A DERELICT. 269 



yet no movement followed, but streams of clear red blood 

 flowing abundantly proved it had been alive. Further ex- 

 amination showed that the reptile having swallowed some 

 prey, which distended its body to a great size about the 

 middle, we cut it open with our hunting-knives and " claos," 

 and disinterred a wild sow, which it had seized and swallowed 

 probably about sunrise, and was digesting, in a torpid condi- 

 tion, when we stumbled upon it basking in the sun. The 

 python measured twenty-two and a half feet a great 

 length, but exceeded by many to be found in that wilder- 

 ness. 



After regaining the beach and looking along it eastward, 

 we espied a dark object lying at high- water mark a quarter of 

 a mile from us, which, on inspection, turned out to be the stern 

 and a portion of the upper deck of a vessel of about eight 

 hundred tons burden, which might have been lying there 

 several years, for the timbers were decaying, and all colour 

 and gilding had long been washed out by the salt air and 

 water combined from the stern and upper cabins, which had 

 been once highly decorated. What that hapless ship was, 

 where wrecked, and when cast away upon that wild shore, 

 there was nothing left to tell. After searching about and 

 discovering in the jungle above high water mark, hurled up 

 by some giant roller, a lower mast, and the ribs and bottom 

 of a boat which may have belonged to the wrecked ship, we 

 sat down, sheltered from the warm noonday sun, in the 

 shadow of the poor castaway's side, and ate our tiffin, ponder- 

 ing on its unhappy fate. Thus an hour passed before we 

 retraced our steps upon the sands left wet and soft by the 

 retiring tide, till reaching the spot where the stag had been 

 left concealed, we broke it up and carried away the meat to 

 gladden the hearts of the crew. 



Regaining the jolly-boat about four in the afternoon, the 

 two men left in charge of her informed us that soon after our 

 departure a large herd of deer had come out upon the sloping 

 bank of the river, and after feeding and playing for some 

 time, had retired when the sun became warm. Also that an 



