82 
TRAVELS IN NORTHERN AFRICA. 
CHAP. II. 
me that he had observed a snake of the most venomous species, 
called EfFa (s.]\ coiled up under a bush. I instantly armed myself 
with a ramrod, and having discovered the reptile, pinned it to the 
ground by a stab through the lower jaw. Belford just then came 
up, and fancying it was of a harmless kind, took it by the tail : as 
he was on the opposite side of me, I did not perceive him, and 
having pressed another stick on the creature's head, I withdrew the 
ramrod, in order to get a better hold of it. At this moment Belford 
again pulled, and extricated the snake, which turned upon and 
attempted to bite him ; its tail, however, luckily broke, and it fell 
back into the bush, where I immediately despatched it. Had it 
wounded Belford, as it was on the point of doing, his death would 
have been inevitable, as we had no instrument at hand for cutting 
out the venom, or any fire with which to burn it, as is done with 
effect by the Arabs. On examining the snake, I found it was of 
the same species as some I had seen at Tripoli ; those, however, did 
not exceed six inches in length, whereas this was about two feet 
long, and very bulky. Their colour is generally a dull reddish- 
brown, with black spots ; the belly yellow, and aspect particularly 
disagreeable and malignant. 
The movements of this snake are very pecuhar : it does not 
propel itself in the same way as other serpents, but in a lateral 
manner, advances its right side, and then draws forward its head at 
each motion, wliile, in the act of gliding on, it forms a figure 
resembling the letter S. 
Our road lay through several gloomy wadeys, when, at three, we 
stopped in one called Tingareer^^UUls. At 4. 15. the camels came 
up, and as the place afforded some few bushes, we encamped there 
for the purpose of refreshing them. 
April 24th. — Camels started at 5. 45. At ten, a distant moun- 
tain north-west, called El Kohol (from its blackness). At twelve, 
