g-belt,
I commenced the attack. Seizing him by the tail, I tried to get him out
of his place of refuge; but I hauled in vain; he only drew his large
folds firmer together: I could not move him. At length I got a rheim
round one of his folds, about the middle of his body, and Kleinboy and I
commenced hauling away in good earnest.

The snake, finding the ground too hot for him, relaxed his coils, and
suddenly bringing round his head to the front, he sprang out at us like
an arrow, with his immense and hideous mouth opened to its largest
dimensions, and before I could get out of his way he was clean out of
his hole, and made a second spring, throwing himself forward about eight
or ten feet, and snapping his horrid fangs within a foot of my naked
legs. I sprang out of his way, and getting hold of the green bough I had
cut, returned to the charge. The snake now glided along at top speed: he
knew the ground well, and was making for a mass of broken rocks, where
he would have been beyond my reach, but before he could gain this place
of refuge, I caught him two or three tremendous whacks on the head. He,
however, held on, and gained a pool of muddy water, which he was rapidly
crossing, when I again belabored him, and at length reduced his pace to
a stand. We then hanged him by the neck to a bough of a tree, and in
about fifteen minutes he seemed dead; but he again became very
troublesome during the operation of skinning, twisting his body in all
manner of ways. This serpent measured fourteen feet.

MONTHLY RECORD OF CURRENT EVENTS

The death of President Taylor is the leading event of interest in our
domestic record for the month, as it has been the leading topic of
public attention throughout the country. He died at half-past ten
o'clock on the evening of Wednesday, July 9th, after an illness of but
five days, the last of which alone was deemed dangerous. Exposure to the
sun in attendance upon the public celebration of the Fourth, imprudent
diet on returning home, and neglect of medical remedies until too late,
aggravated rapidly and fatally the disease which he had contracted,
which few of our army officers escaped, and from which several have
already died, during his Mexican campaign. On the afternoon of Wednesday
his alarming condition was announced in the two Houses of Congress, both
of which at once adjourned: and they only met the next day to make
arrangements for his funeral, which took place on Saturday, and