NOTE-BOOK OF A NATURALIST. 365 



and shoot it. This seems to have roused the captain, for 

 he determined to kill it himself, and loaded mth ball 

 cartridge. 



The master and slave then proceeded. David cut 

 a path with a bill-hook, and behind him came a marine 

 with three more loaded guns. They had not gone 

 above twenty yards through mud and water, the negro 

 looking every way with uncommon vivacity, when he 

 suddenly called out, ' Me see snakee !' and, sure enough, 

 there the reptile lay, coiled up under the fallen leaves 

 and rubbish of the trees. So well covered was it that 

 some time elapsed before the captain could perceive its 

 head, not above sixteen feet from him, moving its forked 

 tongue, while its vividly bright eyes appeared to emit 

 sparks of fire. The captain now rested his piece upon a 

 branch to secure a surer aim, and fired. The ball missed 

 the head, but went through the body, when the snake 

 struck round with such astonishing force, as to cut away 

 all the underwood around it with the facility of a scythe 

 mowing grass, and flouncing with its tail, made the mud 

 and dirt fly over their heads to a considerable distance. 

 This commotion seems to have sent the party to the 

 right about ; for they took to their heels and crowded 

 into the canoe. David, however, entreated the captain 

 to renew the charge, assuring him that the snake would 

 be quiet in a few minutes, and that it was neither able 

 nor inclined to pursue them, supporting his opinion by 

 walking before the captain till the latter should be ready 

 to fire. 



They now found the snake a little removed from its 

 former station, very quiet, with its head as before, lying 

 out among the fallen leaves, rotten bark, and old moss. 

 Stedman fired at it immediately, but with no better suc- 

 cess than at first ; and the enraged animal, being but 

 slightly wounded by the second shot, sent up such a 

 cloud of dust and dirt as the captain had never seen, 



