To the Editor of the "Nornt-Cuina Daw News"
Sm—Your interesting article on the above subject revives old mere naming still give me a thrill these are "White's Natural History of Selbourne;" "The Life of Thomas Edwards, the Scottish "Nationalist, and "The Wanderings of Bquire Waterton." It is. the last" book which the above subject brings very Yividly to mind. Waterton was Yorkshire "Squire" living at, cheve, Walton Hall, just outside Leeds." He was essentially one of the old-fashioned gentry but fortunately had a great passion for travel, In his "South American Wan-Jderings" he describes Mshing in the 'Amazon, if I remember rightly, for alligators, and, on one being "nooked,* jumping upon its back. No one' really' believed him at the time, but being in South America myself some ten years ago I made Inquiries and was assured that this was by no means an uncommon feat, Jalthough I did not make the attempt The chief Interest in Waterton's fe, however, ies in the fact that about one hundred years ago embarked on the very research! which is now brought forward something quite new. Away from my books T cannot give absolutely reliable Information but so far as T rit was a cure known. as (2) which he was specially Interested in. In his book there Agured an assemblage of Leeds medical men who are shown as making a hasty departure on the escape of one of the Squire's snakes. Tam uncertain of the origin of the proposed antidote, On frst thought occurred to me that the antidote was the snake venom itself, but on second thoughts Tam doubtful—possibly it was a vegetable prepar lon of the Indians? Perhaps, some lof your readers have exact information on this point.
Shanghai, June 2.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.