16 BIOGRAPHY. 



when we had reached the higher grounds it was quite 

 charming to observe the immense quantities of parrots and 

 scarlet aras which passed over our heads. The loud harsh 

 screams of the bird called the horned screamer were heard 

 far and near ; and I could frequently get a sight of this 

 extraordinary bird as we passed along; but I never 

 managed to bring one down with the gun, on account of 

 the difficulty of approaching it. 



"While we were wending our way up the river, an 

 accident happened of a somewhat singular nature. There 

 was a large labarri snake coiled up in a bush, which was 

 close to us. T fired at it, and wounded it so severely that 

 it could not escape. Being wishful to dissect it, I reached 

 over into the bush, with the intention to seize it by the 

 throat, and convey it aboard. The Spaniard at the tiller, 

 on seeing this, took the alarm, and immediately put his 

 helm aport. This forced the vessel's head to the stream, 

 and I was left hanging to the bush with the snake close to 

 me, not having been able to recover my balance as the vessel 

 veered from the land. I kept firm hold of the branch to 

 which I was clinging, and was three times overhead in 

 the water below, presenting an easy prey to any alligator 

 that might have been on the look-out for a meal 



" Luckily a man w;ho was standing near the pilot, on 

 seeing what had happened, rushed to the helm, seized hold 

 of it, and put it hard a-starboard, in time to bring the 

 head of the vessel back again. As they were pulling 

 me up, I saw that the snake was evidently too far gone 

 to do mischief; and so I laid hold of it and brought 

 it aboard with me, to the horror and surprise of the crew. 

 It measured eight feet in length. As soon as I had 

 got a change of clothes, I killed it, and made a dissection 

 of the head. 



" I would sometimes go ashore in the swamps to shoot 



