176 



NARRATIVE OF AN 



CHAP, having twifted itfelf by the help of its claws, fo that the 

 VIL 



.-^-„_^ creature cannot efcape, it breaks, by its irrefilHble force, 

 every bone in the animal's body, which it then covers 

 over with a kind of flime or flaver from its mouth, to 

 make it Aide ; and at lail gradually fucks it in, till it dif- 

 appears : after this, the cannot fhift its lituation, 



on account of the great knob or knot which the fwal- 

 lowed prey occafions in that part of the body where it 

 refts till it is digeft^d ; for till then it would hinder the 

 fnake from Aiding along the ground. During that time 

 the aboma wants no other fubfiftence. I have been told 

 of negroes being devoured by this animal, and am 

 difpofed to credit the account; for fliould they chance 

 to come within its reach when hungry, it would as 

 certainly feize them as any other animal. I do not 

 apprehend that its flclh, which is very white, and 

 looks like that of Mi, is in any refpedl pernicious to the 

 ftomach. I Ihould have had no obje(Stion to the negroes 

 eating it till it was confamed, had I not obferved a kind 

 of diffatisfadlion among the remaining marines, who 

 would not have been pleafed with my giving the ne- 

 groes the ufe of the kettle to boil it. The bite of this 

 fnake is faid not to be venomous ; nor do I believe it bites 

 at all from any other impulfe than hunger, 



I Ihall only add, that having nailed its fkin on the bot- 

 tom of the canoe, and dried it in the fun, fprinkling it 

 over with wood-afhes to prevent it from corruption, I 



fent 



