f them. An old pile-driving machine stood on the sands close by, and
it had a low square platform which was an excellent substitute for a
dressing-room. One warm evening I had undressed as usual, and was
walking over the deep sand to the plank from which I took my accustomed
header, when I noticed the sand began to heave about a yard in front of
me, and the broad ace-of-clubs shaped head of a puff-adder rise up in a
threatening attitude. I should not have been more astonished had I seen
a whale in the same place, as no cover for a snake was near, and it
seemed such a very unlikely locality. I jumped back immediately, and
looked about for a stick or stone; before I could find either, however,
the adder had shaken the sand from his back, and quietly glided under
the little platform on which all my clothes were lying. I gave up the
idea of bathing that night, and began to think how I was to regain my
raiment. I kept a watchful eye on the lower part of the platform, and
creeping up to it, made a sudden grab at my clothes and bolted away. I
took care to shake each article very carefully before putting it on, but
more particularly my boots, for on my first arrival in the colony, a
kind friend informed me that boots were a favourite resting-place for
snakes. And to assist the idea he had inserted a hair brush into one of
them, and, just as I was pulling it on, shouted for me to "look out for
the snake." I arranged a grand attack on the snake's residence the
following day, when two full-grown and five young puff-adders were
killed. It was very fortunate that none of these adders had ever taken
a fancy to locate themselves in the leg of my trousers, or the arm of my
coat, for the sake of warmth, during the time that I was cooling myself
in the water. This family must have been under the driving machine for
some weeks, and I have no doubt they admired the very regular attention
that I daily paid to my ablutions. I fear that the stamping always
necessary in drawing on a boot after bathing, must have sadly annoyed
the young fry. I never liked going near this place afterwards, and was
obliged in consequence to invest some capital in a square board upon
which to perform my toilet.

I had another escape from a snake near the Sea-cow Lake, about six miles
from Natal. I had been looking for a duiker, which I was anxious to
shoot for the purpose of concocting a bowl of soup, this particular
animal being celebrated for that p