206 LEAVES FROM THE 



describes this reptile as being of a uniform livid, blackish- 

 brown, the livid tinge strongest on the under parts, so as 

 to present almost a purplish-slate colour, which becomes 

 very dark and shining towards the head. He remarks 

 that all naias of South Africa distil poison from the 

 points of their fangs when much irritated, and are able 

 by a forcible expiration to eject a portion of it to a con- 

 siderable distance. Both the Europeans and natives 

 aver that this snake has the power of casting its poison 

 to a distance of several feet, especially if the ejection be 

 favoured with the wind blowing the same way. They 

 declare that the reptile often projects it into the eyes of 

 those who intrude upon its haunts, and that the injury 

 is followed by inflammation, which terminates not unfre- 

 quently in loss of sight. It must have been one of these 

 spit-venoms that Mr. Gordon Gumming encountered, 

 when watching in one of his hiding- holes for the brute 

 aristocracy of the forest. 



One night, while so engaged, a horrid snake, which Kleinboy 

 had tried to kill with his loading-rod, flew up at my eye and spat 

 poison into it. Immediately I washed it well out at the fountain. 

 I endured great pain all night, hut next day the eye came all 

 right.* 



A naval officer, who distinguished himself at the 

 taking of Acre under Sir G. Napier, had a narrow escape 

 from one of these naias. He was shooting near the Gape, 

 when he trod close to or upon one of these horrible rep- 

 tiles. The snake was coiled round his leg in a moment, 

 and its inflated head was raised to give the fatal dash, 

 when his companion, with admirable presence of mind, 

 placed the muzzle of his gun close to the cobra's head, 

 which was drawn back for the purpose of a surer aim 

 and a more vigorous stroke, and blew its head off, with- 

 out inflicting the slightest injury on his grateful friend. 



* A Hunter's Life in South Africa. 



