by means of its jaws, but by twisting its own neck twice round that of the water snake, pulled it back from the ditch. To prevent a defeat the latter took hold likewise of a stalk on the bank, and by the acquisition of that point of resistance became a match for its fierce antagonist. Strange was this to behold; two great snakes strongly adhering to the ground mutually fastened together by means of the writhings which lashed them to each other, and stretched at their full length, they pulled but pulled in vain; and in the moments of greatest exertions that part of their bodies which was entwined, seemed extremely small, while the rest appeared inflated, and now and then convulsed with strong undulations, rapidly following each other. Their eyes seemed on fire, and ready to start out of their heads; at one time the conflict seemed decided; the water snake bent itself into two great folds, and by that operation rendered the other more than commonly outstretched; the next minute the new struggles of the black one gained an unexpected superiority, it acquired two great folds likewise, which necessarily extended the body of its adversary in proportion as it had contracted its own. These efforts were alternate; victory seemed doubtful, inclining sometimes to the one side and sometimes to the other; until at last the stalk to which the black snake fastened, suddenly gave way, and in consequence of this accident they both plunged into the ditch. The water did not extinguish their vindictive rage; for by their agitations I could trace, though not distinguish, their mutual attacks. They soon re- appeared on the surface twisted together, as in their first onset; but the black snake seemed to retain its wonted superiority, for its head was exactly fixed above that of the other, which it incessantly pressed down under the water, until it was stifled, and sunk. The victor no sooner perceived its enemy incapable of farther resistance, than abandoning it to the current, it returned on shore and disappeared.
Letters From an American Farmer : Letter X - On Snakes; And on the Humming Bird
-
- Site Admin
- Posts: 1503
- Joined: Sat Mar 31, 2018 11:38 pm
- County: Fairbanks
- Your State: Alive
- Contact:
Letters From an American Farmer : Letter X - On Snakes; And on the Humming Bird
Unread post by Destry »
“First, let no one rule your mind or body. Take special care that your thoughts remain unfettered... . Give men your ear, but not your heart. Show respect for those in power, but don't follow them blindly. Judge with logic and reason, but comment not. Consider none your superior whatever their rank or station in life. Treat all fairly, or they will seek revenge. Be careful with your money. Hold fast to your beliefs and others will listen.”
“Wise? No, I simply learned to think.”
“Wise? No, I simply learned to think.”
Return to “Letters from an American farmer”
Jump to
- Forum Rules
- New? Start Here!
- The word of God
- ↳ His Hard Line Scriptures
- National Assembly Blog
- For users who need passwords reset or users that do not receive emails.
- Outbound email blocking
- TEN STEPS TO AN ASSEMBLY BY WILL THEY MA'KIT
- Handbook For The Restoration of The Peaceful Sovereign States of America!
- 2018.05.10 Operation & Functions By-laws NAM Generic v.2
- 1638 Fundamental Orders
- Reba Live Red State Talk Radio explaining the foundation our assemblies stand on!
- Michigan Assembly Introduction Video
- Lapbook for home schooling
- His Hard Line Podcasts on Assembly
- Announcements and Notices
- Assembly Progress Reports
- National Assembly
- ↳ Notices in progress
- ↳ National Assembly Meeting Session Archive
- ↳ Requests for Agenda subjects
- ↳ Notice of voting on motions agenda for the next national assembly business meeting.
- ↳ National Assembly Seated Positions List
- ↳ National Assembly Documents and Resources
- ↳ National Assembly Meeting Motions De Jure Motion List History in Chronological Order
- State Assembly Support
- ↳ State Assembly Documents & Support
- ↳ State Assembly General Discussions
- County Assembly Support
- ↳ County Assembly Documents & Support
- ↳ County Assembly General Discussions
- General and off topic chat
- ↳ His Hard Line EDU Spot
- ↳ His Hard Line Quick Look
- ↳ HHL-Field Training Manual 2000-25 Series
- ↳ Voice of The People News Paper
- ↳ General Off Topic Chat
- ↳ Old Historical Documents
- ↳ Letters from an American farmer
- ↳ The Republic
- ↳ Video Library
- ↳ Legal Documents
- ↳ Resourceful Websites
- ↳ Humor
- ↳ Health and Healing
- ↳ In the Kitchen
- ↳ Alternative Energy and Hidden Tech.
