174 



WANDERINGS IN SOUTH AMERICA. 



cutlass from one of the negroes, and then ranging both 

 the sable slaves behind me, I told them to follow 

 and that I would cut them down if they offered to fly. 

 I smiled as I said this, but they shook their heads in 

 silence, and seemed to have but a bad heart of it. 



When we got up to the place, the serpent had not, 

 stirred, but I could see nothing of his head, and I 

 judged by the folds [of his body that it must be at the 

 farthest side of his den. A species of woodbine had. 

 formed a complete mantle over the branches of the 

 fallen tree, almost impervious to the rain or the rays of 

 the sun. Probably he had resorted to this sequestered 

 place for a length of time, as it bore marks of an 

 ancient settlement. 



I now took my knife, determining to cut away the 

 woodbine, and break the twigs in the gentlest manner 

 possible, till I could get a view of his head. 



Prepares to ° . , . 



grapple with One ncgro stood guard close behind me with 



the Snake. ^ ^ ^ 



the lance ; and near him the other with a 

 cutlass. The cutlass which I had taken from the first 

 negro was on the ground close by me in case of need. 



After working in dead silence for a quarter of an 

 hour, with one knee all the time on the ground, I had 

 cleared away enough to see his head. It appeared 

 coming out betwixt the first and second coil of the: 

 body, and was flat on the ground. This was the very; 

 position I wished it to be in. 



I rose in silence and retreated very slowly, making 

 a sign to the negroes to do the same. The dog was 

 sitting at a distance in mute observance. I could now, 

 read in the face of the negroes that they considered 

 this as a very unpleasant affair : and they made another 

 attempt to persuade me to let them go for a gun. I. 



