Morning herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1837-1840, 1837-09-30
VOLUME III.
From eur Evening Edition OF yesterday.l
My Rattlesnakc.

NAVY YARD, Sept 25,h, 1887.
SIR:-I believe / nentoncd my snake IN my last
and have no doubt you would like TO know something
more about him but whether yoa would or NOT mere
goes for description OF the animal
We'll YOU must be informed that thought him one
nc The most beautiful creatures in existence His bright
and shining was covered al over with golden spots
forming diamonds squares, ovals and angles and his
sxy,n Ike neck of the purest white Nth four god
en- rings around it his tail had it nine rattles and
button by which ascertained that he nine years
&C are And in you should travel in that
part OF cnunry and feel inclined To capture rat
tlesnake will inform how, and in what way, for your
especial benefit, made prize of mine.
You must be made aware that about nine years since
was in East Florida along with some others, taking
cognzance Of the live oak timber in the different ham
mocks belonging 10 our very worthy and venerable On
Gle. had with me gang OF negroes twelve IN mum
Der, belonging a planter who resided about ivc miles
from the place where was making researches, and as
ii was far for walk TO the planters every night
| built mysefa shantee, and there l lived during the
week, and had horse for me on Saturday even
ing when the six days that thou shalt labor had exp-
red. My negroes were devoted to me-aye % veri-
" believe they would have went to-but must NOT
be proiane so will leave you to conjecture where
they would have gone for me. | frequently gave them
double allowance of whiskey and 1t was that that
took captive their every feeling, especially when they
were drunk Now, had given them To understand
that wanted TO alive the very first venemous
reptile should encounter.
One day hazing along through the Pine Bar
the of six knots, my usual pace when on du
~. My darkies were drifting along about a hundred
fathoms astern of me, when all at once heard them
roaring the top of their voices. "Massa Billy, Mas
ra Billy" (my general cognomen among them. look
ed behind and them jumping and dancing like so
pany monkeys. In a moment / knew what the
matter so them, and there the snake,
king off fast his notegs could carry him but the
moment advanced towards him. he cooled himself for
spring tried get behind him. but his head turned
in every direction, like fly wheel. Finally mana
ged get long stick across his back then directed
one of the negroes TO hold him down, while cut
other stick with crotch in the end which placed just
aholth head The croft down a and
bent his head the stick, and with knife cut out
his anys tied him by the neck to tue end OF the stick
took hold of the other end and picked HIM up oy the
toll and walked off with the slack of the varmint to my
shantee and there left him. like Napoleon the island
of St Helena, to muse in the solitude OF his own orr
ginality fast to tall pine just at the entrance of
my domicile.
When l returned to my sleeping department in the
evening, there found the planters son, who frequent
ly took lodgings my shanee after days hunt, and
the first words he said tie me were
What the de vii are you doing with that snake =
Nothing" answered, lust at presents but am
going TO do with him when get TO New York. am
going make him present 10 my mother
You had better kill him, he said, and make a sea
pie of him."
All the while he kept playing upon his rattle. A
bout turned in was in the land of Dreams
but he poor devil, had the blues, that he could
shut his eyes; the music of the rattle kept him wide
awake. About midnight he reused me.
al sleep" said he, while that internal snake
is keeping up that music and suppose he should get
loose and come among us I"
mo fear of that" I'sad, :" made him well fast"
But" said he, his noise viii call others around
him"
don't care" / said, they cannot find US"
III turn al and kill him" he said.
IL you do my dear fellow, Ill half kill YOU OBJ
sWe. can go home then" said he, good night
10 you and off he started through the pine barrens at
midnight.
turned myself and was very again dreaming
of home of dear old Staten Island and--but must
not tell you who that lives there
The next morning visited my snake; his head was
swelled to size considerably larger than
big piece of chalk Some Of his poison had got in
stilled into the wound in his mouth that made in
ting his fangs. For week kept him tied to that
Tree finally despatched one of my negroes home for
barrel into which ts put my pet, and tried every
means in my power to tame him. gave him nothing
10 drink, and occasionally stirred him up with
stick but all purpose he still obdUrae. One
day made him drunk l thought would try that plan
as it had a very good effect my darkies l put into
hs barrel Tin pot with whskey. He had had no drink
then for fortnight of course he very thirsty, or
he would not have made much Of beast of himself
a. 10 have drank the whiskey As 1t was he dove
his head into il and took good pull at it before he was
aware Of the contents 1t operated in very Sin
gular him he raised his tail and tried TO
raise a rattle but twas possible it fell slack
rag lie then erected his head and endeayored 10
hiss but il from him like the words Of who
had been glorious for week thick aud husky. Finally
he carecned over and showed his bread locker. |
frightened | thought / had killed him. but the
next day he got it, and after that, when put
from IT,
had charming. bright and beautiful hooking bird.
In the morning he awoke with his carol and at night
fall he sung sleep. Well day arrived Just
in time the life Of my bird he had to my
shantee 10 see If at home. but finding me
there, he was hopping about and amusing himself
when he happened light the barrel in momeni,
the demon eye of the viainous reptile upon him,
and II seems to me can hear him he then
Hutterng screaming and apparently praying for mercy
the snakes head was half way up the barrel with his
Jaws widely distended, and the poor bird the |
point OF dropping into them, when up and hit
him rap athwart the brain pan that him Keeling
To the bottom of his den. The poor sfrighed little in
nocent alighcd on my shoulder, and twas time |
before could compose il.
o. dearly love any innocent thing when il is fright
ened pretty young and interesting lady for instance
IL does my very soul good a lady conside ably
alarmed. and then one feels all Sufficient while as
ssting them II there il any thing in this world that
affection Ia French verb by the bye introduced into the
English language by N. =. Willis ESQ, and none the |
worse for that IL Is pretty just after she has
had sudden fright; her heart still palpating her bo
som heaving her eve moist with heavenly dew bcr l