THE SERPENT’S STRANGENESS 169 
numberless occasions of a serpent in rapid motion. 
When rushing away at its greatest speed, the 
creature, as one looks down on it, changes its 
appearance from a narrow body moving in a 
sinuous line to a broad straight band, the outward 
and inward curves of the body appearing as curved 
lines on its surface, and the spots and blotches of 
colour forming the pattern as shorter lines. The 
shallow pebbly current shows a similar pattern on 
its swiftly moving surface, the ripples appearing as 
light and dark slanting lines that intersect, cross, 
and mingle with each other. 
Viewed from an elevation, all rivers winding 
through the lower levels, glistening amidst the 
greens and greys and browns of earth, suggest the 
serpent form and appear like endless serpents 
lying across the world. Probably it is this con- 
figuration and shining quality of rivers, as well as 
the even, noiseless motion of flowing water, which 
has given rise to the belief among many savage 
tribes of huge water-serpents, like that of the 
stupendous Mother of the Waters, supposed to lie 
extended at the bottom of the Amazon, Orinoco, 
and other great rivers of tropical South America. 
The river boa of these regions is probably the 
largest existing serpent on the globe, but it is a 
small creature to the fabled monster that rests 
beneath the flood—so small comparatively that it 
might well be regarded as one of the unseen 
monster’s newly born young. 
There is also something in the hypnotic effect 
