SOUTH AMERICA. 211 



Probably he had resorted to this sequestered THIRD 



JOURNEY. 



place for a length of time, as it bore marks of an - 

 ancient settlement. 



I now took my knife, determining to cut away Prepares to 

 the woodbine, and break the twigs in the gentlest with the 



.. , .,, T Snake. 



manner possible, till 1 could get a view of his 

 head. One negro stood guard close behind me 

 with the lance ; and near him the other with a 

 cutlass. The cutlass which I had taken from the 

 first negro, was on the ground close by me in 

 case of need. 



After working in dead silence for a quarter 

 of an hour, with one knee all the time on the 

 ground, I had cleared away enough to see his 

 head. It appeared coming out betwixt the first 

 and second coil of his body, and was flat on the 

 ground. This was the very position I wished 

 it to be in. 



I rose in silence, and retreated very slowly, 

 making a sign to the negroes to do the same. 

 The dog .was sitting at a distance in mute ob- 

 servance. I could now read in the face of the 

 negroes, that they considered this as a very un- 

 pleasant affair ; and they made another attempt 

 to persuade me to let them go for a gun. I 

 smiled in a good-natured manner, and made a 

 feint to cut them down with the weapon I 

 had in my hand. This was all the answer 

 I made to their request, and they looked very 

 uneasy. 



