82 ADVENTURE WITH A PYTHON. 



again he sent another in, who, catching hold of the first 

 man's leg hauled him out. He was quite insensible, and 

 when he recovered he declared that the devil lived inside 

 for he had seen him. Torches were brought, the hole was 

 enlarged and in went Mr. Hartman, when to his delight, 

 he discovered a splendid statue of a Buddhist Priest praying 

 in a sitting posture, thirteen feet in height, of exquisite 

 workmanship and proportions, and quite perfect. Eventually 

 he had the earth cleared away and this beautiful temple 

 brought to light. The temples of Borobodoo, four miles 

 further on, are of great size and filled with exquisite carv- 

 ings and statues. The natives say these temples were 

 never finished, but were destroyed by an earthquake. The 

 Dutch Government is about to have drawings made of the 

 chief figures and carvings which are in the great temple, 

 which will require at least three years' hard work to accom- 

 plish. I had heard a great deal from Mr. Hartman of 

 the Valley of the Kadu, but I never anticipated such a treat 

 as the view from the temple gave me : mountain scenery 

 of the wildest description varied with tracts of cultivated 

 patches of every shade and colour, all blended together, 

 making- a scene so enthralling: that it was late in the after- 

 noon before I could tear myself away. 



On one of these excursions I had rather an exciting 

 adventure. I was looking in some high grass, for the track 

 of a deer I had fired at, when I almost trod upon a huge 

 python ; the part of the body that I saw was as thick as my 

 thigh, and it appeared to extend some length either way ; 

 I at once beat a retreat, but I had not gone far when I 

 heard a rustle in the grass behind me ; the creepy creepy 

 feeling already described came over me, for I thought the 



