D’où venes vous? De Marinnan. A qui estes vous? A un Portugais. Que fais tu-la? Je garde les poulles. Vous gardez les poulles? Ouy moy, & je sçai bien faire.—_Sir_ William Temple’s _Memoirs_, and _Mr._ Locke’s _Essay_, Book II. _chap._ 27. ... “I could not but tell this odd Story, because it is so much out of the way, and from the first hand, and what may pass for a good one; for I dare say, this Prince at least believed himself in all he told me, having ever past for a very honest and pious Man. I leave it to Naturalists to reason, and to other Men to believe as they please upon it; however, it is not perhaps amiss to relieve or enliven a busy Scene sometimes with such Digressions, whether to the purpose or no.” So far Sir _William Temple_. Wonder not then, if you meet in this History with some romantick Sentiments entertained by learned Men concerning Serpents, when two such illustrious Pillars of the Commonwealth of Letters, give way to a Relation that has so much of the Marvellous in it. XLI. These Historians inform us of many more Serpents, and some of great bulk, that infest those _American_ Regions; whose Looks are ruddy, of blood-red Colour, that shine in the Night, like so many glittering Stars. A modern Author writes, that in _America_ are some Snakes that were eight Foot long, and as red as Blood, which in the Night look’d like Fire[228]. Footnote 228: _Anton. Herrera_’s History of _America_, Vol. II. in his Account of _Darien_, p. 72. The former black, and these shining Serpents, remind me of the _Obsidian_ Stones, that are very black and transparent; they have their Names from one _Obsidius_, who first found them in _Æthiopia_. There is a sort of natural _Obsidian_ Glass, which is rather to be ranked among Stones than Metals; ’tis as passive as the former, enduring the Graving-Tool, is diaphanous and pellucid, receiving Images, and, like artificial Glass, transmitting all Forms and Shapes. This is found in _Æthiopia_, where the Sepulchres of the Nobles are usually made of it, and after this manner; _viz._ They take a large Stone, and make it hollow, and in the Cavity include the Corps, where it is not only preserved, but, as if entomb’d in Glass, is apparently visible to Spectators, and sends forth no ungrateful Scent. Out of these _Obsidian_ Stones, Looking-Glasses are wont to be made, and are also found on the Coasts of _Arabia_. These shining Stones were inserted into Rings, and in one of them was cut the entire Image of _Augustus_, who being much taken with these Stones of Glass, caused four Elephants to be made of them,—See the _Commentary_ upon _Pancirollus_, B. i. of _Jet_; and _Pliny_, B. xxxvi. c. 26. XLII. _Boiguacu_, another venemous Production of _Brazil_, thick in the middle, and declining towards the Extremities of the Body; ’tis covered with large Scales on the Back, and lesser ones on the Belly, which is common in all Serpents.