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 ciu-rent 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 creatiire 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 



