538 TRAVELS IN THE EAST INDIAN ARCHIPELAGO. 



cabin, and the sailors began to bring my baggage, 

 wlien first of all appeared tlie box containing the 

 python ! I shouted out to the cabin-boy that that 

 l:)Ox must be left out on deck, and then, in a low tone, 

 explained to the captain that it contained an enormous 

 snake. " Tin serpent f un serpent ? " he exclaimed, 

 raising up both hands in horror, in such an expressive 

 way as only a Frenchman can, and proceeding to de- 

 clare that he ought to have known that a passenger 

 who was a naturalist would be sure to fill the whole 

 ship with all sorts of venomous beasts. All the 

 others were little less startled, and shunned me in the 

 half-lighted cabin, as if I were in league with evil 

 spirits, but I quieted their fears by ordering a sailor 

 to put the box into a large boat that was placed 

 right side up on the main deck and promising to kill 

 the great reptile to-morrow. 



May 'ii.tli. — Early this morning we made sail, 

 and I concluded to let my troublesome specimen re- 

 main until Ave were out of the harbor, but now, in 

 the changing of the monsoons, the winds are light 

 and bafiling and we finally came to anchor once more ; 

 and a sailor who got up into the boat said something 

 about " le serpent^ I was on the quarter-deck at the 

 time, and determining at once not to be troubled 

 more with it, jumped down on the main-deck, ran 

 to the side of the boat, and seizing the box gave it 

 a toss into the sea, but just as it was leaving my 

 hands I thought to myself, " How light it is ! " and 

 the sailor said, " Le serpent niJest pas encore ! — pas en- 

 core I " We all looked over the shij^'s side and there 

 was the box floating quietly away, and it was evident 



