le. These are very poysonous; and they
keep in hollow Trees and holes. Men bitten with them will not dy,
but the pain will for some time put them out of their Sences.

Cattle are often bit by some of these Snakes, and as often found dead
of them, tho not eaten. Treading upon them sleeping, or the like,
may be the cause of it. When the people are bitten by any of these,
they are cured by Charms and Medicines, if taken and applyed in time.

There are also a sort of Water Snakes they call Duberria; but harmless.

Alligators may be reduced hither: there be many of them. Of which we
have said somewhat before.

[Kobbera-guion, a creature like an Alligator.] There is a Creature
here called Kobbera guion, resembling an Alligator. The biggest may
be five or six foot long, speckled black and white. He lives most
upon the Land but will take the water and dive under it: hath a long
blew forked tongue like a sting, which he puts forth and hisseth and
gapeth, but doth not bite nor sting, tho the appearance of him would
scare those that knew not what he was. He is not afraid of people,
but will ly gaping and hissing at them in the way, and will scarce
stir out of it. He will come and eat Carrion with the Dogs and Jackals,
and will not be feared away by them, but if they come near to bark or
snap at him, with his tayl, which is about an Ell long like a whip,
he will so slash them, that they will run away and howl. This Creature
is not eatable.

[Tolla-guion.] But there is the Tolla guion very like the former,
which is eaten, and reckoned excellent meat. The Chingulays say it
is the best sort of flesh; and for this reason, That if you eat other
flesh at the same time you eat of this, and have occasion to vomit, you
will never vomit out this tho you vomit all the other. This creature
eats not carrion, but only leaves and herbs; is less of size than
the Kobbera guion, and blackish, lives in hollow Trees and holes in
the Humbosses: And I suppose is the same with that which in the West
Indies they call the Guiana.

[The People eat Rats.] This Countrey has its Vermin also. They have
a sort of Rats, they call Musk-Rats, because they smell strong of
Musk. These the Inhabitants do not eat of, but of all other sort of
Rats they do.

Before I conclude my discourse of the Growth and Product of this
Countrey, it will not be improper to reduce under this head its
Precious Stones, Minerals, and other Commodities. Of which I shall
briefly spe