BOA IN GUIANA. 125 



them, preparing, as lie presumed, to swallow him feet 

 foremost. In an instant he drew himself up, and, grasp- 

 ing his gim, discharged it full at the reptUe's head, which 

 reared into the air with a horrid hiss and terrible con- ^ 

 tortious, and then, with one stroke of his paddles, he shot 

 up the stream beyond reach. On arriving at his friend's 

 house, it was determined to seek the wounded serpent, 

 and several armed negroes were added to the party. 



They soon found the spot where the crushed and 

 bloody reeds told of the recent adventure, and proceeded 

 cautiously to reconnoitre. Advancing thus about thirty 

 yards, alarm was given that the monster was visible, 

 " We saw through the reeds part of its body coiled up, 

 and part stretched out ; but, from their density, the head 

 was invisible. Disturbed, and apparently irritated, by 

 our approach, it appeared, from its movements, about to 

 attack us. Just as we caught a glimpse at its head we 

 fired, both of us almost at the same moment. It fell, 

 hissing and rolling in a variety of contortions." Here 

 one of the negroes, taking a circuit, succeeded in hitting 

 the creature a violent blow with a club, which stunned it, 

 and a few more strokes decided the victory. " On mea- 

 suring it, we found it to be nearly forty feet in length, 

 and of proportional thickness." 



I do not know how far this story is to be relied on ; 

 but if it is given in good faith, the serpent was the longest 

 dependable example I know of in modem times. StiU, 

 " nearly forty feet " is somewhat indefinite. 



In Mr Ellis's amusing account of his visit to MamUa, 



