86 
GREAT BOA. 
at once, and with this good effect, that he was now 
by one of as shot through the head.” 
The captain with the help of his servants now 
secured the snake, by passing a rope with a running 
noose upon it over his head : this was effected with 
some difficulty, as the animal, notwithstanding his 
being mortally wounded, still continued to writhe 
and twist about, in such a manner as to render it 
dangerous for any person to approach him. In 
this state he was dragged to the shore, and the 
end of the rope made fast to the canoe, in order to 
tow him to the vessel : according to Stedman’s ac- 
count, he continued swimming like an eel till they 
arrived on board ; where, upon due consideration, it 
was agreed to convey this immense snake once 
more on shore, and have him skinned for the sake 
of the oil. In order to effect this purpose, the 
negro David, having climbed up a tree with the 
end of the rope, let it down over a strong forked 
bough, and the other negroes hoisted up the snake, 
and suspended him from the tree. This done, Da- 
vid, with a sharp knife between his teeth, now left 
the tree, and clung fast upon the monster, which 
was still twisting, and began his operations by rip- 
ping it up, and stripping down the skin as he de- 
scended. “Though I perceived,” continues Stedman, 
“ that the animal was no longer able to do him any 
injury, I confess 1 could not without emotion see a 
man stark naked, black and bloody, clinging with 
arms and legs round the slimy and yet living monster. 
This labour, however, was not without its use, since 
