OP THE OLD WORLD. 2G5 



few hours of repose had had the desired efifect — 

 restoring both strength of body and vigour of mind 

 — I awoke full of healtli, and fit for another day's 

 hard fag. 



After a hurried ablution in the nullah, I lighted 

 a cheroot, and, guided by my own footprints, pro- 

 ceeded with the gang towards the scene of last 

 night's operations. En route, I perceived the snake 

 which had so startled me in the dark, still in the 

 same place, coiled round the date-tree, evidently 

 fast asleep, in a state of repletion. I saw at a 

 glance that it was a beautifully marked " damian " 

 or rock-snake, (a kind of boa,) which is not venom- 

 ous, and I determined, if possible, to capture it 

 alive, it appearing an excellent specimen. This 

 was soon effected. Chineah fastened a slip-knot to 

 a stout bamboo, and, passing it over its head, 

 pulled, whilst some of the rest of the gang struck 

 the tail with sticks until it unloosened its coil from 

 the tree, and wound round the bamboo, to which it 

 was tied with the stalks of creepers. It proved 

 about eleven feet in length, and over a foot in cir- 

 cumference. A wicker-basket was soon constructed, 

 and in a few days it became quite tame, not attempt- 

 ing to escape when handled.* 



Our captive secured, we soon made our way to 

 the spot where the dead elephant was lying, and 



* The author subsequently gave it to A. Bain, Esq., of 

 Madras, who transferred it to the Liverpool Zoological Gardens, 

 where it is now, much increased in size. 



