AN EXPEDITION TO PENRISEN 271 



In the low-country I was all but bitten by a green 

 Tree-Viper ; it was curled up round the branch of a 

 bush by the side of the path, and in walking by it I 

 tripped and nearly fell into the bush against the 

 snake, but was saved from actually doing so by a 

 man just behind me. The snake appeared ready to 

 bite, and showed no intention of gliding away, and 

 I was struck by the sluggishness of the creature, for 

 many of our train had passed close by, and doubtless 

 on account of its green colour had failed to notice it. 

 We did not stop at Sennah, but pushed right on to 

 Pankalan Ampat, which we reached about 5 o'clock. 

 We had to stay here a day or two, for Cox had to 

 collect the poll-tax of $2 per adult male. The method 

 of collecting the tax was amusingly archaic. Cox sat 

 at a table with the account-books before him ; the 

 chief of some village would then present himself, the 

 pockets of his coat full of copper coins: taking one 

 coin out of his pocket he would lay it on the table 

 and give the name of a man in his village ; the name 

 was checked by Cox, and then another coin was pro- 

 duced and another name given, and so on till the tale 

 was complete, when the money was handed over. The 

 headman of a small village, with one or two followers 

 accompanying him, turned up one day at noon ; 

 though he had walked nearly ten miles in the blazing 

 sun he was perfectly cool and collected, but directly 

 he began to recount the names of the men in his 

 village who had to pay tax his face became flushed, 

 the perspiration began to form on his forehead, and 

 he became so confused that one of his followers, in 

 his impatience, seized hold of all the copper coins 

 and began in his turn to recite the names ; ere long 



