Lynchburg daily Virginian. [volume] (Lynchburg [Va.]) 1852-1861, 1854-09-04
Correspondence Of the Courier.
An Adventure with Rattlesnake5,

| noticed IA sketch in the Courier lew Gays
| since, entitled 'raugkannuc Mountains that
| recalled to my mind an incident that occurred 10
| ne on those mountains, some % or 30 years ago.
was Mt that time resident of Sheffield. at the
me to which refer, formed one of u party OF
Dung men who made excursion To the sum
its of those mounts.to hunt patridgcs, &e. There
re were at that time, rlaces there so infested
With rattlesnake>, that if was dangerous to ap-
,orach them. 70 avoid these abodes.we relied ON
hr acquaintance Of one of our part OF their Locality
after chasing over the hills six freight holrs
were tired enough TO think of returning to our
ZONES. We were proceeding along III an IN
Jim file" through deilc some four rods wide
| ne side of which mountain, the other some
40 feet high, composed of loose lodges that were
,yergrown with ives, whrn sharp rattle was
1eard that sent IA chill to our hearts. Tie fore
nosts of our line the reptile just ahead of
him. and without thought raised his gun and fred
! \ the report of the gun echoed along the crags
II most hideous railing and kissing arose ON all
sides.
We were in the midst of the den Each
rock aud bush seemed populous with rattesnakes
and could them descending from the
! higher crags. We stood still not knowing what
10 do To go back would be dangerous 10
advance; and to remain. where were, per
ilous either for several were moving in the hu
| shes near us. The slightest touch of u fang was
certain death, as were too far from any habit
alton to enable us la reach it before the deadly
virus would have taken effect. We feared to
stir, lest we should attract their attention sooner
! than if we remlined quiet. What passed i'll the
minds of my own thoughts were of no very
| agreeable nature.
At this iuncture, one of us perceived large
Hat rock, some three rods from us, and proposed
in IA whisper that we should make for. that. EIav-
! ing ascertained that none of our aSsailants
! between US and it, we made II rush for it. and
/ L It'll, 1t
our creeping foes of our VIII areabouts, as well as
to irritate them more, and they made for po
! stion.
Our weapons of defence were four guns, two
pistols and am axe. We were then so situated
to be able to defend ourselves in some meas
ure. We cut "a couple of very slender sprouts
that grew close by the rock stationed oursel, es
! in the centre, and as the snakes came ON the
edge of our citadel we killed them. Only five or
six made the attempt and we pitched their man
gled carcases back to their comrades. 1t was
evident that SO long as we remained on the rock
we were safe but how to escape was more than
we could predict. If we could have killed all of
the reptiles ON one side, with our guns and cud-
gels, we should have encountered more in seal
ing the ledge.
We remained quietly on the rock, and, in II
short time, the rattlesnakcs ceased their attacks;
| but, ON our making any movement, they com
menced Missing again. These snakes emit dis
agreeable odor when disturbed and the air was
filled with it, We had noticed tall tree grow
ing close by us, and one of our party proposed
10 cat it, ST as to cause it to fall ugainst the top
of the ledge and thereby form if it did not break,
n way by which we might extricate ourselves
instantly commenced cutting it, keeping sharp
lookout, for the spotted rascas, who now
douhIy enraged by the resoundng blows.
The tree fell with its top against the summit of
the ledge, and we assembled It's trunk, and escap-
ed. Before we left, took II farewell glance at
our butiled begerents, who had then tuken pos
session of our rock, and were engaged in snap
ping handkerchief dropped by one of us. We
formed line, and shot at them, and then left.
Fatal rs is the bic of a rattlesnake, yet there
Is weed growing in or meadows, which being
properly applied, renders it harmless. Many
persons are not acquainted with it; indeed very
lew are. have known persons who, knowing
0ntdotes fer this poison refuse to disclose them
The weed 10 which refer grows from II to
Il inches high, one stalk, leaves narrow, and
grow singly from the stem from ono to two inches
apart. This weed is sumountcd with small blu
ish blossoms that haye five leaves three on the
lower portion aud two above. | see one row
| growing short distance fom me, which | en-
close II this weed be bruised in cold water and
applied to the bite it is harmless.
Were botonist might give a better des-
cription Of it. r. X.
Springfield. July L.
lNc rNpIARIsM.--A magnificent lot of hay,
amounting to about l30, 900 weight, was burnt on
Tuesday night,at the farm Of Mr.. Corbin War
wick (Bcayerdam) in Goochand.
ExEcuToN.-The negro condemned for the
murder Of Barrow, in the county of Henry, was
executed ON Tuesday 22nd ut, in the presence
of "a very large assembage ofpersons. He died
protesting his innocence of the crime with which
he was charged, though he confessed he was with
Barrow all the time and could not account for
the wounds about his head, and the fracturing
Of his skull Dan. Rep.
ACCIDENr.--We regret to learn that Mr.. Eli
sha +. keen.-of this county, met with serious
Accident few days ago. He was driving at a
rapid pace in buggy, which became uncoupled
aud he was thrownout violently, by which his
thigh is supposed to be fractured.-U.
Rev. J. NJ. kIRKpArMCK.-I 1t gives us much
pleasure to learn that Mr. kirkpatrick, of Pow