THE YOUTH’S CABINET.

337

et

did so, and the additional weight was of
great service. I had now got firm hold
of his tail; and after a violent struggle
or two he gave in, finding himself over-
powered. This was the moment to secure
him. So, while the first negro continued
to hold the lance firm to the ground, and
the other was helping me, I contrived to
unloose my braces, and with them tied
up the snake’s mouth. The snake, now
finding himself in an unpleasant situation,
tried to better himself, and set resolutely
to work; but we overpowered him. We
contrived to make him twist himself round
the shaft of the lance, and then prepared
to convey him out of the forest. I stood
at his head, and held it firm under my
arm, one negro supporting the belly, and
tine other the tail. In this order we be-
gan to move slowly toward home, and
reached it after resting ten times; for the
suske was too heavy for us to support
him, without stopping to recruit our
strength. As we proceeded onward, he
fought hard for freedom, but it was all in
vain. The day was now too far spent to
think of dissecting him ; so, after securing
his mouth, so that he could not open it,
he was left to his fate till morning.”
Another thrilling adventure, with a
snake of the largest kind in South Ame-
rica, is related by a military correspond-
ent of the Edinburgh Literary Gazette.
This gentleman was at the time residing
with a friend in British Guiana, and em-
ploying himself chiefly in shooting, and
fishing in a neighboring river. One sul-
try day, tired with unsuccessful sport, he
threw his lines, and drew his canoe to the
river’s edge, for the purpose of refreshing
himself in the water. Having done so,
he stretched himself, half-dressed, on the
benches of his boat, with his gun at his

head loaded for a shot, if a chance should
occur. In this position he fell asleep.
“T know not how long I may have slept,”
he continues, “ but I was roused from my
slumber by a curious sensation, as if some
animal were licking my foot. In that
state of half stupor felt after immediately
waking from sleep, I cast my eyes down-
ward, and never till my dying day shall I
forget the thrill of horror that passed
through my frame on perceiving the neck
and head of a monstrous serpent covering
my foot with saliva, preparatory, as im-
mediately flashed upon my mind, to com-
mencing the process of swallowing me. |
had faced death in many shapes—on the
ocean—on the battle-field—but never till
that moment had I conceived it could ap-
proach me in a guise so terrible. Fora
moment, and but a moment, I was fasci-
nated. But recolleetion of my state soon
came to my aid, and I quickly withdrew
my foot from the monster, which was all
the while glaring upon me, and at the
same instant I instinctively grasped my
gun, which was lying loaded beside me.
The reptile, apparently disturbed by my
motion, drew its head below the level of
the canoe. I had just sufficient time to
raise myself half up, pointing the muzzle
of my piece in the direction of the ser-
pent, when its neck and head again ap

peared moving backward and forward, as
if in search of the object it had lost. The
muzzle of my gun was within a yard or
two of it—my finger was on the trigger—
I fired, and it received the shot in its
head. Rearing up part of its body into
the air with a horrible hiss, which made
my blood run cold—and by its contor-
tions, displaying to my sight great part
of its enormous bulk, which had hitherto
escaped my notice—it seemed ready to