THE VAST. 



him feet foremost. In an instant he drew himself 

 up, and, grasping his gun, discharged it full at the 

 reptile's head, which reared into the air with a 

 horrid hiss and terrible contortions, 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 invisi- 

 ble. 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 vio- 

 lent blow with a club, which stunned it, and a 

 few more strokes decided the victory. "On meas- 

 uring 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 

 modern times. Still, "nearly forty feet" is some- 

 what indefinite. 



In Mr. Ellis's amusing account of his visit to 

 Manilla, he mentions specimens of enormous size ; 

 but there does not seem to have been any actual 

 admeasurement. 



"On one occasion," he says, "I was driven by 

 123 



