SOUTH AMERICA. 207 

 him come, hissing and open-mouthed, within two feet of Third 



Journey. 



my face, and then, with all the force I Avas master of, 



I drove my fist, shielded by my hat, full in his jaws. He 

 was stunned and confounded by the blow, and ere he 

 could recover himself, I had seized his throat with both 

 hands, in such a position that he could not bite me ; I 

 then allowed him to coil himself round my body, and 

 marched off with him as my lawful prize. He pressed 

 me hard, but not alarmingly so. 



In the mean time. Daddy Quashi having found the 

 umbrella, and having heard the noise which the fray 

 occasioned, was coming cautiously up. As soon as he 

 saw me, and in what company I was, he turned about and 

 ran off home, I after him, and shouting to increase his 

 fear. On scolding him for his cowardice, the old rogue 

 begged that I would forgive him, for that the sight of the 

 snake had positively turned him sick at stomach. 



When I had done with the carcass of the large snake, 

 it was conveyed into the forest, as I expected that it Avould 

 attract the King of the Vultures, as soon as time should 

 have rendered it sufficiently savoury. In a few days it 

 sent forth that odour which a carcass should send forth, 

 and about twenty of the common Vultures came and 

 perched on the neighbouring trees ; the King of the 

 Vultures came too ; and I observed that none of the 

 common ones seemed inclined to begin breakfast till his 

 majesty had finished. When he had consumed as much 



