204 WANDERINGS IN 



Third head, aiicl held it firm under my arm, one negro supported 



Journey. 



— the belly, and the other the tail. In this order we began 



to move slowly towards home, and reached it after 

 resting ten times ; for the snake was too heavy for us 

 to support him without stopping to recruit our strength. 

 As we proceeded onwards with him, he fought hard for 

 freedom, but it was all in vain. The day was now too 

 far spent to think of dissecting him. Had I killed 

 him, a partial putrefaction would have taken place 

 before morning. I had brought with me up into the 

 forest a strong bag, large enough to contain any animal 

 that I should want to dissect. I considered this the best 

 mode of keeping live wild animals when I was pressed 

 for daylight ; for the bag yielding in every direction to 

 their efforts, they would have nothing solid or fixed to 

 work on, and thus would be prevented from making a 

 hole through it. I say fixed, for after the mouth of the 

 bag was closed, the bag itself was not fastened or tied to 

 any thing, but moved about wherever the animal inside 

 caused it to roll. After securing afresh the mouth of the 

 Coulacanara, so that he could not open it, he was forced 

 into this bag, and left to his fate till morning. 



I cannot say he allowed me to have a quiet night. 

 My hammock was in the loft just above him, and the 

 floor betwixt us, half gone to decay, so that in parts of it 

 no boards intervened betwixt his lodging room and mine. 

 He was very restless and fretful; and had Medusa been 



i 



