THE YACU MAMA. 



173 



in the lake as to swamp their canoes, when it immediately swallows 

 the people. It is called in the "Lengua Inga" "Yacu Mama," or mother 

 of the waters; and the Indians never enter a lake with which they are 

 not familiar that they do not set up an obstreperous clamor with their 

 horns, which the snake is said to answer; thus giving them warning of 

 its presence. 



I never saw the animal myself, but will give a description of it 

 written by Father Manuel Castrucci de Vernazza, in an account of his 

 mission to the Givaros of the river Pastaza, made in 1845: 



" The wonderful nature of this animal — its figure, its size, and other 

 circumstances — enchains attention, and causes man to reflect upon the 

 majestic and infinite power and wisdom of the Supreme Creator. The 

 sight alone of this monster confounds, intimidates, and infuses respect 

 into the heart of the boldest man. He never seeks or follows the vic- 

 tims upon which he feeds ; but, so great is the force of his inspiration, 

 that he draws in with his breath whatever quadruped or bird may pass 

 him, within from twenty to fifty yards of distance, according to its size. 

 That which I killed from my canoe upon the Pastaza (with five shots 

 of a fowling-piece) had two yards of thickness and fifteen yards o^ 

 length; but the Indians of this region have assured me that there are 

 animals of this kind here of three or four yards diameter, and from 

 thirty to forty long. These swallow entire hogs, stags, tigers, and men, 

 with the greatest facility ; but, by the mercy of Providence, it moves 

 and turns itself very slowly, on account of its extreme weight. When 

 moving, it appears a thick log of wood covered with scales, and dragged 

 slowly along the ground, leaving a track so large that men may see it 

 at a distance and avoid its dangerous ambush." 



The good father says that he observed " that the blood of this animal 

 flowed in jets, (salia a chorros,) and in enormous abundance. The preju- 

 dice of the Indians in respect to this species of great snakes (believing 

 it to be the devil in figure of a serpent) deprived me of the acquisition 

 of the dried skin, though I offered a large gratification for it." 



It is almost impossible to doubt a story told with this minuteness of 

 detail. Doubtless the padre met with, and killed the boa-constrictor ; 

 but two yards of thickness is scarcely credible. He writes it dos varas 

 de grosor. (Grosor is thickness.) I thought the father might have meant 

 two yards in circumference, but he afterwards says that the Indians 

 reported them of three and four yards in diameter, (de diametro.) 



We had a fresh squall of wind and rain from the northward and east- 

 ward. The Portuguese, who is a careful and timid navigator, and 

 whose motions we follow because he is a capital caterer, and has a 



