to tourne upsid downe of our boat to be rid of such a devill. Then my
comrad began to call it, and before we weare out of the litle river our
feare was over; so we resolved to bring her to the fort, and when once
arrived att the great river, nothing but crosse over it to be neare our
fort. But in the mean while a squirrell made us good spoart for a quarter
of an houre. The squirrell would not leap into the water; did but runne,
being afraid of us, from one end of the boat to the other; every time he
came nearer, the snake opened her wide mouth & made a kind of a noise, &
rose up, having her 2 fore feet uppon the side of the boat, which persuaded
us that shee would leave us. We leaned on that side of the boat, so with
our owers thrusted her out; we seeing her swime so well, hasted to kill her
with our owers, which shee had for her paines. [Footnote: Radisson's
description of this reptile has been shown to one of the most eminent
herpetologists in America, who writes that "no such reptile has ever been
described by scientific writers."] The squirrell tooke the flight, soe we
went, longing to be with our comrades to tell them of what we have seene.
We found one of our company watching for us att the side of a woode, for
they weare in feare least wee should be taken, & expected us all night
long. As for their part they neither have seen nor heard anything.
Wherefore resolved to goe further, but the news we brought them made them
alter their resolution. Wee layd all night in our fort, where we made good
cheare and great fires, fearing nothing, being farr enough in the wood.

The next day before the breaking of the day we foorded the river, & leaving
our 3 boats in the wood, went a foot straight towards the place where we
have seene the 2 persons; & before we came to the lake we tooke notice of
some fresh trakes which made us look to ourselves, and followed the trakes,
which brought us to a small river, where no sooner came but we saw a woman
loaden with wood, which made us believ that some cottage or village was not
afar off. The Captaine alone takes notice of the place where abouts the