CREDULITY FEW DEATHS FROM SNAKE-BITES. 295 



the zwart-slang. Our wagon-driver told us that this snake 

 is very fond of women's milk, and solemnly declared that he 

 had known several instances where it has entered people's 

 dwellings at night, and if it met with a sleeping mother, has 

 dexterously abstracted her milk. I rememVjer a somewhat 

 similar story having been told me by the peasantry of some 

 parts of Sweden, who state that to kill a snake was not 

 alone a duty, but an expiatory sacrifice, since " seven sins" 

 would be forgiven an individual for each serpent slain by him. 

 Accordingly^^ in the credulity of my childish days, I was a 

 perfect ThalSroa ! 



Incorrect ideas of the power of the reptile family, coupled 

 with superstitious dread, have no doubt served considerably 

 to exaggerate the fear of snakes. 3Iany, we know, are of 

 the most venomous character ; but, as we become better ac- 

 quainted with the different species, we shall find that by far 

 the greater portion are harmless, or nearly so. The remark- 

 ably few cases of death occurring jfrom their bites are a cor- 

 roboration of this. Moreover, like the rest of lower animals, 

 the most deadly reptile will generally fly at the sight of man. 

 It only exerts its formidable powers of destruction when 

 about to be trampled upon or assailed. Were it otherwise, 

 many of the more humid parts of our globe, where snakes 

 literally swarm, would be uninhabitable. Before setting foot 

 on African soil, my head was full of the dangers to which I 

 should be exposed from them, either when " treading the 

 maze of the jungle," or when traversing the endless sand- 

 plains. Habit and experience have since taught me to re- 

 gard snakes vriih. something akin to indiiference. 



Some of the antidotes in Southern Africa for the bites of 

 snakes and the stings of poisonous insects are simple, singu- 

 lar, and striking. 



The first point to be attended to is (if it be practicable ; 

 to tie a string or ligature tight above the wounded part, so 

 as to prevent the venom spreading. 



