COBRA DE CAPELLO. 107 
which the good man has ever shown the whole 
race. 
We shall conclude this account with an instance 
of the superstitious veneration in which this crea- 
ture is held on the coast of Malabar. While Del- 
Ion resided at Cananore, one of the secretaries to 
the reigning prince was bitten by the cobra de 
capello. At first he neglected to apply the usual 
remedies, and the people who accompanied him 
brought him back to the city, and carried the ser- 
pent with them in a well closed jar. The prince, 
being informed of the accident, sent immediately 
for the Brahmins, who very gravely told the serpent 
that the life of so faithful an officer was of the ut- 
most importance to the state ; and, being unwilling 
to depend alone on their prayers, they gave the 
snake to understand, that, if the secretary died, he 
most assuredly should be burnt in the same funeral 
pile with the body. Neither prayers, nor threaten- 
ings, nor remonstrances, seemed to make any im- 
pression on this obdurate reptile. The secretary 
died ; but the prince, although extremely affected 
by the loss, having reflected that his secretary might 
have been guilty of some secret sins, which had 
drawn down the anger of the gods, ordered the ser- 
pent to be carried from the palace and restored to 
liberty. This was not done, however, till after 
abundance of apologies and reverences had been 
made, on the side of the prince, to appease the 
serpent’s anger. 
