ry. One morning I killed a
Coulacanara, a snake 14 feet long, large enough to have crushed any one
of us to death. After skinning it I could easily get my head into his
mouth, as its jaws admit of wonderful extension. A Dutch friend of mine
killed a boa 22 feet long, with a pair of stag's horns in his mouth. He
had swallowed the stag but could not get the horns down. In this plight
the Dutchman found him as he was going in his canoe up the river, and
sent a ball through his head.

One Sunday morning a negro informed me that he had discovered a great
snake in a large tree which had been upset by a whirlwind and was lying
decaying on the ground. I had been in search of a large serpent for a
long time. I told two negroes to follow me while I led the way with a
cutlass in my hand. Taking as an additional weapon a long lance, I
carried this perpendicularly before me, with the point about a foot from
the ground. The snake had not moved, and on getting up to him, I struck
him with the lance just behind the neck, and pinned him to the ground.
That moment the negro next to me seized the lance and held it fast in
its place, while I dashed up to grapple with the serpent, and to get
hold of his tail before he could do any mischief.

The snake on being pinned gave a tremendous hiss. We had a sharp fray,
rotten sticks flying on all sides, and each party struggling for
superiority. I called to the second negro to throw himself on me, as I
found I was not heavy enough. He did so and the additional weight was of
great service. I had now got firm hold of his tail, and after a violent
struggle or two, he gave in. So I contrived to unloose my braces and
with them tied up the snake's mouth.

The serpent now tried to better himself and set resolutely to work, but
we overpowered him. We contrived to make him twist himself round the
shaft of the lance, and then prepared to convey him out of the forest. I
stood at his head and held it firm under my arm, one negro supported the
belly, and the other the tail. In this order we slowly moved towards
home, resting ten times. The snake vainly fought hard for freedom. At my
abode I cut his throat. He bled like an ox. By next evening he was
completely dissected.

When I had done with the carcase of the great snake it was conveyed into
the forest, as I expected it would attract the king of the vultures, as
soon as time should have rendered it sufficiently savoury. In a few days
it sent forth that odo