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blubbers Seaton. " I'll jump overboard Sir, if becomes aboard,. 

 Sir," chimes in his companion. '• Then I hope the babiche will 

 eat you " is the unfeeling retort, " that will be tea times worse 

 than any injury the snake can do you." By this time we have 

 changed our places the men having got into the stern with a 

 celerity which was truly remarkable, while we stand up in the 

 bows with the bamboo noose ready to snare the snake which 

 despite all the noise which has been made, is so engrossed with 

 itself that it is unconscious of our presence. The terrified 

 boatmen, after many threats, commands and expostulations are 

 induced to send the boat sloAvly forward towards the bush, biit 

 hesitate about driving her straight into it. The reptile which 

 is a good specimen of a rather rare snake, enjoying an 

 utterly unfounded but terrible reputation for " wickedness,"' 

 climbs its own body, regains the branch and retreats along the 

 boughs in easy graceful curves, " He come go 'way Sah ! Yo' 

 nebah catch he noo, Sah," says Seaton, But this weak attempt 

 at discouragement is of no avail for it only leads to his being 

 told to land one of us Avitli the vieAV of cutting off the machete's 

 retreat and driving him back to the water. This is speedily ac- 

 complished, but none too soon, for the snake in a second or two 

 would have quickly reached another bush and would then proba- 

 bly be lost for ever. As it happens he is turned and the boat 

 having, after a good deal of shouting on our part and prodigious 

 grumbling by the boatmen, been brought to the water side of 

 the bush, the machete finds itself taken front and rear. He 

 again turns to fiee towards the bank but Urich, who is in the 

 boat, seizes him by the tail. The snake immediately winds the 

 fore part of his body round the branch. The men's excitement 

 by this time is intense and it is Avith difficitlty they can be dis- 

 suaded from jumping overboard. At length being reassured by 

 the snake's passive resistance in simply clinging to the branch 

 they are induced to keep the boat up. It is fully two minutes 

 before Urich can get hold of the machete's neck and disentangle 

 him from the bough, all care being exercised because; a 

 bite from these reptiles, though not dangerous is not pleasant, 

 just as any wound however inflicted is disagreeable. The capture 

 is doubly difiicult, owing to the large (piantity of pick -mock to 

 be encountered. Once more we push out from the bank and 

 then we leisurely pick out the thorns the snake has got in the 

 struggle and secure him in a bag. Then we remove those in 

 our hands and arms while the boat proceeds on her way. An- 

 other small alligator or babiche, shortly afterwards falls a vic- 

 tim to our rifle and we vow not to shoot any more and to devote 

 all our attention to the capture of a small boa which is frequently 

 to be found in the ti'ees on the banks of this river. Knowino- 



