Edwardsville spectator. [volume] (Edwardsville, Ill.) 1819-1826, 1822-10-19

A CURIOUS SPECTACLE.


The exhibition Of Mr.. Meals rattle
snakes al the Eagle is too great Curl
oslfy to be passed over. II is one Of the
mos, singular sights which we have ever
Witnessed. r.4
Mr.. Neal is a Frenchman; while in
North Carolina, he attempted % procure
some rattle-snak es, for the purpose of
making out a collection. But some Of
the observations and experiments he
made, induced him TO believe the pos
sibility OF tanning this poisonous reptile
he finally made the trial, and has sue
cceded in manner which is calculated
10 astopish every behoIdcr. What is
the process he employed is unknown 10
.ns-he probably awaited himself of the
power, which control over the appe-
lite oil the ANNA. gives hlm---he dweils
very much, too, on the charms Of ,mu-
sic; while inAamed by hunger, and ir-
rilaed by the application OF hot iron,
the creature Is suothed and soiiened by
slow and plain,ive strain.
MIR. n. has Two rattie-snakes--the
male which Is 5 Ioot 8 inches long, has
8 rattles to his tail, thus proving him TO
be years old---he has had the snake 4
gears. The female is much smaller,
and has S rattles--she has been with
him 33 months. So great is their do
,cilliy, tliat lie will take them up, after
speaking "a sort of jargon 10 them, and
stroklng down their backs, as if lhey
were SO many strlngs-he will make
them crawl up his breast and face, Ca
ress and kiss him, coli around bis neck,
and while one ct them is thus hanging
around be viii take up at1d exhibi, The
other. The perfect haimlessness of he
reptile, and even attachment to its keep
er, is astonishing. Meanwhile, Mr.. N.
IS himself thoroughly at easc.-com-
pictely sell-possessed, dIyertlng the
spectator With the exhibition OF his
snakes or insttucting them by his expla-
d,ailons. He says, he has no fears him.
self; Tor, independently Of his command
over the animal, he is satisfied he can
cure the bite Of it--of the remedy be
makes no secret. Wash your mouth
first with warm sweet OIL and then suck
the wound--ncxt, drink mos, copiousy
u the decoclion ct snske-root, until it
operates as a strong emetic. This is
tnereginen he reconln,eiids-and which
he believes to be mtalilble,
There is no deception praoticed upon
you. He opens the mouth otthe snake,
and shows you bis iaDgs. They are in
the upper jaw aione-iwo on each side,
and have the faculty of renewing them,
selves, iii case they are drawn. out BY
violent blow the tangs are within the
mouth, bent, sharpened, and shea,hed,
like the claw Of Cat, and turned TO-
wards the throat; the oriticc, through
which the poison is elected, is snail
groove on me upper side OF the fang, be-
ween IT'S point and upper curve; tho
poison bags lie al the roots of The fanrs,
But 10 remove all doubt of the poison-
Gus qualities OF these snakes being unin,
Jured, Mr.. N. proposes TO have a public
exhibition this week, when the snake will
kill young hare, b, slight stroke, and
then immediately tevour him. M
Perhaps no one has so good an OPP
porluni,y OF studying The habits of The
animal. HIS remarks viii OF course
form a valuable addition to natural his
tory. He Is an intelligent man, and
memoir may be- expected IRON hin, hen
he arrives in Europe. The male snake