Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1927-09-04
Shenandoah Valley Discovery Cleared Mystery

to a further discovery; since from
hence we saw another mountain, bear
ing north and by west to us, of pro-
digious height; for according to an
observation of the distance taken by
Col Catlet, it could not be less than
so leagues from the place we stood
upon.
Here I was stung in my sleep by
mountain spider: and had not an
Indian suckt out the poyson, l had
died; for receiving the hurt at the tip
of one Of my fingers. the vemone shot
up Immediately into my shoulder, and
so infiamed my side, that it is not pos.
sible to express my torment. The
means used by my physician was
first a small dose of snake root pow
der, which I took in little water;
and then making a kinde' of plaster
Of the same. applied 1t neer to the
part affected; when he had done 50
he swallowed some by way Of antidote
himself: and suckt my fingers end so
violently that felt the vemone retire
from my side into my shoulder, and
from thence down my arm; having
thus suckt half score time, and spit
as often. I was eased Of all my pain,
and perfectly recovered.
II thought I had been bitten by a
rattlesnake, for I saw not what hurt
me; but the Indian found by the
| wound. and the effects of it, that it
was given by a spider, one of which
he showed me the next day; it is not
unlike our great blue spider, onely it
is somewhat longer. suppose the
nature Of his poyson to be much like
that Of the tarantula."
Iederer probably became terrified
at the pain in his arm and exagger.
ated the actual symptoms of the
spider bite. 1t is likely, however, that
what he says is partly true. The
single virulently poisonous spider in
the Blue Ridge Mountains. according
to the Division of Insects of the
United States National Museum, is
the lathrodetes mactaus, a black
species, globular in shape, about half
an inch long, with a small red spot on
the under side. Sucking the poison
from the wound, If done within a few
minutes after the bite, probably would
bring relief. This is one Of the worlds
most poisonous spiders. It is fairly
well distributed over the United States,
and occurs occasionally in the District
of Columbia. Fatalities sometimes re-
suit from its bite. 1t .seldoms bites,
however, and usually can be handled
with impunity. Lederer, bitten only
on the end Of the finger and with his
natural resistance to the poison
strengthened by outdoor life, probably
was in no great danger from his uE
pleasant experience with the insect.)
ut being thus beyond my hopes and
expectations restored to myself" the
explorer continues. I'VE unanimously
agreed to turn back, seeing no posi-.
Tlo mci
tains, and finding our Indians with
our horses in the place where we left
them, we rode homeward without
making further discovery"
y 4 \
I EDERER'S discoveries would long
since have been forgotten had he
not encountered In the Maryland col.
ony Sir William Halbot, who. struck
by his conversation. persuaded him to
write an account Of his explorations
in Latin. This Talbot rendered into
English and forwarded to Baron Ash.
ley OF Wimborn st. Giles, England,
chancellor Of the British excheQuer
and one OF the lords proprietors Of
Carolina, that the Southern colony
might benefit from the information
that had been rejected by Virginia.
Il was first" says Talbot, ell az
fected to the man by the stories that
went about Of him. Nevertheless,
finding him, contrary to my expecta.
ton, a modest, ingenious person and
a pretty scholar, thought it common
Justice to give him an occasion of vim.
dicating himself from what had
heard Of him, which truly he did with
such convincing reason and circum.
stance as quite abolished those former
Impressions in me-"
Lederer concludes his account of his
travels with some pertinent observa-
tons.
They are certainly in great error"
he says, who imagine that the CONT
nent of North America Is but or 10
days journey over the Atlantic to the
Indian Ocean. which all reasonable
men must acknowledge IL they con-
slider that Sir Francis Drake kept a
west.northwest course from Cape Men.
docine to California. Nevertheless, I
ann brought over to their opinion who
think that the Indian Ocean does
stretch an arm or bat from California
into the continent ~ Tar a. the Appa-