THE " SPLIT SXAKE." 183 



" There is among them a short serpent, found in 

 the neighbourhood of Tranquebar, and called by 

 us the Split Snake. It is black, with a white streak 

 down its back, dividing the body longitudinally. 

 Its bite is extremely venomous ; and being slender, 

 it can insinuate itself into a very small hole or 

 cranny, and will cuter rooms and closets in search 

 of food. There was a door in a dark part of my 

 workroom, with a large clumsy lock to it. One 

 evening as I was attempting to open it, having to 

 pass that way, I felt a sudden prick in my finger, 

 and at the same time a violent electrical shock, as 

 if I were riven asunder. Not thinking of a serpent, 

 I at first imagined that my Malabar boys had, in 

 their play, wound some wire about the handle, by 

 which I had been hurt, and asked them sharply 

 what mischief they had done to the door. They 

 denied having meddled with it, and I made a second 

 attempt, when I was attacked still more violently, 

 and perceived the blood trickling down my finger. 

 I then returned into my room, sucking the wound 

 till I could draw no more blood, I applied some 

 spirits of turpentine to it, put on a bandage, and 

 being much hurried that evening with business 

 made no further investigation into it. However, in 

 the night it swelled, and was very painful. In the 

 morning I went again into the workroom, when I 

 thought I perceived an unpleasant musky smell. 



