they
are carefully and kindly attended to. There is a hospital for the sick,
and Mr. Heath, the manager of the estate, has had great experience in
the treatment of those diseases to which negroes are liable.
Although
there are not so many kinds of venomous snakes in Brazil as is supposed
even by the inhabitants, yet accidents frequently occur from their
bites to those slaves who are engaged in the plantations. In the whole
course of my travels in Brazil, I did not meet with more than half a
dozen kinds, which, from examination, were found to have poison fangs.
Some of these are, however, very numerous in individuals. In the
province of Rio, and in the southern provinces generally, the Jararaca,
(Botkrops Nemoiedii, Spix.) a genus nearly allied to that which
the Battle Snake belongs to, is perhaps the most common. When full
grown it is usually about six feet long. It is frequently met with in
plantations, and in bushy and grassy places by the sides of woods, but
is scarcely ever found in dense forests. That which is most abundant in
the central and northern provinces, is a true Rattle Snake (Cascavel), but
most probably a distinct species from that of North America. On the day
previous to my arrival at Mr. March's, one of his female slaves, about
thirty-two years of age, and the mother of four children, whilst
weeding Indian corn on a plantation about eight miles distant from the
house, was bitten on the right hand, between the bones of the
fore-finger and thumb, by a Jararaca. The accident took place about
eight-o'clock in the morning, and immediately after she left to return
home, but only reached half way, when she was obliged to lie down from
excessive pain and exhaustion. At this time she said the feeling of
thirst was very great. Some slaves belonging to the estate happening to
be near, one of them rode off to inform Mr. Heath. When he arrived, he
found the arm much swollen up to the shoulder, beneath which he applied
a ligature. Prom a cottage in the neighbourhood he got a little
hartshorn, some of which he applied to the bite, and caused her to
swallow about a tea-spoonful in water. Being in a state of high fever,
he took about a pound of blood from her, after which she became
faintisli. She was then removed to the 1'azenda, and had two grains of