- ↳ General News
- ↳ 5G microwave and the space fence
- ↳ Living Without the System by Clyde Edward Powell 22 DVD disk set
- ↳ Computers and Software
- ↳ Hoaxes and Scams
- The 50 Nation=States
- ↳ Alabama
- ↳ Alabama Introductions
- ↳ Alabama General Chat
- ↳ Alabama Historical Documents
- ↳ Alaska assembled settled
- ↳ Alaska Introductions
- ↳ Alaska General Chat
- ↳ Alaska's Historical Documents
- ↳ Website
- ↳ Arizona
- ↳ Arizona Introductions
- ↳ Arizona General Chat
- ↳ Arizona's Historical Documents
- ↳ Arkansas Assembled
- ↳ Arkansas Introductions
- ↳ Arkansas General Chat
- ↳ Arkansas Historical Documents
- ↳ Website
- ↳ California assembled questionable
- ↳ California Introductions
- ↳ California General Chat
- ↳ California's Historical Documents
- ↳ Colorado
- ↳ Colorado Introductions
- ↳ Colorado General Chat
- ↳ Colorado Historical Documents
- ↳ Connecticut
- ↳ Connecticut Intruductions
- ↳ Conneticut General Chat
- ↳ Connecticut's Historical Documents
- ↳ Delaware
- ↳ Delaware Introductions
- ↳ Delaware General Chat
- ↳ Delaware's Historical Documents
- ↳ Florida assembled
- ↳ Florida Introductions
- ↳ Florida General Chat
- ↳ Florida's Historical Documents
- ↳ Website
- ↳ Georgia Assembled
- ↳ Georgia Introductions
- ↳ Georgia General Chat
- ↳ Georgia's Historical Documents
- ↳ Georgia Website
- ↳ Hawai'i assembled questionable
- ↳ Hawai'i Introductions
- ↳ Hawai'i General Chat
- ↳ Hawaii's Historical Documents
- ↳ Idaho
- ↳ Idaho Introductions
- ↳ Idaho General Chat
- ↳ Idaho's Historical Documents
- ↳ Illinois Assembled
- ↳ Illinois Introductions
- ↳ Illinois General Chat
- ↳ Illinois Historical Documents
- ↳ Indiana
- ↳ Indiana Introductions
- ↳ Indiana General Chat
- ↳ Indiana's Historical Documents
- ↳ Iowa
- ↳ Iowa Introductions
- ↳ Iowa General Chat
- ↳ Iowa's Historical Documents
- ↳ Kansas
- ↳ Kansas Introductions
- ↳ Kansas General Chat
- ↳ Kansas Historical Documents
- ↳ Kentucky assembled
- ↳ Kentucky Introductions
- ↳ Kentucky General Chat
- ↳ Kentucky Historical Documents
- ↳ Louisiana
- ↳ Louisiana Introductions
- ↳ Louisiana General Chat
- ↳ Louisiana Historical Documents
- ↳ Maine
- ↳ Maine Introductions
- ↳ Maine General Chat
- ↳ Maine Historical Documents
- ↳ Maryland
- ↳ Maryland Introductions
- ↳ Maryland General Chat
- ↳ Maryland Historical Documents
- ↳ Massachusetts
- ↳ Massachusetts Introductions
- ↳ Massachusetts General Chat
- ↳ Massachusetts Historical Documents
- ↳ Michigan assembled settled
- ↳ Michigan Introductions
- ↳ Michigan General Chat
- ↳ Michigan Historical Documents
- ↳ Website
- ↳ Minnesota
- ↳ Minnesota Introductions
- ↳ Minnesota General Chat
- ↳ Minnesota Historical Documents
- ↳ Mississippi
- ↳ Mississippi Introductions
- ↳ Mississippi General Chat
- ↳ Mississippi Historical Documents
- ↳ Website
- ↳ Missouri Assembled
- ↳ Missouri Introductions
- ↳ Missouri General Chat
- ↳ Missouri Historical Documents
- ↳ Website
- ↳ Montana assembled questionable
- ↳ Montana Introductions
- ↳ Montana General Chat
