Botanical Reminiscences. 
64 
tion, I stood still for a moment before I made the jump. In 
the meantime Kate, challenging me impatiently, saying I 
should not stand still for every flower, and, through it, keep 
the others from coming on,*^ laughing I jumped on the 
stone ; just at the moment as I intended to make the other 
jump, a terrific cry from Kate stopped me, and the next 
Indian following her cleared the rivulet in one bound, with 
the frightful cry, '' Akuy, Akuy'' (poisonous snake). This 
had happened whilst I was looking round towards Kate.^ She 
jumped on the block next to me, deadly pale, and pointing to 
the bank she had just left, with the cry, ‘^Akuy.^^ Terrified, 
I asked her whether she had been bitten. She began to 
weep most bitterly, and at the same moment I observed 
several drops of blood on her right leg, close to the knee. 
Only a poisonous snake could have inflicted such a wound, 
and only the most speedy help could save the life of our 
favorite. Misfortune would have it that the Doctor of the 
expedition, Mr. Fryer, with my brother, was the last ; and 
the Indian who carried the medicine chest, which contained 
also the lancets, was one of the first of the long Indian file. 
In want of another bandage I took off my braces, scarified 
the wounds with my pocket knife, underbound them as firmly 
as possible, and got some of the Indians to suck the blood. 
I believe that in the first moment the poor woman did not 
know that she was bitten, although the snake had attacked 
and bitten her twice — once near the knee, and the other time 
in the calf. The excitement amongst the Indians nearest to the 
catastrophe had attracted the attention of her husband, who 
came running, deeply stricken with terror at the fate of his 
wife. He knelt down near her, and sucked the blood from 
the wound. Whilst this remedy was being applied Mr. 
Fryer, my brother, and the Indian with tie medicine 
chest had arrived. Ammonia, externally and internally, was 
applied. We soon saw that the case was hopeless. After a 
lapse of six minutes the symptoms of the poisoning became 
apparent — vehement trembling shook her whole body, and the 
face became deadly pale. Soon a cold perspiration broke 
out, when the poor woman complained of acute pain of the 
whole side of the wounded leg, and more near the heart — 
feeling scarcely any pain where bitten. She was unable to 
move her foot. Spasmodic vomiting appeared very quickly, 
followed by vomiting of blood ; the eyes became bloodshot, 
the nose commenced bleeding, and the pulsation was from 120'^ 
