is reckoned to be
incurable. It is said to be blind, though it has two small specks in each
head like eyes: but whether it sees or not I cannot tell. They say it
lives like a mole, mostly underground; and that when it is found above
ground it is easily killed, because it moves but slowly: neither is its
sight (if it hath any) so good as to discern anyone that comes near to
kill it: as few of these creatures fly at a man or hurt him but when he
comes in their way. It is about 14 inches long and about the bigness of
the inner joint of a man's middle finger; being of one and the same
bigness from one end to the other, with a head at each end (as they said;
for I cannot vouch it, for one I had was cut short at one end) and both
alike in shape and bigness; and it is said to move with either head
foremost, indifferently; whence it is called by the Portuguese
cobra-de-dos-cabesas, the snake with two heads.

The small black snake is a very venomous creature.

There is also a grey snake, with red and brown spots all over its back.
It is as big as a man's arm and about 3 foot long, and is said to be
venomous. I saw one of these.

Here are two sorts of very large snakes or serpents: one of them a
land-snake, the other a water-snake. The land-snake is of a grey colour,
and about 18 or 20 foot long: not very venomous, but ravenous. I was
promised the sight of one of their skins but wanted opportunity.

The water-snake is said to be near 30 foot long. These live wholly in the
water, either in large rivers or great lakes, and prey upon any creature
that comes within their reach, be it man or beast. They draw their prey
to them with their tails: for when they see anything on the banks of the
river or lake where they lurk they swing about their tails 10 or 12 foot
over the bank; and whatever stands within their sweep is snatched with
great violence into the river, and drowned by them. Nay it is reported
very credibly that if they see only a shade of any animal at all on the
water, they will flourish their tails to bring in the man or beast whose
shade they see and are oftentimes too successful in it. Wherefore men
that have business near any place where these water-monsters are
suspected to lurk are always provided with a gun, which they often fire,
and that scares them away or keeps them quiet. They are said to have
great heads and strong teeth about 6 inches long. I was told by an
Irishman who lived here that his wife's father was