- ↳ Montana Historical Documents
- ↳ Nebraska
- ↳ Nebraska Introductions
- ↳ Nebraska General Chat
- ↳ Nebraska Historical Documents
- ↳ Nevada
- ↳ Nevada Introductions
- ↳ Nevada General Chat
- ↳ Nevada Historical Documents
- ↳ New Hampshire
- ↳ New Hampshire Introductions
- ↳ New Hampshire General Chat
- ↳ New Hampshire Historical Documents
- ↳ New Jersey
- ↳ New Jersey Introductions
- ↳ New Jersey General Chat
- ↳ New Jersey Historical Documents
- ↳ New Mexico
- ↳ New Mexico Introductions
- ↳ New Mexico General Chat
- ↳ New Mexico Historical Documents
- ↳ New York assembled
- ↳ New York Introductions
- ↳ New York General Chat
- ↳ New York Historical Documents
- ↳ Website
- ↳ North Carolina assembled
- ↳ North Carolina Introductions
- ↳ North Carolina General Chat
- ↳ North Carolina Historical Documents
- ↳ North Dakota assembled Questionable
- ↳ North Dakota Introductions
- ↳ North Dakota General Chat
- ↳ North Dakota Historical Documents
- ↳ Ohio
- ↳ Ohio Introductions
- ↳ Ohio General Chat
- ↳ Ohio Historical Documents
- ↳ Oklahoma
- ↳ Oklahoma Introductions
- ↳ Oklahoma General Chat
- ↳ Oklahoma Historical Documents
- ↳ Oregon Assembled
- ↳ Oregon Introductions
- ↳ Oregon General Chat
- ↳ Oregon Historical Documents
- ↳ Website
- ↳ Pennsylvania
- ↳ Pennsylvania Introductions
- ↳ Pennsylvania General Chat
- ↳ Pennsylvania Historical Documents
- ↳ Rhode Island
- ↳ Rhode Island Introductions
- ↳ Rhode Island General Chat
- ↳ Rhode Island Historical Documents
- ↳ South Carolina
- ↳ South Carolina Introductions
- ↳ South Carolina General Chat
- ↳ South Carolina Historical Documents
- ↳ South Dakota
- ↳ South Dakota Introductions
- ↳ South Dakota General Chat
- ↳ South Dakota Historical Documents
- ↳ Tennessee Assembled
- ↳ Tennessee Introductions
- ↳ Tennessee General Chat
- ↳ Tennessee Historical Documents
- ↳ Texas
- ↳ Texas Introductions
- ↳ Texas General Chat
- ↳ Texas Historical Documents
- ↳ Utah
- ↳ Utah Introductions
- ↳ Utah General Chat
- ↳ Utah Historical Documents
- ↳ Vermont
- ↳ Vermont Introductions
- ↳ Vermont General Chat
- ↳ Vermont Historical Documents
- ↳ Virginia
- ↳ Virginia Introductions
- ↳ Virginia General Chat
- ↳ Virginia Historical Documents
- ↳ Washington
- ↳ Washington Introductions
- ↳ Washington General Chat
- ↳ Washington Historical Documents
- ↳ West Virginia
- ↳ West Virginia Introductions
- ↳ West Virginia General Chat
- ↳ West Virginia Historical Documents
- ↳ Wisconsin - Assembled
- ↳ Wisconsin Introductions
- ↳ Wisconsin General Chat
- ↳ Wisconsin Historical Documents
- ↳ Website
- ↳ Wyoming
- ↳ Wyoming Introductions
- ↳ Wyoming General Chat
- ↳ Wyoming Historical Documents
- International Community
- ↳ Australia
- ↳ Australia General Chat
- ↳ Australia History
- ↳ Canada
- ↳ Canada Introductions
- ↳ Canada General Chat
- ↳ Canada Historical Documents
- ↳ Germany
- ↳ Germany Introductions
- ↳ Germany General Chat
- ↳ Website
- ↳ Ireland
- ↳ Ireland Introductions
- ↳ Ireland General Chat
- ↳ Slovakia
- Suggestion Box