114 
GKKKK MEKTS (JKEKK. 
him into his coil; as near as I could see he had sprung 
from his head and tail. The rooster gave one frightened 
cry, and then the folds began to close around him, — closer, 
— closer. Finally he was mashed into an oblong mass, 
covered with a glutinous saliva, and swallowed, ‘‘tail and 
all.” I wondered if they ever grew large enough to pre- 
pare men in that way', and if there was any prospect of 
our visiting the jungles which they inhabited. 
This was all very fine for the snake as long as he had a 
trembling chicken to deal with; but upon a subsequent 
occasion, when a fine young roasting-pig was introduced 
to him, the tables seemed turned. I did not see the latter 
myself, but was told that the pig ensconced himself in 
the chicken’s corner, and exhibited such a warlike front 
that the boa was completely nonplussed. They seemed 
mutually afraid of each other, and remained upon a 
watchful guard until the former was released from his 
uncomfortable quarters : a whole night, I think, they were 
together. 
Finding it inconvenient, as well as expensiv’’e, to retain 
the snake alive, he was finally taken on shore to the gar- 
dens of the naval -storekeeper, where a noose was passed 
over his head, then over the limb of a tree, and finally 
“hauled taut” by Stimpson, the energetic naturalist of the 
Expedition. In this waj'he was soon put an end to, after 
which he was deprived of his skin for future stuffing. 
My service in the schooner had now expired, and, when 
I returned to my long-closed room on board of the Ken- 
nedy, every thing looked strange and unnatural : I had 
been away nearly five months, and bilge-water and the 
moth had not been idle. The former of these had at 
