THE VAST. 



the distance of time and space, grows "small by 

 degrees and beautifully less" in the ratio of its 

 approach to our own times and our own eyes. 

 Yet enough of size and power remains, even when 

 all legitimate deductions are made, to invest the 

 great boa with a romantic interest, and to make 

 the inquiry into its real dimensions worthy of 

 prosecution. 



I may observe, that several species of these 

 great serpents exist in the intertropical regions of 

 America; Africa, and Asia; but all these, though 

 assigned by zoologists to distinct genera (the 

 American species belonging to the genus Bon, and 

 those of Africa and Asia to Python) have so much 

 in common, in habits, structure, and size, that I 

 shall speak of them without distinguishing the 

 species. 



The old Roman historians report that the army 

 of Attilius Regulus, while attacking Carthage, 

 was assaulted by an enormous serpent, which 

 was destroyed only by the aid of the military 

 engines crushing it with huge stones. The skin of 

 this monster, measuring 120 feet in length, was 

 sent to Rome, and preserved as a trophy in a 

 temple till the Numantine war. Several writers 

 mention the fact, and Pliny speaks of its existence 

 as well known. 



Diodorus Siculus mentions a serpent which was 

 captured, not without loss of human life, in 

 Egypt, and which was taken to Alexandria; it 

 measured thirty cubits, or about forty-five feet in 

 length. 



Suetonius records that one was exhibited in 

 front of the Comitium at Rome, which was fifty 

 cubits, or seventy-five feet in length. 



It is probable that these measurements were all 

 taken from the skin after having been detached 

 121 



